Back in 2002, I was on the cutting edge of the black painted furniture craze, when after doing a kitchen renovation at my house in Georgia, I painted my kitchen chairs black (which I shared about 2 years ago here). And I haven’t looked back since then. There have been many more furniture transformations using black paint since that day.  I think this trend actually started with Ballards Designs (at least to me) when I picked up their catalog and began seeing black furniture, a light bulb went off. I can do that!
You’ve seen countless demonstrations of painting furniture black on the web, but here’s mine….again. 🙂 So, join me today for another black spray paint project.
These 2 harp back chairs are yardsale finds (of course, they are!) and I’ve enjoyed them in their brown state for a few years now, but have lately been eyeing them with black on the brain. So, I got busy and changed them. First, you take off the seats by unscrewing those 4 screws.  I’ve changed the fabric on these a couple of times which is as easy as stapling and pulling fabric.
Outside they went and first I wiped them down with a liquid sander. This step just deglosses wood furniture and helps the paint to adhere better.  I do this instead of priming, which most wood pieces don’t require. I hardly ever prime real wood, but I definitely prime anything that is fake or veneer.
I used Rustoleum Black Satin spray paint on these, but any brand will do. I don’t like using flat or high gloss on furniture, Satin is always my preference.
After drying about 10 minutes, the chairs are ready for their spray paint debut. Try to spray evenly with minimal drips. If it does start to drip, keep a paper towel handy to blot it before it dries that way. Not always easy to do if there is any wind outside. I prefer to do 2 light coats, letting them dry in between.  Easy, easy! 
After they are good and dry, I took the sander to the edges. You want to distress in the areas that would most likely wear with age, like the rails, top and edge of the legs.  I didn’t go too heavy with it, since I prefer a light distressing.
Like this, this looks good.
One little step I like to do after sanding, is getting out a can of stain. This is what I had handy, Cherrywood gelstain.
Grab a q-tip and swipe a little stain on that bare wood that you’ve just sanded down. It will give it a nice deep brown tone and seal it up. I just love the way this looks afterward. Take a paper towel and wipe off the excess.
And you’ll be left with some pretty distressing.
The chairs are back in place and I’m happy with them. They fit in better with the black console table they are hanging out with.
Don’t you think?
I’m likin’ the black a lot. 
Yardsale chairs rescued and saved. You gotta love that!
So, do you have something that needs a can of black spray paint to renew and revive?
Added to:
Sarah’s Before and After Party
Kimba’s DIY Day
Susan’s Met Monday
Rhoda talk about making old look new again, you surely did that with these chairs. They really look wondeful and so Rhoda!! Have a great week, I think you have started out GREAT!! Kathysue
Neat! I have a tired, inherited dining table set that is totally not my style. After a few moves it is really scratched and this might be what it needs!
Wow, great tutorial. I love the stain tip on the distressed areas. They look great!
These look great!!
Thank you very much for this. I have barstools that I’ve decided to take from wood to black. I was wondering about the best way to go about this. Now I know!
Thanks Rhoda. You should do a book on decorating tutorials!
Sandy
Wow, great tut! I’d love to do this with my old dining table and chairs in my kitchen. I wonder how well this would hold up to everyday use?
Oh yes, beautiful in the black, Rhoda! I think you’re right ~ I believe I first started liking black furniture when I would get my Ballards catalogs. I love the harp back on these chairs.
Looking great Rhoda! You’re such a talent! 🙂
Looks great!
Glad Thrifty Treasures is coming back.
Blessings
barbara jean
Your furniture, and your home, have such beauty. I relish your blog and the wonderful photography.
They say “what goes around, comes around,” and that’s true of furniture too. In the 1950s when I was around 10 yrs old my mother and I were at an estate auction. All the furniture was beautiful, but everything was black! When I asked my mother “why” she said, “Oh, when a piece got worn and had scratches on it everyone got out the black paint.”
My dad bought a gorgeous used library table in 1938 before I was born. Of course, it was black. The table went from our home, to grandma’s house, then back to our home where it was stored in the basement, then in 1982 my husband and I brought it to the city to our home. My dad and I started stripping all the thick, gummy layers of black paint off of it. I intended to stain it walnut, but when we got to the bare wood, it WAS walnut. We didn’t stain it, only hand-rubbed it with tung oil and now the beautiful piece sits in my home and is admired by all.
What type of spray paint black did you use. And did you put anything on top after you destressed the wood.
This is so pretty and I’m liking them to.
what type of spray paint and what do you put on top?
They look terrific! I took down the name of the Liquid Sander to use for future projects.
Black spray paint is one of my favourite tools …. everything looks better black. I have spray painted brass lamps, wooden shelves … everything … even the heels on my boots when they get worn away on the edges!!
Now I want to get out the spray paint and transform something. Your chairs turned out beautifully. Your home is lovely!!
since we get a bunch of product returns in our warehouse we have to refinish a lot of furniture. looking through your pictures makes me cringe! refinishing takes hours and hours to do and there’s a ton of noxious odors to deal with. kudos if you have the time and patience!
I LOVE IT!!! Very nice!
Rose, that’s a great example of how trends come and go. So, black has been in an out and back again. That’s the way life is, huh? Thanks for sharing your story & how you revived a beautiful old piece by stripping the black paint. I’m sure we will all tire of it again.
I like them black too! Great job Miss Rhoda!
They do look very snappy now! Thanks for the little tip about touching up the distressing with gel stain.
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