Upcycled chairs: Painting advice needed

This is my first time refurnish project.

Lots of mistakes and few thing I hope you guys can give me some advice for the paint.

I have two identical chairs, the first one done, I don't want to make same mistakes again.

I used Chalk Paint and I found the paint texture not really I hope for.

Whats the options for the paint, indoor chair but I may put them outsider in covered alfresco now.

I was planning to the wood stain for the panels at the beginning. but I found the chair itself wasn't a fine wood so lot of fix and half way i found the crack as well.
This time I won't take out the screw for the sitting panel and just leave how it is. back panel of the seat has been taken out and I look for the paint and colour options as well. First one is White and kinda White wash for the panel. Now I am thinking the second one probably white and green colour for the sitting/back panels? What do you reckon?

and what kind of brush I should use? I use the fine paint brush at the beginning and still leave many brush marks even I sand it. Some recommend using small roller brush may improve the result in large surface.

Do I also need dilute the paint before I paint?

I attached the first project I made

At the begining of sanding. Panels off the chair.Sand it by hand. 80 first then 120 then 220.Wood filler for the holes and uneven surfaces and sand it againPaint with Primer: British Paint 4in1 water based primer.Chalk paint and distress surface a bit. replace in gold screw. The panel of the chair I was using Feast Watson Satin. It left the orange-yellowish coat on it. My mistake was also applying on the white chalk paint plus my uneven paint skill. It leave the uneven dirty coatIt cracked after assemble back. I think next time I should use more wood instead of the screw back in. Gives too much pressure for the panel.I still happy what I did. and now i have another go.

ADDED ON: After I used wrong Vanish on the Paint (def is my fault. I did resand a bit and use Waterbased Clear Wood Vanish from bondall. The result is much better.

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BradN

Hi @Mave, and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's great to have you here.

I'm sorry that your chair didn't turn out quite as you had hoped. But every project is a learning experience!

Our D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be back on the site later today. I'm sure he will be able to give you some good advice. I'll also tag experienced Workshop members @sandy_d and @prettyliving to see if they have any advice for you.

In the meantime, you might like to look at some of our helpful guides. How to upcycle a bedside cabinet has great advice for upcycling any kind of furniture. How to restore a wooden armchair has great advice on repairing damaged timber. How to lime wash timber furniture is very helpful too.

Brad

sandy_d

Hi @Mave

Firstly welcome, and secondly, wow! I know this probably wasn’t your intended look but I thinks it’s stunning. DIY is all about trial and error and we can pass on our mistakes to others wanting to achieve a similar look.

I painted my chairs that are similar to yours, and used a small nap roller. I used a small paintbrush for the corners.

I’d love to see the different colour backs, I think it would brighten up any area. I’ve always been a fan of the Shabby Chic mismatched chairs.
I saved this for inspiration.

I can’t wait to see what you create.

Best of luck

Sandy

Upcycler01

Hi Mave, I use different paints depending on the finish I’m wanting. I choose chalk paint when I want a more provincial look, it is a more textured paint so you do get brush marks. You can use a small foam roller or sprits your piece with water after you’ve applied the paint. If I want it to be really smooth I choose fusion mineral paint. You do need to buy it from a stockists, if you don’t have one nearby lots of the stockists do post. It is a very smooth paint, it’s self levelling & has an inbuilt sealer but on chairs I do top coat for added protection. This is a chair I did in fusion mineral paint. The colour is casement.

added protection.

EricL

Hello @Mave

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @sandy_d and @Upcycler01. Just to add to the suggestions offered, I recommend using a higher grit number for your sandpaper when you are sanding to finish. Typically a 240-grit will give you a reasonable finish, but if you are after a super fine smooth finish, I would recommend at least 320 to 400-grit after the primer and in between coats.

I also suggest using the best possible brush you can afford. I find that the more expensive brushes hold more paint and leave a much smoother finish than a cheap brush. If you are after a truly flawless finish you might want to think about investing in a paint spray gun. It is a bit of an investment, but you'll immediately notice the difference between brushed-finish furniture and a spray-painted one.

My only other recommendation for a smoother finish is to dilute your top coat to its maximum allowable amount. You'll notice that diluted paint levels off more nicely than full-bodied paint. The drawback of course is that you'll need to put multiple coats and it does extend the drying time for the project.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Mave

Thanks Eric,

At the moment I am in transition of moving so I property keep it in my DIY bucket list for the spray gun.

Unfortunately I have been Bunnings yesterday seems everyone quite enjoy sanding in higher girt....Out of stock at that moment.

I may start using roller instead of the just brush for the final touch up.

I also think about diluted paint probably one of the option for my desired outcome.

Thanks for @sandy_d and @Upcycler01 advices as well. Much appreciated.

I would try the fusion mineral paint for my next chair. At this stage, I better finish this one first!

Mave

That's lovely, I will keep that in my list for next one. This one I already got the paint so I gonna to use it first to see how it goes.

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