Tag: Krylon

#39 MCM bentwood armchair a.k.a. “The Ballerina”

Materials used: Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher, shellac, polyurethane, Krylon spray paint, foam, batting, upholstery fabric, weed barrier.

On May 28, 2020 I got a surprise call. My friend’s father, Jim, knew about my mission and was calling to see if I would make this chair one of my transformations. It had been his son-in-law’s work chair and Jim had saved it from being thrown away years before. How lucky am I to have friends and followers who bring me gifts like these?! I’m ashamed to say it then spent two years in my garage—a victim of other projects and life’s distractions, but never forgotten. It’s had to wait a long time for its moment in the spotlight, but I hope you will agree it was worth the wait.

Jim Wright knew good workmanship when he saw it, so I was not surprised to find a Liberty Chair Company tag under the seat. Several messages, emails, and phone calls later I found out it had been made in Liberty, NC in the late 60s/early 70s. At that time it was model 700 and was named “Contemporary Chair”. Members of an online woodworking community think the wood is cherry, and in 1969 its wholesale price was $10.45.

Although the bones of this chair were sound, it was dirty and had been stained and upholstered badly. It was not a difficult decision to strip it down to the bare wood and refinish.

I removed the existing finish using Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher, then sanded the frame with 150, 220, and finally 400 grit sandpaper. The final prep step was to remove all dust with an air compressor and wipe with a slightly damp cloth.

Refinishing began with a full aerosol can of shellac to seal the wood, accentuate the grain, and give it a lovely honey color.

Now it was time to elevate this chair from the ordinary. After some minor repairs I slippered the feet in Krylon “Ballet Slipper” gloss spray paint. Hence the chair’s nickname “The Ballerina”, because now it looks like it’s on points.

To finish the framework I applied 3 coats of clear, Varathane, oil-based polyurethane in a satin finish. As always I lightly sanded everything before the final coats.

Finally I re-upholstered the seat with a boucle-style fabric. It was a little stretchy in one direction so, to prevent over-stretch, I first attached it to some cotton lining fabric. Fully re-assembled this chair deserves to be in the spotlight.

#28 Full metal bed

Transformation expenses: $40.14

I’ve always loved seeing metal beds painted in interesting colors. When a neighbor posted that she was getting rid of this one I was equal parts excited by its prospects and intrigued by it’s design; I had never seen a metal bed shaped like this before. Luckily it was just what a friend wanted for her spare room so I gave myself the green light to pick it up knowing it already had a final destination.

My interest was really sparked when I found some of the original, wood effect finish on the side rails of this bed (bottom right pic). A bit of internet research has me believing this is probably a Simmons bed made in the 1920s or 30s. It might have originally looked like the 1930s one in the top right pic. Sadly any original labels/markings were long since painted over.

It wasn’t easy to tell what was rust and what was the original wood effect finish but a thorough cleaning and sanding was needed either way.

A coat of Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer in all the crevices and exposed spots will ensure if there is any residual rust it won’t rear it’s ugly head later.

This project was finished with 5 cans of Krylon Fusion satin spray paint in Lagoon Blue. The color (picked by my client to go with a family heirloom quilt) brings a smile to my face every time I see it. The industrial look of the frame has really been lifted by the cheerfulness of the color.