Before & after: Carson's highchair

 

When researching highchairs, I knew that I didn't want a big plastic thing that took up a ton of space and was a pain to move around. I had fallen in love with painted Jenny Lind furniture while seeking out items for Carson’s nursery. Although I didn’t end up with any spindle items in that room, when a Jenny Lind highchair popped up on Craigslist for $40, I knew that was the route I wanted to go. 

For this before & after, I called in an expert. My friend Hilary is incredibly talented at painting furniture and basically did this entire project for me. Here is the four-step process she followed to bring this chair into 2013.

1. Prep the chair, worse part of the project but well worth it! 

When you are getting ready to paint a piece of furniture, pay special attention to the type of sealant or lacquer that may be on the wood. In the case of this mid-century spindle high chair, the wood had a substantial amount of lacquer. This required extensive sanding. Don’t let this shy you away from the project. It is well worth it in the end. I recommend having fine and coarse sandpaper. Use the fine for the majority of surfaces and have the coarse paper handy for stubborn sports. Put some music on and take your time.

2. Find your paint 

A standard latex paint in a semi-gloss or high-gloss finish (depending on your preference) is recommended. When you go to the hardware store, they may recommend a primer depending on the paint color you choose. Get a quart; you will likely need to paint three coats to achieve the best finish. For this project, we used Home Depot’s Behr Premium Plus Semi-Gloss Zero VOC Interior Paint. The color was Jamaican Sea.

3. Use a brush, spray is for lazy people 

If you want to achieve a beautiful finish that you can be proud of, use a brush. This is more time consuming but you avoid drips and clumps.

4. Let it dry and show it off 

It takes several days for the paint to set. Even if it appears dry, give it some time before you use it. If you are painting a table that you will be setting drinks on, consider painting the top with a special lacquer.

Thank you, Hilary! I love the finished product. We use it every day and it looks great in our breakfast nook. It even made an appearance in Carson’s 1-year photo session.