Fiona Ralph chats to upcycling expert Antonia Marino of Voodoo Molly about restoring vintage chairs and discovers how to do it at home in 5 easy steps
How to upcycle a vintage wooden chair
Renovating a wooden chair is simpler than restoring an upholstered one. Pick a chair that’s structurally sound and timeless in style, yet has that little spark that gets you excited.
- Take lots of pictures of your chair – front, back, inside and top. Taking ‘before’ photos is a useful reference for future projects.
- Clean your chair with water and detergent to remove every scrap of dirt, oil, wax, grime and any stickers.
- Lightly sand the chair. You don’t need to strip off existing paint or varnish – just give it a quick once-over with 120 grit sandpaper, then wipe off the sanding dust.
- Pop open a tin of Voodoo Molly Vintage Paint and have some fun! Use a synthetic brush and paint quickly but carefully. Watch out for drips and paint build-up on edges. It’s easier to remove these when the paint is wet rather than waiting to sand back when dry.
- If you want to distress the chair, wait until the next day and lightly rub back edges with 120-180 grit sandpaper. Be strategic and thoughtful so it looks natural.
For more information, video tutorials, to buy Vintage Paint, or to book an upholstery course with Mollies Make & Create, visit voodoomolly.nz.
Words by: Fiona Ralph. Photography by: Jane Sharyn Cairns/bauersyndication.com.au.
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