I did it .... I painted a whole chair from the frame to the upholstery. Everybody else is doing it why not me.
The fabric is a very heavy weight tapestry fabric and took
the paint better than any I have worked with in the past.
Velvet sucks the paint in like crazy and I don't advise painting
it unless you like spending money. Drop cloth is rough when
you paint it but you can sand it smooth. I used the paint
straight from the can. Different fabrics would need different
paint consistencies.
In all seriousness, I have painted fabric before but just not to
this scale. I also had not found the right chair and
upholstery to work with. I purchased this chair at a second
hand store and the upholstery was all intact, however the
seat fabric had large water marks on it. So a painting I went ...
I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Colors, FRENCH LINEN on
the frame and OLD WHITE on the fabric and trim. The
fabric took 3 coats with a brush but it's super smooth now
like leather. I did not put any additives in the paint.
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The fabric is a very heavy weight tapestry fabric and took
the paint better than any I have worked with in the past.
Velvet sucks the paint in like crazy and I don't advise painting
it unless you like spending money. Drop cloth is rough when
you paint it but you can sand it smooth. I used the paint
straight from the can. Different fabrics would need different
paint consistencies.
I learned this time around to paint the upholstery
first before the frame. Do as I say not as I do!
The wood frame has straighter edges than the fabric
making it easier to paint the frame last.
And YES I waxed it all once dried! Same procedure, apply
wax, remove excess, then buff. I am very excited about the
possibilities in the future, however I don't think I would
want to paint a piece that you might want to lay on such as a
sofa or love seat. I think this is best saved for occasional and
dining chairs.
She is completely washable and if need be re-paintable
in the future.
UPDATE: we used the chair for a month in our home, then
the chair was used for a couple more months as a demo for
painting fabric, then back to normal living room every day.
UPDATE AGAIN: the paint on the upholstery has not
cracked since it was first done and it has now been over 18
months. Because so many people asked about the chair
it has taken back to use as a demo for painting fabric.
