How to Paint Wood Chairs in 3 Simple Steps

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You’ll be inspired to give your wooden dining chairs a gorgeous makeover when you see how easy it is to paint wood chairs. These blue beauties were given an ombre vibe but the same easy technique applies to any color you’d like!

Today is one of the most exciting posts I’ve ever written.  Can you hear me squealing in the background.  Now this is something I don’t do in real life, but since I’m on the internet I’ll allow myself some liberties.  

Today I am going to talk about – actually fangirl over –  KariAnne of Thistlewood farms. She is one of my all time favorite bloggers and she does it all. She is a decorator, a DiYer and a photographer.  But most of all KariAnne knows how to tell a story.  Boy, can she tell a story!  She can take the most mundane chore, like painting a door, and turn it into a monumental lesson in life. And with lots of chuckles to boot!

Now you are all probably wondering why I’m going on and on about KeriAnne. Obviously she inspires me!  And I know I could never hope to reach her level of perfection. But I thought I would give it a humble try after  seeing these chairs of hers.

After all chairs can be inspiring, right?  This is the tale of the happy chairs.

There was nothing wrong with them really.  In fact I have one in the bedroom here.

But I wanted to have blue chairs. Like KariAnne’s!  In more than one shade!​

Materials Needed to Paint Wood Chairs:

Disclosure: We have not received any compensation for this post. However, we have (and continue to) receive products from DecoArt. This post also contains affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase items through these links we will make a small commission – at no expense to you.

• Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Escape
• Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting
• Americana Decor Cream Wax in Clear
• Brush for Wax

How to Paint Wood Chairs (So Easy!)

Step 1: Wash and Degrease

If your chairs are particularly dirty give them a good wash down with warm soapy water and let dry completely.

Step 2: Paint with Chalky Finish Paint

​And so it began.  I started out with DecoArt’s Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Escape. But I added a bit of Everlasting, which is a white color.  You may remember this photo from my behind the scenes sneak peek. Nothing like a messy work space to inspire you!

Here is what the chair looked like after one coat of the paint mixture. 

And after the second coat!  I should mention that painting chairs is nothing to sneeze about.  It takes time and work. 

But I was not to be deterred!  I wanted blue chairs!  Happy Chairs!

Now for the next two chairs I wanted a lighter look so I added more white paint to the mixture I already had. And this is how they came out.

Step 3: Seal with Clear Wax

Finally to seal in the paint I used DecoArt’s Clear Americana Cream Wax. Just add it on with a clean cloth and after it has dried rub it off.  It is that simple. 

There you have it! Beautifully painted wooden chairs. Don’t you just love them?

​They are so happy, they are practically line dancing!​

These shades of blue are a bit brighter than the Serene blue used to paint this bedroom dresser using the same method (no sanding needed!).

And here they are indoors.  With the beach table. Don’t they look great together?  I think I did a pretty good job, and I wasn’t even going for a matchy look.

The room is small, with a window on one side and it needs light colored furniture so that it can feel happy and bright.

We close the shutters in the summertime because of all that Greek sunlight. But even when the shutters are closed we still want the room to look bright!

That’s why I chose to paint the wood chairs.  I wanted to create the look of a Greek tavern here. And keep things fun and happy!

I should point out that the way the light hits the chairs alters the color.  Trust me, there are only two colors for the chairs here. The table is a shade different but it’s hard to tell, and we will keep that secret to ourselves. 

Now that my chairs are happy… I’m happy!

You can never estimate the power of paint. It can totally transform furniture! You can see how I used paint to create this beautiful cubby storage unit. And explore a different method I used for this chair makeover!

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And that was the tale of the happy chairs. Did I succeed in creating happiness in those chairs?  Did I make you all happy?

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Additional Furniture Painting Ideas to Explore:

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This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.​
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