How To Spray Paint A Rocking Chair

Turn an old, unwanted rocking chair into something truly bespoke. From children’s bedrooms to a relaxing reading corner, upcycling a rocking chair can transform any area in the home into your new favourite spot.

Vintage furniture has tonnes of DIY potential and it can be found in the masses on auction sites, in charity shops and even at car boot sales. The old varnish may look dated now but a fresh lick of paint and a touch of TLC can work wonders.

We sprayed this rocking chair with Rust-Oleum Universal All-Surface spray paint in Sunset Orange (Gloss) and added some coordinated cushions to make it look fresh and modern.

Take on the challenge too by following our step-by-step guide…

Steps

Move the rocking chair to a well-ventilated area and place on top of newspaper or a dust sheet. Mask off any areas not to be painted (if you want a contrasting colour effect). Protect the surrounding area with additional dust sheets or newspaper.
Ensure surfaces to be painted are free from loose paint, rust, wax, oil and grease by lightly abrading the surface with a light sandpaper (this will provide a key for the paint to latch onto), followed by a damp cloth to remove any remaining dust.
Depending on the style of the chair, bare wood and metal should be primed with Rust-Oleum Surface Primer and bare plastic should be primed with Rust-Oleum Plastic Primer. Layer up two coats of primer, leaving at least four hours in between coats to ensure it’s thoroughly dry. However when using Rust-Oleum Universal All-Surface Spray Paint no primer is necessary.
Using your selected Universal shade hold the can approximately 30cm from the surface of the chair and spray in a steady back and forth motion, slightly overlapping with each stroke. For best results whilst spraying keep the can the same distance from the surface and keep the can in motion. Apply several light coats a few minutes apart.
Leave to dry in a well ventilated place for 24 hours.