I shared a few weeks ago that I found the perfect dining room chairs on Craig’s List. They were vintage oval-back French caned chairs…just what I have been hunting for. AND they were sturdy, which was important. You know…so people could actually sit in them. (I have been known to have chairs in my house that are just to look at and that’s a bad idea. People do what you do with chairs and sit in them and I cringe, hoping the chair doesn’t flatten under them.)
Anyway, the only bummer is that these perfect chairs had multiple coats of paint on them, the last one being maroon. They were pretty gummed up with paint, so another coat of paint was not going to get these chairs where I wanted them to be, so I looked into having them stripped professionally. I was surprised that it was not as expensive as I thought it would be – $55/chair. Normally, I’m a DIYer all the way, but I’ve stripped enough furniture to know that it was worth paying someone else $55/chair to get the paint off of these things.
I picked them up yesterday and they look awesome…
I almost like them as is…just a bit of hemp oil and they’ll be good, but the maroon paint stained the cane a bit, which I don’t like. So, now they are a blank canvas and I need to decide what to do. Stain? Paint? White wash? Stain the cane, paint the frame? Decisions, decisions…
83 Responses
Where did you go to get them stripped ??? I’m close to you 🙂
I took them to The Country Stripper in Westminster, MD.
Have you ever ‘limed’ anything? I think that is the term. I have always loved that look.
Ooh, that would look pretty…
Marian, I love the chairs! I like the wood as it is too. Maybe do a whitewash on the cane only make it a off-white to tan-ish wash it that makes sense. I think something closer to the wood tone would be great and not distract from the wood. Have a great weekend.
I agree with Kathy. That is what i had in mind when i looked at your post. Can’t wait to see what you do.
I love cane chairs and have had a few…are you planning a seat cushion? I wish I had…specially with kids. 🙂 Beautiful!
Actually, they came with professionally upholstered seats that were stapled to the caning through the bottom. Yes, I’m going to put them back on to make them a bit more comfortable and durable.
They are oh so beautiful! I especially love the legs. I agree that possibly a lime wash and then maybe the hemp oil on top to brighten up the wood. Whatever you come up with is sure to be fabulous. Can’t wait to see. 🙂
You have such great style Marian! I love them so much!! I am looking forward to seeing what you decide to do! Good luck 😉
They are beautiful! I love the wood and think white washing the cane would make them oh so pretty! Have you ever used lime wax? I’ve been wanting to try it.
You find the best stuff on Craigslist. I never find anything but junk. I like them natural, but white or gray would be nice, too.
White wash (or something like that, so the pinkish tint is gone) just the caning! The wood looks great!
Whitewashing sounds great or a way to keep the natural wood but get rid of the maroon tones–whitewashing might be the best. I’m sure you’ll come up with some clever combo no one would ever think to do 🙂
Love those chairs! I had to chuckle a bit at the name of the place at which you had them stripped…the country stripper. : )
I was thinking the same thing! I wonder how many guys have been disappointed?!
Ha! I know. My husband drove me out there and when we pulled up and saw the name he said, “Seriously?!” 🙂
Those chairs are beautiful, I love all the details! Leaving as much wood as possible would be nice, but whatever you decide to do, I’m sure it will be gorgeous!
I’m digging the natural wood too….but as far as the maroon-stained caning, I’ll leave that to you pro. 😉
Have a fabulous day!
Gail
my first antique my mom bought for me when i was about 11. a small wicker chair that i painted many many times. after i was married i had it dipped but there was still so much paint stuck in the weave. so while the paint was still gummy and pliable, every night while wathcing tv i picked it out using toothpicks until it was clean! seems like it took months. it is the ONLY thing i have never repainted & i still love it. i do love your new chairs. have you seen the subtle cross hatching some canebacks have? that would allow you to both leave them somewhat natural but distract from the cranberry staining.
Yes, whitewash would be beautiful on them! I’m not a fan of the lighter woods without some “help” LOL!
I have four Windsor chairs that have been sitting in my basement for years. They have a wide decorative middle slate with an inset of caning and at least six layers of paint. I was told stripping them would ruin the caning.
Thanks to this post I am going to dig them out and do some research.
They do look great! I recently stripped a desk and was ready to hurl it into the woods, what a production!
I think a wash or “limed” (not sure if that’s the right term) would look beautiful.
The chairs look great Marion. I would have had them done too… sometimes you just gotta know when it is worth it to have it done. I had my kitchen cabinets done for me with chalk paint and I’ve never looked back 🙂 Great chairs!
Susan
Dear MMS, Those chairs are awesome. They do look good as they are but I’m sure you will make them even more beautiful. You have such great taste. The fabrics that your Aunt sent you are fabulous! Hugs, Anne Boykin
Have you ever used Liming wax? It is amazing stuff. I just did a spinet desk in it. The desk came from the “rough room” at an auction. I gave it a light sanding, used the liming wax on it, then a couple coats of regular wax. It looks just like Restoration Hardware’s finish.
