The Finished Project

Here’s a reminder of where we started with this chair project for the charity auction in a few weeks….

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.

Here’s the before:

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

I sanded it, distressed it lightly, and added a coat of Briwax. My son’s girlfriend upholstered the seat. She did a GREAT job centering the pattern on the seat.

Here’s the finished product:

I love how the fabric mirrors the design on the back of the chair. I’m really happy with how it turned out!