Blue Blue Chairs

This weekend was spent finishing the replacement slate tile in the living room, so I'll have an update for you on that soon, but I also spent the weekend updating a pair of chairs and a table that my Charles and I got as a housewarming gift from my grandma.

I had been quite diligent with the teak oil on this IKEA set each year, but the harsh sun on the deck each summer as well as some surprise snow showers in the spring and fall had worn down the finish. Rather than break them down for kindling (Not really -- they're still serviceable.) or grimacing at their uneven surfaces, I decided to try to give them a few more years of service with some coats of spray paint. I used Rust-Oleum's Bright Blue, and the trio took two whole cans.

Even though the finish had broken down quite a bit, I still prepped the furniture before painting. First, I gave each surface a light sanding. Then I wiped down each piece with a microfiber towel to make sure all of the dust had been removed. I then laid down a tarp (which ended up being almost the exact same color) and used thin, even coats until everything was fully painted, with just a bit of wood grain still showing through. Then I left the pieces out on that aforementioned sunny deck to cure for a couple of days. When all was said and done, we had what looked like new furniture adorning our outdoors. The blue matches our glorious front door, and it's a really cheerful color that makes me smile whenever I peek outside and see it.

For the cost of a couple cans of spray paint, our housewarming gift will continue to cradle our backsides and hold our drinks for years to come, and that bright blue gifts me with a zing to my soul each time it brightens my gaze.

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