You can purchase it online, or retail at Woodcraft.
one of our local stripping places is called the Happy Stripper – gotta love a sense of humor!
In the 70’s I had a hard maple dining set professionally stripped. (AKA) dipped in a huge vat of lye..stripped all the glue away from the joints and everything else… the set was never the same.sure hope you have better luck…I learned after that, hope you have better luck, but I would check all the joints make sure there is glue still in tack….Maybee’s MOM
they are gorgeous!!! wow! I never would have guessed they would look that good after stripping. I vote for hemp oil on the frame, white wash the cane! 😉 (hey, maybe you could chant that while you’re working!)
I love the chairs. What a good find! I am just imagining how many hours it would have taken me to strip those chairs and they would have come out nothing like they are now. Excited to see what you do with them.
Shawna
Is it real caning on the chairs? (That is, it wasn’t stapled or cut and shoved into the chair?) Back in the day, my dad hand-caned chairs …. so if the cane is damaged you can always look into learning it yourself (it took Dad forever to finish a chair though) or finding someone who can replace the cane for you.
Yes, it is real caning done by hand, not the sheet. The cane is all intact, so thankfully, they didn’t need any repair.
I used this company http://www.caneandbasket.com a few years ago for supplies. They have cane webbing for sale. Their catalog is fascinating!
I LOVE the color the wood turned out! Maybe just white wash the cane? Or paint it? Do you know how they stripped it? Chemical or sandblast?
They look awesome!! If the maroon on the cane is the bug…then I would just white wash the cane. I love the wood as it is & that would be a different sort of look. The cane would be lightly washed & chippy-ish.
Rock on!
Kelly
They are beautiful. I cannot wait to see how you choose to finish them.
Can’t wait to see you what you do! I”m sure it will be beautiful!!!!!
They turned out so pretty after the stripping. I agree with many others….leave the wood and paint the maroon cane. I know they will be even more beautiful when you are done!
Hope you’ll post pics when you finally decide what to do with them. They are gorgeous!
Gorgeous chairs –I should be so lucky!
I have used bleach brushed on with a paintbrush to help get rid of stains like this with mixed results. Sometimes it works.
I agree lime-wax would be a great option. I bought some at the woodworking store, which I think is a chain. I think it is called WoodCraft?
I LOVE them!! I think they look great in their natural state. I know what you mean about the cane part being a little to stained. I would hemp oil the frame, and then maybe white wash (lightly) or a light milk paint on just the cane part with a light grey that maybe has the slightest blue tint in it, very restoration hardware looking. I love some of their “unfinished” pieces. Have fun, can’t wait to see what you come up with 🙂
Hey Marian,
If you are up for an experiment, have you thought about maybe bleaching the cane?
may be worth a try 🙂
GREAT chairs by the way, I too am on the hunt for the perfect dining room chairs so I am so happy for you to have found yours!
Hugs!
Kerri
Since the backs of the chairs are all separate pieces joined together and the caning is stained…..I say they want to be painted and distressed. They will be lovely.
They are beautiful! I would go with the liming, but try it on the underside first. Wood with an open grain like oak works best with liming wax. The problem with leaving them in their stripped state, is that they don’t stay like that. They will darken and get that honey color as time goes on.
If you want the option of not painting the cane, something to consider is toning the cane. Green (ash) toner on the cane could possibly take out the red and produce a natural albeit darker cane. Mohawk makes great toners. Good luck & can’t wait to see what your talented mind comes up with!
How about painting the cane close to the color the wood will be after you hemp oil it. Paint would cover the stain left by old paint, and you would still have your lovely wood frame along with little specks of paint left behind in the groves giving a mildly lived-in look.
get them recaned and leave the wood with just a waxed finish….
I would do a light whitewash include the came to even out the finish
Whatever you do to the chairs I am sure they will be beautiful, just like all your other projects. LOVE your style and talent. Wish I lived closer so I could commission a few pieces of my furniture.
The chairs turned out great!
Love the chairs. I think you should paint them maroon…haha! Honestly, I think they would look super cute with the tiny blue/cream check fabric from your aunt. I’m sure whatever you do will be awesome. Meanwhile, my maiden name was “liming” but I have never heard of liming wax. Going to have to check it out!
Hi Marian, I am a faithful reader in Alberta Canada. Just settled in with a coffee to read Style at Home magazine, August issue that came earlier this week. Much to my delight, there was a quarter page on your milk paint coming to the Canadian market ( check it out on page 30). Congrats!
I would ask Cathryn, she is the Weavin’ Wicker Woman (http://www.wickerwoman.com/ ) about the caning.
Okay I’m not reading every one else’s comments until I make a few first. First of all, I really relate to having chairs that you can actually sit in – I get it! There are more than just a design statement. Now about the chairs. The natural finish is absolutely gorgeous and I would just put a nice coat of sealer on them. As for the cane, how about a wash about the same color as the linen color trim on your dining room pieces.
