I recently shared with you how I changed my old kitchen table from drab to fab. You can read about it in this post Cottage Farmhouse Table Redo I promised that I would share how I painted the chairs so that they would match the table. Cottage farmhouse chair redo, now the chairs have a great story to them, and it begins with once upon a time… well this may not go as you expected, but there really was a fairytale ending!
How The Chairs Came To Be Mine
Originally, we had a set of pressed back chairs, made of oak, very old-fashioned, and simply falling apart. I can’t even begin to say how much wood glue, nails, skims we had used to keep trying to shore them up, not to mention that several of the rungs had been chewed to pieces by our cocker puppy, at the time. The table was like a rock, or oak tree. steady as she goes, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Those chairs, however, were dated and cratering. they had to go!

I had been searching for a long time, making do with other chairs we had on hand. I knew what I wanted, I just didn’t want to pay the premium to buy them. I wanted something with a rush seat that would be either cottage, French country, farmhouse. I scoured every yard, garage, and estate sale there was, and one Saturday when we were about to give up, my shopping buddy and I saw a sign and decided on a whim to go check it out. There, in the back of the garage were 4 beautiful ladder back chairs in pristine condition. His wife, he told me changed her mind after she bought them. I could hardly keep my glee in check, and was afraid to ask the price, but was disheartened to hear $175. (I was figuring on each chair costing that much, and rightly so; just not in my budget.) Now that’s a great price for these chairs because I’m pretty sure they paid more than that for one chair, but I only had $50 on me, and I asked him to hold them, all the while telling him that I would be back with my husband and more cash. Long story short, when we returned, the man and my man, Mark, struck up a good conversation. The next thing I know, he invited us into his home and he’s showing us the new chairs she had ordered, they were almost identical! His wife arrived home about this time and was equally hospitable. I think they were thrilled with my enthusiasm, at their excellent taste. It really was wonderful! I turned my head, and there in the corner were two more chairs that matched the ones I was wanting. Well, guess who went home with a set of 6 very expensive ladder back chairs for $75.00! Yep, me! He decided that he liked us so much that he wanted us to have them. Can you imagine? These chairs are beautifully made with a rush seat, and a true black lacquer finish. They were the perfect chairs, and my heart was beyond happy because I knew that was a total blessing from the Lord! I loved the chairs in black and thought they looked great, and we enjoyed them for several years, I wouldn’t have considered painting them if hadn’t painted the kitchen table. The black just wasn’t going with the white and wood look, and that’s the only reason I decided to paint them.
Supplies Needed For The Farmhouse Cottage Chair Redo
- Plastic tarps
- Home Right Max Sprayer is my favorite you can find it here https://amzn.to/3xUa55N
- sandpaper different grits
- your favorite paint, brand, and color. I used Benjamin Moore mixed from Behr’s cottage white, and General Finishes Raw Silk
- https://amzn.to/3dekyRX a spray shelter if using a spray painter, this is my favorite, I wish I had gotten it sooner!
- paintbrush I like Purdy bushes you can find them here https://amzn.to/3xUWjQs
- painters tape, either blue or frog tape
- if using the Home Right Max Sprayer I recommend goggles and a face mask.

How I Sanded the Chairs
The first thing I had to do was sand the chairs. I couldn’t use a palm sander, there are too many nooks and crannies, they needed to be sanded by hand. The chair surface was slick, and I knew the paint wouldn’t stick easily so I needed to sand first by wetting the surface lightly and using a 320 grit sandpaper. Sand only in one direction, on the vertical surfaces I sanded vertical, and on the horizontal areas, I sanded horizontal. This is very time-consuming, and if I had a lot of projects with a lacquered finish then I think I would invest in a compact rotary sanding brush. I didn’t feel the need to take all the lacquer off, down to bare wood, but I knew that the surface really needed to be sanded well so the paint would adhere. I worked outdoors this time and made sure to wear protective gear on my eyes, and a dust mask. It’s not good to be breathing in lacquer particles. Make sure and use a clean dust-free tack cloth to remove any particles before you begin painting.
How I Painted the Chairs
The first thing I did was see if I could remove the fiber rush seating. A good article can be found on Popular Woodworking for more info on cane and rush seating https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr9CWkJGdVghlsA4QpXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZANDMTYxMV8xBHNlYwNzcg–/RV=2/RE=1624607113/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.popularwoodworking.com%2fprojects%2ftraditional-woven-chair-seats%2f/RK=2/RS=R5yiQ_xBFy_WvOJyGjv8v_R8aP0- I was able to do so on some of the chairs, but not all of the chairs. So I had to cover the seats with plastic tarps cut to fit and wrap with painter’s tape. I wanted to make sure and cover the wood and not the seat. I had decided to use my Spray Right Max spray painter. I have loved how easy it has been to use, and clean up when using latex paint, but this time I was going to use Annie Sloan chalk paint. I had thinned it as according to directions, but the nozzle was spurting and creating a speckled pattern on the chairs. Yikes! I had never had that happen before, and I realized that it was too hot outside, and the paint was clogging the nozzle too quickly. I knew it wasn’t the sprayer, but the paint. So I got out some latex paint I had on hand in Cottage White color by Behr, mixed by Benjamin Moore, and was able to spray better, but realized that it really was too hot to be painting outdoors, mind you it was well over 100 degrees. So I brought the chairs in and started working on them in, you guessed it, the kitchen! Again I had a change of plans, and that can happen when you are working on a project. I had to sand down all the splatters from the chalk paint, which was more work than I bargained for, would you believe I think that was the most work involved overall? The paint splatters stuck like crazy glue, and I had to use a whole lot of elbow grease to get them sanded smooth. I covered my surfaces with drop cloths and worked on one chair at a time. When I got the first chair finished with one coat of paint, I didn’t like how I could see so much of the black undertone from the lacquer still showing through. I ended up getting out my General Finishes paint in Raw Silk which was the paint and color I used on my kitchen table redo, and I went to work. I love this paint, and I’m not a paid spokesperson, these are my own opinions. I just happen to really like how it goes on and covers. It’s become my favorite in white or light furniture, because it’s also self-leveling, and coats so well. I had to put two coats on, letting each coat dry for a few hours just to be sure, because I was covering that lacquer. I also sanded lightly in between coats with 220 grit sandpaper. Wiping the sanding dust away before I painted the next coat. I did not put on any coating after painting and they have held up beautifully.


