Recently I took a shot at spray painting a wooden chair that no longer made the first-level cut and was sitting unused in our lowly basement. Going in, I was skeptical of the spray paint as my past experience never produced the great HGTV results I was hoping for, ha! :)
I taped up the upholstered portion of the seat and haphazardly sprayed the remainder a bright turquoise. Much to my surprise, that old chair turned into something special. After the paint dried, I went back in with fine sandpaper and scuffed it up, which allowed little bits of the original dark finish to show through. This is what really made it look like a special vintage piece.
Once I get the clear, seal coat finished, I’m going to use it as my new office chair (I’ll share pictures). But for now, I’m left wondering how many wooden pieces I have discarded that could have been completely refurbished with a simple coat of paint and new hardware? Hmmm.
Here are some shining examples…

{Outdated stair rail in an undesirable wood finish? A coat of white paint freshens it up amazingly well!}
Have you had any luck with a beyond the walls paint project? We would love to hear…
(thank you Country Living, Nate Berkus, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, Jonny Valiant for Real Simple, Martha Stewart, and Apartment Therapy for the photo inspiration)