By the way, I really enjoyed the Gettysburg scenes and your comments about the fears and emotions that the early settlers must have had when surrounded by war. I was on jury duty recently, and one of the jurors was so excited because he was going on vacation to Gettysburg as he was one of the enactment soldiers. He said most of the men are really history buffs and totally look forward to every opportunity they have to demonstrate to America the great cost of our liberties. God Bless America.
Gray and distressed!! so beautiful.. I would never think those ( excuse me) ugly things could be so beautiful ( now I can almost see them finished!) that is why I tune into you!! Can’t wait to see finished product. maybe off white and distressed ( dark wax) classic!
I agree with the others, liming wax! We need a tutorial too please! I love everything you do. Rachel
Have you thought about bleaching the caning? I would try putting a artist paint brush in bleach and brushing it on the backs to see if they lighten. Or, try using liquid ” goof-off”.i think either method would get at the paint stained into the fibers and lighten it further. If not, I’d go with a lime wash and upholstered seat. Good luck.
I wonder if you set them in the sun for a few days if that would bleach the cane back to a
natural look. I like them. Great find.
I say whitewash would look lovely.
I think they are beautiful. Maybe stain the cane.
My heart gave a leap of excitement when I saw the intro to this post… I just picked up 3 caned dining chairs, and have been mulling over what to do with them. I was sure your post would tell me haha! I love how your chairs came out; I bet it’ll be easier for you to decide what to do now they have been de-gunked.
I think white wash with stained caning would look FABULOUS! Good luck and cannot wait to see what you end up doing with them!
I’m working on 6 dining chairs with cane panels. I couldn’t figure out how to have the wood one color and the can another when all four edges of the cane are backed by wood.(Look at the edges of the cane in your seat photo). How do you paint the wood one color and the cane another where the two materials overlap?
It’s too late for my current chairs but might come in handy in the future. Thanks for any tips you might have.
I like the whitewash idea but I’m not sure about staining the cane when people will be sitting on it. ? I’m sure whatever you do with it will be beautiful.
What effect would your dark wax have on that cane?
I always love whitewash; however, the wood on these is so beautiful I could not paint them. I assume you asked the refinisher if he had any suggestions for the cane. I would think maybe a pecan stain or something similar would work. Can you take one of your chairs to a local hardware store for suggestions or if you could locate a master woodworker he or she should know. Good luck – gorgeous chairs.
They are so pretty the way they are. Could you stain, bleach, or do something to the caning to make it gel?
I like the white wash idea a lot.
I say leave them and let the soft pink cane reign.
They look amazing.
I would be tempted to see how the chairs would look painted to match the room. Then I’d use your antique wax to emphasize the details. I would stain the cane dark (to compliment the antique wax) to help cover the maroon color that is still in them. I bet they would look awesome!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Wow, they are so pretty in the natural wood. Whatever you decide, they’re going to be phenomenal.
I say a grayish green wash overlaid with the lighest creamy white, wiped off as soon as you put it on.
man, I am jealous! Those are beautiful! I’m sure whatever you do they will be gorgeous! Thanks for sharing! love good finds like this!
Hi,
I can’t seem to find your email and have a quick question about your blog. Could you email me?
Mike
I would be tempted to paint the frame of the chair and white wash the cane. Can’t wait to see what you decide!!
Maybe paint the cane white and do a nice translucent wash on the frame? They really are so pretty just as they are!
Oh my gosh, they are soooooo wonderful. I have some french caned chairs that i found, and love too, but they do feel fragile, and i don’t like that… so i get how important it is that these feel sturdy. I think they are pretty as is too, but i know you will take them to the ultimate gorgeousness by the time you’re through with them!
Cindy
Definitely stain the cane and leave the wood finish as is. They look great and the linseed might darken them. Perhaps a diamond pattern in stain might help. You could also try a dilute bleach solution on the cane to remove and lighten the maroon colour. I’ve had good luck with that in the past on some chairs where I replaced the cane and some didn’t match the original.
Whitewashed all the way 🙂 oh & I totally agree about stripping!
Recently, I found the 6 arm chairs that match your dining chairs. The were originally a mahogany stain. Standard stripping left the cane very red. I took them to U-blast, a local sandblasting business and as I waved the magic sandblasting wand, I watched the red disappear. The caning wasn’t the same tone of the wood after the blasting though. I found it to be a very yellow white. To combat that, I decided on a driftwood stain with white wash afterwards. They are going to be amazing! Perhaps even comparable to some Restoration Hardware chairs featured in a recent back issue of House and Home Magazine.
This may sound completely whacked, but I would consider (not sure I’d go through with it but I would consider) a black stain on the cane and hemp oil or even your antiquing wax on the wood. Think of chairs that have black arms and legs. I know, but there is nothing like a black accent–such a great contrast!
LOVE your blog! Found you through Cote de Texas I think.
Alexis
Stain the wood and paint the cane… maybe even white wash it. 🙂 I cannot wait to see the afters.
Glad I found you…
Teresa from Austin, TX
Hi!
I was wondering where you found someone to strip your chairs. Would I call a furniture restorer?
Thanks!
Michelle