Project for the Upcoming Auction

There is an auction each spring here that raises money for arts education in our local schools. I have been doing projects for it most years.

I found a chair at a thrift store in Atlanta for $2.

I thought that the shape was really pretty and it would make a good desk chair, or side chair. I didn’t think that it was mahogany under the stain, but I started stripping it to see for sure.

It was easy to strip because it was lacquered, so I just used some mineral spirits on it. Bad news is that I was right about it being something other than mahogany–it’s poplar. So on to Plan B.

I decided to paint it black and use some fabric for the seat that I have leftover from our old house. It’s just enough to do the seat for this chair. Since I am going to paint it, I only had to sand it smooth with 120 grit sandpaper on my handy little mouse sander. Here’s the before:

I sprayed it with flat black paint and it really brought out the details.

I need to turn it upside down and paint from the other side and then lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper where needed and touch up the paint one last time.

I’ll post the next steps once I get the chair finished with the help of my oldest son’s girlfriend in a couple of weeks.