Another Good Project Gone Bad.

 I couldn't leave well enough alone.  This is a fine looking chair, and the fact that it doesn't match anything in my house really isn't a big deal.  Nothing matches.  But it all seems to work together.  Except this chair.

 This has become my go-to chair for everything from doing my nails, to working on my computer, to allowing my amazing foot and leg massager to cycle several times each day.  As much color as I have, this chair just wasn't working.  I'd planned to sell it, but when it didn't sell I was more than happy to make it mine.  

70 degrees in Chicago in March can make a native Chicagoan a little crazy.  I had to get out and do something, and with projects piling up in the garage, I figured I could knock this one out.  I'd been wanting to try painted upholstery for a long time now, and just a couple of weeks ago, figured out that this would be a great starter project.  One:  I wasn't happy with the current color.  Two:  There isn't much upholstery there.  Three:  The chair cost me just $15 so I wouldn't have to kick myself if it didn't turn out well.    

 I found spray fabric paint last week.  Queen of the Shortcut (that's me) was stoked.  This chair project was getting easier!  I went out in the back yard with my bandanna, boots and a tatty sweater.  It was warm, but windy, and my yard is soft with all the moisture still there from several feet of snow.  I had on the right gear.  I found one of my baskets useful to carry my supplies into the back yard.  Paint, paper towels, fabric brush, coconut oil and Cuties.  I always have Cuties.  

I started by brushing the chair to free it of any debris.  

I stuffed cardboard all around the chair seat to shield the caning from the paint.  I rubbed down all the wood surfaces with coconut oil so that any errant paint spray wouldn't stick.  

Clean and nice!  The "rings" are only present in this picture, and I've never noticed them before.  But this isn't a story about the paranormal so I'm going to shelve that for now.  

The paint came out in a tiny, wet stream.  I had to stand close just to get it to "reach" the chair.  There were occasional "wild mists" of paint shooting off in every direction.  My cardboard protectors did not do the job.  I was starting to get really mad about this product and the project that it was ruining.  With over half the can gone, I discovered that this product is way too sheer to get any real coverage, and the spray cap, which I'm assuming was just one that got by while Inspector 12 was taking a coffee break, was more than inadequate.  I ruined my chair:

This was supposed to be lavender, a color I chose from one of the paintings in the kitchen.  It's always hard to cover dark colors, so that piece was my fault, but this watery paint just wasn't made for upholstery, regardless of what the description said to the contrary.  Still, this is my favorite chair and I'm not giving it up.  In fact, I saw another cane backed chair by the curb today, and it was lovely.  I forced myself not to stop because I already have 9 or 10 chairs in the garage, along with two nightstands and a table that I need to transform.  I let that one go, but not this one!  Another day, another product.  But when will I see another warm day?  It dropped by 30 degrees today so I won't be able to fix this mess for awhile.