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Decorating and Home, Tutorials

Painted Chair for Outdoors

May 22, 2015

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Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

Learn how to create the perfect antique finish on furniture with this step-by-step tutorial sponsored by DecoArt. I have my favorite products to use and the best tips and tricks ready to share with you!

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com


Can we just talk about that chair color for a second? You all know I am a neutrals girl when it comes to decorating my house, so a color like this is WAY outside my comfort zone generally. I think my mint desk in the office is just about the only real pop of color to be found! But I tend to feel a little more playful when it comes to outdoor decor, and that is exactly what I had in mind for this gorgeous chair.

There’s a house I drive by sometimes that has the cutest old chair in the front yard sitting next to a tree. The paint is all chipped away, the seat is nearly falling apart, and it looks like it has been out there for decades. Every time I drive by that house, I can’t help but think how cute the chair would be with a little potted plant sitting on the seat or a wreath tied to the back for the holidays. I decided it was time to have a cute outdoor chair of my own!

I recently picked up an old wood chair for about $15 and gave it a gorgeous antique finish with a bright pop of color. I wanted my chair to look just as old and weathered as the chair that inspired me, so today I’m going to share exactly what I did to achieve this beautifully aged finish. I’ll list the specific products I used and some will include affiliate links. Thank you for helping support our blog!

You’ll need:

paint
dark wax
matte varnish
metal scraper

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

I like using a chalky finish paint for a few reasons: no prep work (a.k.a. sanding or primer) is required, it has a beautiful chalky, matte finish when dry, and it chips and distresses perfectly if you’re going for that look. For this chair I used DecoArt Chalky Finish Paint in a 3:1 ratio of Primitive and Treasure.

I started by wiping down the entire chair with a wet rag to remove any dirt, dust, and (ew) spider webs.

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

Then I painted on the custom paint color I mixed with a small brush. This chair only needed one good coat of paint… yay! It looks bright baby blue now, but we’ll fix that in the next few steps!

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

Once the paint was dry (which doesn’t take long with chalk paint), I applied a dark wax all over the chair. You’ll want to start small because a little goes a LONG way with dark wax. I like to keep a paper plate nearby and barely dip a paint brush into the wax, then wipe the majority off onto the plate before applying it to the furniture. This way you have better control of how much wax you use and don’t get dark spots that won’t blend evenly. Once you brush the wax onto an area, buff the wax into the paint with an old rag. I applied wax to the entire chair, but added extra in the corners and crevices and anywhere the chair would normally see a lot of aging. Below you can see an example of what the chair looks like with and without wax. I know this “dirty” aged look isn’t for everyone, but for a chair that is going to live outdoors and get dirty anyway, I think it is perfect!

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

After the wax was finished, I grabbed my handy dandy scraper. You can also use sandpaper to distress paint, but I’ve been favoring the scraper lately because it gives you a lot more control and you can get a more rough, random chipped paint look. Just run the scraper along edges and corners to remove some of the paint and expose the wood underneath. Focus on areas that would become worn naturally and try to be random about your distressing. You don’t want it to look uniform! There’s not a right or wrong way to do it, I’d just suggest starting small and adding more as you go until you get the look you want.

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

And last but not least, I sealed the chair. This chair will live outside in the elements, so I want to protect the finish I just created as much as possible. I used DecoArt’s Ultra Matte Varnish applied with a brush in an even coat all over the chair. It dries clear but adds a little bit of depth to the color of the paint, which I love. It’s also a matte finish (as the name suggests) so it won’t ruin your gorgeously antique finish with a super high gloss look.

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

I think this chair is absolutely darling sitting out by a tree next to our barn, and I’m starting to add a few plants and flowers around it to create a little garden area.

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

The boys love to come sit here in the shade when they need a break from running around outside. I feel like it’s thoughtful, little spaces like this that really make a house feel like a home!

TELL ME: What do you think about our new outdoor chair? Do you like the antique finish I did and the color? I’d love to hear your thoughts… just leave me a comment below!

Step-by-step instructions for painting furniture in a gorgeous antique finish! See the best products to use and full tutorial at LoveGrowsWild.com

This post is sponsored by DecoArt, but all thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! Visit the DecoArt Chalky Finish website for more ideas and learn how you can enter to win up to $2000 cash and $500 in product in DecoArt’s Second Chances Contest!


