Before|After COVID HOME Project: Patio Chairs

DIY

Jul 5

A Little About this DIY Before|After Project:

COVID came. I lost my job. I had a lot of time on my hands. So things started getting checked off the to do list pretty fast. However, I could not bring myself to get to work on these broken down, utterly shot chairs for some reason. Maybe they represented personal failings. Maybe I just hated them. Then one day, inspiration struck. “The house trim! They needed to match the house trim! I already own the paint! It will cost nothing!” And that my friends, is what got me off of my mental duff.

Describe the "before":

A broken set of wooden patio chairs with low-end, ancient cushions.

Why we decided to make a DIY change:

We got these wooden patio chairs at a yard sale for $5.00 for the pair. I knew they’d be great with a little elbow grease. But it took my 6 years of hating them before I was moved to act. COVID helped. Lots of time on my hands and no work coming in was the mother of invention. One day, I was trolling Amazon and Wayfair for affordable cushions. Lawdy are outdoor cushions expensive. A good cushion set, top and bottom, runs about $150.00. Since I was (am) out of work that was out of the question. Then I tripped over these. Navy on the bottom with a big, symmetrical medallion on top. Not what I’d normally choose, but I knew they’d work. They were gorgeous, and only $39.00 for both the top and bottom parts. Added to cart.

Describe the process: How long did it take? How much did it cost? Did we bring in outside help? Any setbacks or surprises:

The project took about 3 hours with just one person sanding, scraping and painting. Partner did literally nothing. This was a one-person project for sure.
It cost $39.00 for the cushions on Amazon.
We already had the paint from last summer’s house painting project. It is the exact shade of the trim on the house so we knew it’d work. Sherwin Williams Irish Cream. Dumb name. Great color.
60 grit sandpaper.
A pastic scraper. Bendy.
Wood glue.
A heavy rock to set the glued arm overnight.

What do you love about the "after"? What would you do differently:

Before, no one could sit on them without the whole chair giving out. However, now, plop down and let the sitting commence. Sunbathe, read, what have you. Getting up no longer causes the arm to fall off (thank you wood glue). Furthermore, these Amazon cushions repel water beautifully. I love how fresh and clean the chairs now are. Best part: not gross anymore.

Words of advice for people considering a small renovation or project?

It is best to paint a chair on a sunny, windy day. Otherwise you’ll be miserable. The right amounts of sun and wind dry the paint quickly and thoroughly. Also, protect your work surface with something that slides easily like card board.