~SHABBY COTTAGE CHIC CHAIR TUTORIAL BEGINS TODAY~

~BEAUTIFUL KINCAID CHAIR~

I had the best weekend ever shopping with two of my favorite girls!  We shopped 'til we dropped (literally...I'm getting old here!) and enjoyed the NO TAX sales offered up here in the beautiful state of Oklahoma!  I hope your weekend was wonderful, too!

~Shiny Finish Must Be Sanded Off~

I'm over-the-moon excited to share with those of you who may just be starting to decorate in the "Cottage Shabby/Chic Style" what I think will be a 3-4 day long Tutorial.   I'm calling it "THE COTTAGE CHIC CHAIR TRANSFORMATION."   I'm going to take you through the steps of transforming a "Sweet Queen Anne Chair" into a "Chic 'N Shabby Cottage Queen Anne Chair" complete with new cushion cover as well as a custom-made linen chair skirt.  I hope splitting up the Tutorial will keep it from seeming really long!

 I purchased the lovely little chair (six of them) you see above in 1992.  They were brand-new off the showroom floor and came with a matching table (with 3 leaves) and a large Cherry Wood china cabinet/hutch.  Back then I was into everything hunter green and loved anything dark wood.  

My how things have changed!  The Chairs and Table are the LAST of the natural wood I have in my home.  Everything else has either been painted out or gifted away.  My Son and DIL have the hutch (and LOVE IT as I once did!) as it was replaced with the vintage pieces I showed you a few months ago.  You can find that post HERE and HERE!  As I've grown older I've found myself happily settling into what I love most...  And~that is a soft and pale palate made up of the creamiest muted tones available today.

 ~Rough Up The Surface~

Now...I've given makeovers to more furniture than I can tell you...both for myself and for retailing to the non-do-it-yourselfers!  I'm no expert...but I have learned a few  tricks-of-the-trade that may help you in your own makeover projects!

I'm going to start today by sharing just a couple 'start-off' tips with you.  I hope you will return tomorrow where I'll begin to show you the best way to prime and then paint out your chair using my very favorite cottage white paint!

~Seat Cushion Removed~

Here are the first few steps to follow when transforming most any wooden chair!

1.  Remove Cushion/Seat Pad and check for loose joints.  If any are found re-glue with wood glue and DO USE CLAMPS!  You'll never get the results you need if you don't!

2.  If you are painting a non-painted chair (like the one above) that is is great shape you still must lightly sand off the shiny finish.  Even if you plan on using a bonding primer (like Zinsser) it is still best to rough-up the surface.  This is especially important if you plan on distressing your chair as it will keep large chipping/flaking to a minimum!

3.  If your chair is already painted and IF it has a shiny surface (like oil based paint) you MUST also de-shine your piece by again roughing it up with a medium grit sandpaper.  If you don't new paint (and even primer) will want to peel off.

4.  Wipe down your chair with Tack-cloth.  This will remove any lightweight debris, old paint, and/or varnish particles.

Tomorrow I will show you the best way to prime your chair(s) and how to get a wonderful finish that will last for many years to come.  I'll also share with you the best stain-glaze that I've come across in case you want to "antique" your piece even more!

Thank you for visiting today!  Can't wait to show you more!

Love to you~