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Home » Home » Adirondack Chair Makeover Tutorial

Adirondack Chair Makeover Tutorial

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Use this Adirondack Chair Makeover Tutorial to update your old chairs instead of buying new ones!

Adirondack Chair Makeover

When I did my Backyard Refresh, I looked at my Adirondack chairs and knew that I either had to replace them or give them a makeover. I bought these chairs from my brother’s garage sale several years ago. They were moving and didn’t have room for them anymore. My sister-in-law had bought them at used too so they have been well loved!

The paint was slowly flaking away, they were dirty and in need of some color! I chose a cheerful aqua color and if you are a long time follower of The Gunny Sack, I’m sure you are aware that I love this color because I use it all the time. At least I am consistent, right? Anyway, I didn’t want them to look just.plain.aqua. almost as if they were a plastic version. Instead, I wanted them to look a little worn or faded. So, I added a brown wash and a white wash over the aqua paint.

Spray Adirondack Chair

I started by spraying my chairs with a hose to clean them and to remove any of the loose paint.

Sand Chairs with Sander Deglosser

I didn’t feel like sanding the chairs and didn’t mind if some of the original paint was left on the chairs. So, after allowing the chairs to dry completely, I applied Klean-Strip Sander Deglosser according to the directions on the bottle.

Repaint Outdoor Chair

After the Sander Deglosser dried, I applied aqua paint (thinned with water) with a chipbrush. I used Martha Stewart Craft Paint in the color Beach Glass because it is UV and weather resistant for indoor and outdoor use. I don’t have a special formula for mixing the paint and water because the proportions really don’t matter. I put aqua paint into a disposable plastic cup and added a some water until it was very thin. I mixed up more as I went along.

How To Paint An Adirondack Chair

Here is what it looked like when I was done.

Paint Brown on Chipbrush

Next, I added a brown wash. I thinned brown paint in the same way as I thinned the aqua paint. I dipped my chipbrush into the brown liquid and then blotted most of the paint off of the brush onto a stack of napkins on a paper plate (all disposable because I love taking the easy route and because my husband uses up our rags like there’s no tomorrow).

Add Brown Paint

Then, I randomly brushed and dabbed the brown paint on the chair. Lighter in some places and heavier in others. Here is what it looked like when I was done.

Add White Paint

Finally, I added a white wash. I thinned white paint and brushed it on the chair.

Painting_Layers

Here are all three of the layers on the chair’s arm.

Adirondack Chairs Before and After

The final step was to add a clear coat to protect it from the elements. I used Krylon Colormaster Acrylic Crystal Clear Flat Spray Paint for Indoor and Outdoor use. I love the results of my Adirondack Chair Makeover and plan to use my chairs for many years to come!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melissa @ No. 2 Pencil says

    August 25, 2013 at 9:37 am

    So pretty! Love the color so much!

    Reply
    • Tonia says

      August 25, 2013 at 10:38 pm

      Thankyou Melissa! So do I!

      Reply
  2. kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor says

    August 23, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    Love that color!! Gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Tonia says

      August 25, 2013 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks Kristi! I have a thing for aqua. My bedroom as a teenager even had aqua walls!

      Reply
  3. capturing joy with kristen duke says

    August 21, 2013 at 6:45 pm

    that looks amazing!!!

    Reply
  4. Liz Fourez says

    August 19, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    These chairs are beautiful, Tonia!! The color is great, and I love the technique you used! I’ve been drooling over adirondack chairs all Summer!

    Reply
  5. Jenn says

    August 19, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    Beautiful job Tonya! I love the finish!

    Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    August 16, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    I absolutely LOVE how these turned out Tonia! Plus, they are in my favorite color too.

    Reply
  7. Stephanie@Henry Happened says

    August 12, 2013 at 7:52 am

    I love the color you picked! And they look so nice with the chevron pillows & throws!

    Reply
  8. Jodi says

    August 11, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    These turned out gorgeous 🙂 love thar color

    Reply
  9. Patricia Cook says

    August 9, 2013 at 9:14 am

    Your chairs turned out beautifully! I have an old table outside that would be quite charming if I gave it some paint love. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂

    Reply
  10. Mary at Sweetwater Style says

    August 9, 2013 at 8:08 am

    Too funny…I just posted about my Adirondack chair makeover….I went a traditional route…but yours are so much more fun!

    Reply
  11. Vanessa says

    August 8, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    Very nice! I love the color!

    Reply
  12. Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says

    August 8, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    WOW those are so cute! Can you come over please? I could really use a pair of them 🙂

    Reply
  13. Lisa@ Creative Raisins says

    August 8, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    These look fantastic, you have inspired me to paint mine. ~ Lisa

    Reply
  14. Megan says

    August 8, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    Such a fun color choice, Tonia. They turned out fabulous.

    Reply
  15. Kaysi @ Keeping it Simple says

    August 8, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    I absolutely love how these turned out! Love the colors that you chose!

    Reply

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