Tell City Antique Flower-Backed Dining Chairs Redo – Before
I found these antique Tell City dining chairs at different times and different locations but each had a flower carved in the back that was just beautiful. They didn’t match perfectly, but I felt that they went together very well. They were in pretty rough condition when I found them. The fabric on the seat was very thin and very dirty. The finish on the wood was also pretty beat up so I knew a complete redo was going to be necessary.
Tell City Chair with Rose Carved in the Back
Tell City Chair with Sunflower Carved into the Back
They both were almost identical in shape except for the carved flowers on the back. The fabric was VERY aged, thin, and dirty so that was replaced also. I sanded each chair a couple of times to remove the old stain down to remove the old finish before wiping them down with a microfiber cloth and allowing to dry.
If you’re one of those people who HATE seeing anything vintage or antique painted….you may want to stop right here.
I do try to put in a decent amount of research into the the pieces I am working with before I do anything drastic to them. I know a lot of people HATE seeing anything like this painted, but sometimes I just think I prefer the painted aesthetic. If a piece is something seriously beautiful or worth a lot, I won’t even consider painting. I have seen quite a few of these chairs for sale at different places so I don’t think I’m “ruining” anything.
These chairs were quite beat up and had seen better days so I felt comfortable painting them. Better in my home being used than sitting in my garage gathering dust.
After cleaning up, sanding, and wiping down the chairs, each was left to dry. Once dried, I used Rust-Oleum 334021 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint to prime each chair. I have tried other primers but seem to always return to this primer. It is very easy to use and covers very well. Once primed, I went over them twice with Rustoleum satin white. The flowers were so nice and detailed I then decided to antique them with glaze. Below is the sunflower chair back.
Tell City Antique Furniture Chairs Redo – DONE!
And here are the finished products!
What do ya think?!