That’s a little before and after. I sure like how white, bright and light the set is now. The white and wood look is one of my favorite, so relaxing, and goes with everything. I can change up any of my accessories, and feel that it’s just timeless.

I have to laugh at Mr. Darcy’s expression, he sat on the chair not long after the 2nd coat of paint, and I wasn’t quite sure if it was completely dry! Thank you for reading along as I shared how I did the Farmhouse Cottage Chair Redo. I hope you enjoyed it my friends. So glad you are here, hugs, Dee
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elizabeth@pineconesandacorns says
I love your “new chairs” they look beautiful white. And I really enjoyed the story of how you came by them, the previous owners sound lovely.
Dee says
Hi sweet Elizabeth, it was a total God thing for us to get the chairs, such a blessing. They were indeed a really lovely couple
we were so touched by their sweetness to us! Thanks so much for stopping by, I appreciate you so much Elizabeth!
Kathy says
Good for you Dee! He chairs are gorgeous and what a bargain! You did a wonderful job on them, and so glad mr Darcy likes them ! Thank you so much for sharing! Kathy
Dee says
Hi sweet Kathy, I appreciate your lovely comments, and faithful reading of the blog! You are amazing, and such wonderful support!
Yes, the chairs were an incredible bargain, a true blessing for sure. Mr. Darcy was only too happy to get his picture out there, and
as a matter of fact, he’s all stretched out at my feet right now! :)
Cindy says
Your new chairs are so bright now. Love your kitty posng!
Dee says
Hi Cindy, thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so glad you like how the chairs turned out, and our Mr Darcy showing up in the picture!
Have a blessed day, and thanks again!
Leslie+Watkins says
Love the update! Gorgeous!
Dee says
Leslie, I really appreciate you saying that my friend! I’m so glad those big projects are over! Thanks for stopping by sweet Leslie, xo
Wendy Wainwright says
I love the chair transformation Dee! Thank you for all the hints! Your home is truly inspiring because of your special touches XXX
Dee says
Aww, Wendy you are the dearest for sure! Thanks my sweet friend for the affirmation, I’m so glad you like how they turned out! Hugs always, Dee
Eleni says
I am not surprised the owners liked you and your hubby! What an amazing transformation! The chairs look amazing with your table. Good job as always sweet friend!
Dee says
Aww, you are just the best! Eleni, thank you for the sweetest of comments, I really appreciate you, my sweet friend! So glad you like how the chairs turned out! xo Dee
Marieza van Jaarsveldt says
It looks amazing, Dee! Well done!
Dee says
Marieza, hi my friend, and thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so glad you like how the chairs turned out! Your comments mean a lot to me, thanks again, sweet friend!
Rhonda Hallstrom says
Oh Dee this is awesome!
Dee says
Rhonda dear! I’m beyond thrilled that you stopped by! Many thanks my sweet friend, I’m so blessed to have you here!
Maria says
The chairs look amazing! Your cat loves them too.
Dee says
Hi Maria, thank you for your sweet comments, glad you think the chairs turned out amazing! Yes, Mr Darcy is the sweetest
he always wants to be where I am, and could hardly wait to sit on them! :)
Janet says
Good info Dee and I had to chuckle to myself at Mr Darcy’s expression! 🤣
Dee says
Hi Janet, thanks so much for stopping by, your sweet support sure is appreciated! Having positive input from you is better
than gold, thanks again! Also, isn’t Mr. Darcy the funniest? He’s quite a character for sure!
Libbie says
I love pieces that come with a story! And they turned out beautifully. Double win!
Dee says
Sweet Libbie, you always know just the right thing to say to encourage my heart! Thanks so much for your kind words, I sure appreciate you!
Anita Holland says
The chairs look really great, well done. And your model Mr Darcy deserves a mention for his modelling skills.
Dee says
Oh Anita, your comments made me literally laugh out loud! Mr Darcy is right next to me in that same chair! He loves to keep me company,
and I think you are so right, he always should be mentioned! He’s my blogging buddy :) Thanks so much for also saying the chairs
turned out great, I sure appreciate that, and you stopping by!
Rosemary Palmer says
A paint sprayer and tent are great. The large tents though are kind of a pain to set up, but worth. Love the makeover.
Dee says
Hi Rosemary! Yes, they are definitely handy to have. I regret not having a tent sooner, (and so does my hubby) when I sprayed paint while working on the driveway once, and there was an overspray off the tarp that is still there today! :) live and learn for sure. Thanks for your kind comments, I appreciate it!
Cindy Rust says
Great work on the chairs Dee! I for one know how time-consuming they can be! Your persistence paid off and they look amazing!!
Dee says
Cindy, you are the best! High praise coming from you my friend, goodness I appreciate it!