My 5 Dollar Chair

One of the more recent hobbies that I have gotten into has been restoring and repainting furniture.  I have become obsessed with Annie Sloan chalk paint and all of the fabulous things you can do with it!  I love to go on a garage sale hunt (when I find the time / wake up early enough) to find a great home accessory or if I am lucky, a furniture fixer-upper DIY.

During a long Easter weekend, my friend and I decided it was the day to scavenge the neighborhoods for a killer deal.  Well, we scored these beauties for $5 a piece!

 

Okay, so it was totally filthy. and gross. and the arms were wiggly.  Okay, it was a total mess, but I saw potential!  I was looking for inspiration on how to make this chair unique and fit in my modern décor, so I decided to go with one of my favorite Annie Sloan colors, Florence. 

 

I got the wild idea of throwing on some really cool gold accents to go with my recent obsession with metallic and gold throughout my living spaces.  I decided to try the Martha Stewart Living Metallic Glaze.

Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to snap some cool "in the moment" shots.  I got right to it and never stopped for a breath!  So, I started off by removing the seat, disposing of the old fabric, and giving the wood a good scrub.  With the Annie Sloan chalk paint there is no need to remove prior paint or finishes so I jumped in and applied the first coat of paint.  Then came the second, to ensure it was fully coated and all of the cracks were covered.  I didn't dilute the paint or change the tone by lightening it etc.  I wanted to paint this baby full-strength!

Next, I started with adding the gold highlights onto any raised areas, and I decided to "wing it" on the back of the chair on both sides.  Like so:

Lastly I reupholstered the seat, screwed it all back together and ta-da!  Here is the finished project, with a few pretty highlight areas...

 

 

What do you think?  Do you have any experience with Annie Sloan or repainting furniture?