Vintage chair - before and after

I thought this would be a simple and quick restoration project for a beginner, but it turns out that chairs have so many surfaces that they take FOREVER to strip, sand, stain and finish. I've been pressed for time lately too, so this "quick" job turned into a three-week epic.

Anyway, without further ado, here she is:



We think this kitchen chair dates from the 1930s. It was originally painted white, but at some point was repainted with several coats of lovely poo-brown. Ugh.

I love how the timber literally glows. I'm soooo in love with this chair.:



I probably should have just put this baby next to its unrenovated twin and photographed them for a comparison...but I'm so knackered after working all day on another reno job that I can't be bothered going out to the garage to get it. I can upload these photos without getting up from my chair, so here you go....

Ugly brown chipped paint:



Stripped and sanded (Victorian Ash? Looking at the legs, my brother in law thinks maybe messmate?):



Stained (lovely colour, but dull, dull, DULL):



And again, the finished product. Two coats of stain, four of Danish Oil and two of satin polyurethane:



I haven't bothered with any styling for my after photo either, because: a) I'm too tired; and b) I'm really crap at it anyway. Hey, you get what you get.

The chairs were a steal at $10.50 for the pair from eBay. I haven't started chair #2 yet, because it needs a repair to one leg first and I'm going to need some help with it.

That's OK, I have plenty of other things to work on in the meantime.


Linking this to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.