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Furniture Makeovers
by Liz Fourez 
20 Comments

About Liz Fourez

View all posts by Liz Fourez

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Comments

  1. Sammy says: May 22, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Wow, I really love this! Been gathering DIY ideas for our new place and this is definitely something I want to do for the outside! Love that color, too.

    Reply
  2. Jamie | anderson + grant says: May 22, 2015 at 11:24 am

    You achieved a finish that really looks like it has been aging for years. Love how this ended up looking!

    Reply
  3. Mindy says: May 22, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    I LOVE everything about this.

    Reply
  4. Amanda Webster says: May 23, 2015 at 4:35 am

    The chairs is so cute and vintage! I’ll paint one for my sea house too. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Caren Gittleman says: May 25, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    it looks gorgeous and it IS neutral. It is a light, light blue…….weathered…..definitely neutral!

    Reply
  6. Cami Graham says: May 25, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    I think it is absolutely darling! I always hesitate using that much color also, but it is a refreshing change for outdoors.

    Reply
  7. easypeasy says: May 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm

    Soooo cute!!! And love that color so bright and fresh ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  8. Tabitha says: May 26, 2015 at 1:28 am

    I love this chair and the color! I can’t wait to see how you change up the decor throughout the seasons! I want a rocking chair like this on the front porch next to a pitcher of sweet tea. Love your style and blog!!!

    Reply
  9. Cecilia says: May 26, 2015 at 2:31 pm

    It’s perfect. I’m going to try your distressing technique on my old chair. Love how yours turned out!

    Reply
  10. Scott says: May 26, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    This looks great! And thank you for the step-by-step process instructions.

    Reply
  11. Nelmarie says: May 31, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    I love you ideas and are looking forward to more of them ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  12. Yvonne says: August 10, 2015 at 1:22 am

    It looks lovely! I did not know that you could put varnish over wax. Is it holding up the summer elements well?

    Reply
    • Liz Fourez says: August 14, 2015 at 9:56 am

      Hey Yvonne! Yes, the paint is holding up well so far! I will say that because I distressed the chair so heavily, you can see some areas where the paint is wearing off, but honestly it just adds to the beauty!

      Reply
  13. Faith says: September 18, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    When you say 3:1 ratio, are you using 3 parts of the Treasure color or Primitive color? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Liz Fourez says: September 21, 2015 at 2:28 pm

      I apologize for the confusion! 3 parts Primitive, 1 part Treasure. I hope this helps! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  14. john says: October 26, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    How does the final coat of sealer stick to the wax you applied on the chair?

    Reply
    • Liz Fourez says: November 4, 2015 at 9:14 am

      Hi John! Because I chipped away a lot of the painted/waxed finish, I wanted a final coat of sealer to protect the entire piece. It adhered over the wax very nicely!

      Reply
  15. Cori says: April 8, 2016 at 12:14 am

    Looks great. I just bought 4 wood chairs for $1 each at our local Habitat ReStore. I can’t wait to paint them and put them outside.

    Reply
  16. Becky says: April 8, 2016 at 4:12 pm

    Thank you for this! I love the color you chose! I have a wooden rocking chair on my front porch that I need to paint again bc of the elements. I love this color, but I think I need to go black bc I have a red front door. What do you think? Anyway, I haven’t ever used chalk paint and have been wanting to try it! Do I have to use the wax? Is the purpose just for an antique look? If I’m using black…so I just skip the wax? Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  17. chairs says: December 9, 2021 at 1:08 am

    So good! And thank you for the step-by-step process instructions.

    Reply

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Liz Fourez started Love Grows Wild in 2012 with a passion for interior design and homemaking and a dream to help others create a home they love.  From simple project tutorials, to holiday and entertaining ideas, to her journey renovating a 1940’s farmhouse, Liz demonstrates how to create a beautiful and inviting home with a handmade touch. She turned her signature cozy, neutral style into a best-selling book in 2016 and continues to inspire readers with her captivating photography and easy decorating ideas. Read more about Liz > > > >

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