Fail/Win? | Pink Jules Ikea chair rehab
I wasn't sure if this was going to go in the Fail or Win category. But either way, I wanted to tell you about it because hey, it could be interesting and informative.
I was not looking for a chair to paint, but as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, I saw an interesting-looking chair pop up on a free stuff group.
It had the kind of aesthetic I thought Sonia might enjoy, so I offered to come pick it up.
Unfortunately, when I arrived, I realized that the chair was in much, much worse shape than I'd anticipated.
I think it had been left out in the rain for days, weeks, months, years...who knows.
And since it's cheap Ikea particle board/paperboard, water had gotten into the material and then swelled up.
I almost decided to throw the chair away but then I was like, "What the heck. It'll be a pretty quick job to try to fix this up. I might as well try."
To the best of my knowledge, this is a Jules chair from Ikea; I found these old ones on Etsy, but they look like they are made with more real wood than this chair.
And I can't find one anywhere that is this pink color, aside from a hot pink rolling desk chair version, so I don't know...maybe someone painted this one with pink paint?
Anyway!
I took the legs off to make my job easier.
The metal screws were pretty rusty, so I sanded them down with my orbital sander to get the rust off.
And I wiped down the metal chair legs, since they were pretty dirty.
Then I started working on the chair itself and my goodness, this is hands down the worst material I have ever worked with.
It was worse than particle board; it actually felt like I was sanding paper!
But, I persevered and sanded the front and back until the raised parts had become flattened, and as smooth as I could hope for.
I could not go straight to a water-based primer because the paperboard material would just soak all that liquid right up. And that would be a speedy trip back to Lumpy Chairville.
So, I used a Bin shellac-based primer instead.
I rolled that all over all the surfaces, and just for good measure I did two coats.
This works very well on particle-board furniture, but the results on this were iffy.
The lumps definitely did not return in full force, but my previously-flat surfaces did raise up a little bit. I give it a 75% satisfaction rating. 😉
However, I decided not to stress over it. It was a free chair, destined for the trash, and I had at least made it better.
I still had some light pink paint (Benjamin Moore First Light) left from when I painted my abandoned house Philco table and two nightstands.
Sooo, I got that out and used it to give the chair a fresh coat of paint.
I know it just looks like I'm painting with white paint, and trust me, that's forever what I think when I use this paint too.
I always say that it is pink in the same way that La Croix is fruit flavored which is to say: very faintly.
Anyway, after painting, I reassembled it.
Well, actually, I reassembled it two wrong ways first, with the legs hilariously off-kilter. But then I had the idea to look up the Ikea instruction manual and it all became clear!
This is obviously not a very saturated pink, but it IS pinker than it looks in these photos. Ideally, I'd have loved for it to be a slightly more intense pink, but hey, the paint I already had was free to use.
This chair is definitely not perfect...in the right light (er, wrong light?), you can see that the texture is not entirely even.
And if I was gonna invest more time into this, I'm sure I could make some improvements, maybe with some wood filler and more sanding.
But I am really not too dedicated to this project; I'm satisfied with having made this dirty, rusty, lumpy chair into something respectable and useful.
And I will most definitely not be keeping this chair outdoors. 😉
Before:
After:
And you know what the good news is?
Since I already did all the messy hard work of getting this chair into better shape, it would be very easy to change the color in the future! I could just take off the legs and then roll a new color onto the seat.
I'll let you know if I switch it up at any point. 🙂
P.S. Some of you asked about the scuffed table; I'm working on it! I lost my furniture inspiration for a bit there, but I'm determined to finish up a few projects before school starts.
I think the chair came out lovely and is certainly light years from where it started! A seat cushion in a deeper, velvet pink would be just the thing to bring out the chair's subtle color--no doubt both cats would approve. ;P
@N, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe she'll get lucky and the right cushion will appear somewhere...
Just wondering how much time you spent on it? I’d rather read a book lol but I admit to having a lazy streak.
I don't know exactly; the most time-consuming part was the sanding, but even that didn't take hours because the surfaces are easy to use the orbital sander on. Nothing intricate to sand around!
And painting it was also quick; I just did a coat and left it to dry, went to do other things, and repeated the process until it was done. So, it was easy to work this in around othe responsibilities.
I almost spit out my coffee laughing at "a speedy trip back to Lumpy Chairville"! Thanks for starting my day with a chuckle. The chair looks cute!
We redid a room in 2010 and bought the rolling office chairs like this, one red and one bright blue. Unfortunately we damaged the edge of one of them before we even got home! They did not hold up nearly as well as the other items we bought at the same time, and ours hit the trash a while back. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
We've noticed the same thing with IKEA furniture - we bought a little chest once that was very sturdy with a solid wood top, and went back a year or two later and got another, only to realize that the top was now particle board... Tricky to notice when they keep the product the same and just downgrade the material. (And funny to think that you can downgrade from particle board.. my husband is always hesitant to sit down in delicate looking chairs; this kind might prove him right and just dissolve under him.)
I love how you revived the chair in spite of those obstacles! As you said, infinitely better, and saved from the landfill. Win win for sure!
@Suz,
I hadn't realized that IKEA furniture was not quite up to previous standards. It has been a while since we purchased anything from them and we've been happy so far. Maybe I will consider again before we buy the book shelf we had been considering.
(In recent years I try to buy furniture at estate sales or on Market place because I feel it is a good way to get quality pieces at a good price.)
