Windsor chairs of this type typically get painted. There are 3 different kinds of wood used, and the chair would look a bit discombobulated if left unpainted. When people make these type of chairs to be left unpainted, they will typically use only one or perhaps two kinds of wood, and use a more classic wood like Walnut or Ash. In any case, I really like the way the paint looks, and it does tie the whole chair together nicely. My client chose black over red as a finish for their chairs, so that is what I will be doing. I love black over red, it's a pretty easy finish to do well, and it's very pretty as well. As the chair wears from use, more red will show through, and it's just a very visually interesting look.
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| I wet the seats to raise the grain the night before painting, then sand them lightly before painting |
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| Paint mixed and ready to go |
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| Legs then upper carriage then seat |
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| The seat grain will never vanish, it will show through the paint once the chair is completely finished |
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| First coat done |
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| Another coat of red and then two more of black |
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| First coat of black - the red shows through nicely |
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| Both painted |
The actual painting doesn't take that long, but I let the paint dry overnight after each coat, so the elapsed time is four days. After each coat I sand the entire chair very lightly with very fine sandpaper to smooth the surface before repainting.
Once I'm happy with the paint, it's time to oil the chair. I use a linseed oil/resin mixture called "Varnish Oil", from "Tried and True". It shines up nicely, and wears well.
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| Before and after the first oil coat |
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| Both oiled |
The oil now soaks in overnight and then gets rubbed out with a soft cloth. It then needs to cure for at least 24 hours before the next coat. My last post will be a photo shoot using a "real" camera, and there you should be able to see the real beauty of these chairs.