You're a better woman than I....not that that's hard. I would have just thrown it out. Too bad you're not closer; I have lots of leftover pink paint here that's really quite pink.
I think it wouldn't be cost-effective for me to drive to Long Island for some free paint. Ha.
@Rose, You and me both!
@Kristen, Bbbbbbbbbut I'd make lunch!
I painted my fridge pink as an experiment. I used to have a pink Smeg fridge that the evicted renters ruined, so I missed having one. (My 1959 stove is pink, too.) Then I bought vintage style handles for it and now it looks pretty cute.
@Rose, I would LOVE your pink kitchen! My great aunt had a pink kitchen when I was growing up, and she kept that pink kitchen until she moved into a nursing home about 10 years ago. My mother’s kitchen was aqua blue, and I loved that as well! My kitchen now is lemon sherbet yellow, but sadly, I don’t have yellow appliances. I would love them! So hooray for the pink kitchen….so glad SMEG has fridges in such great colours!
@Rose, We need to see a picture! I would love a pink fridge and stove. Mine are Harvest Gold, and original to this house, circa 1969. 🙂
Donna
@Donna Wilson, When it's all finished I'll post a link. It isn't quite ready yet.
Well, I think it is much improved, either way, and that it still has a bit of life to it!
Good job!!
Chiquita-tested, Chiquita-approved!
@A. Marie, you hit the nail on the head.
What an improvement! It looks really good in the after photos. I love how you have an eye for how to dress things up & rehab them.
Sorry, think you should have tossed it. The lesson: Just because it's free, if there is a strong likelihood that it can't be fixed without a lot of work, don't waste your time.
Cost of your time and resources vs end result? Negative.
Hey, every project isn't a winner. Sometimes you just have to pass.
I say this from experience. Been there, done that myself with a chest of drawers. I really needed one and I really thought I could work with the material but veneers and fake wood and other fake stuff are non-starters.
@Irena,
I totally get you but I think it's great she didn't add to a landfill.
@Irena, Nothing wrong with veneers. I always tell people who are snobs about it that the best made, most valuable furniture in the entire world is veneered, which is true. The work of the 18th century French ebenistes. Those folks wouldn't have wasted an exotic wood like ebony or zebrano because of some prejudice about "solid wood;" they veneered their pieces.
Meow, I like it, meow. It helps me reach this interesting plant, meow...
@Becca, Haha!
SO TRUE.
Chiquita, inspecting your work....
I would have been embarrassed to give it away in it's original condition! Clearly it was on its way to ruin - why didn't they take better care of it if they didn't want to throw it away?
You did a great job re-habbing it, and it's got some good life left in it now, but on my own, I wouldn't have started it. I'll put a lot of energy into something that is really wood, but not material such as the chair is made out of. That's not to criticize you, Kristen. You saved a chair from the dump and made it look surprisingly good. If I'd been there I would have cheered you on, but if I'd been staring at that much work to rehab that chair on my own, I'd have hauled it to the dump. You're more determined and energetic than me!
And for those who suggested a cushion for the seat, I agree. I think you could add some real pizzazz with a colorful cushion.
Did Sonia like it or did you even offer it to her?
Once I saw how terrible it was, I didn't offer it to her. And now I'm feeling slightly invested in the chair so maybe I will keep it. lol
Good job, keep at it!
I lllllooooovvvvveeeee pink! But that chair is really white with a tiny tinge of pink! It cries out for a fabulous pink cushion, maybe not Barbie pink, but something rosier! Otherwise, what a great rehab. I wish all those shabby chic furniture painters took as much care with their work as you do, you are an inspiration.
Good job (at least in the pics)! More importantly tho is your kitty. So cute and such a ham!!
100% a conversation piece so I think that makes it a win.
Great job, Kristen!
Nice ! That chair looks good. Now I know what a Philco table is. Pat the cute kitty for me.
Your chair looks great! You did an amazing job. I love the way you aren't afraid to tackle anything.
@Darlene, I love that, too. And the tools and skills to use them is admirable. Very Kristen’s Dad-like ha.
Well, it helps when the item is so low-stakes. It was free, it was in terrible shape, and so I could hardly make it worse! 🙂
Responding to your email question - yes, I would have thrown it out. I am such a snob when it comes to materials of construction. So I am very glad that in this case, you got the chair and not me! It is a cute chair and is now useful. Well done, Kristen!
Kudos for you for not adding to a landfill!
I think it looks good! And interesting (in a good way). Definitely a Scandinavian look.
I just received an old table that's really cool but the top had gotten wet and a strip had,literally, turned back into a fiber and swelled up like and old stuffing job. After reading how you sanded the water damage down on this chair-i've got inspiration!! I'm gonna use a dremmel to sand this strip down...possibly top w/a layer of wood glue(weighted down?)....idk...I'll figure it out....but,thanks for the idea!!
looks for a beat up free chair.
Chiquita is quite the ham ... I mean, natural born model! Maybe she could get a part-time modeling job and start a blog as The Frugal Kitten.
We have that same chair - my boys used it for their desk when they were younger and it’s just kind of stuck around the house as an extra chair when needed. I also put it together wrong many years ago a couple of times - those legs seem like they would be easy but nope. Made me laugh that someone else did the same thing I did!
Yes, it's so weird how the two leg pieces look identical, but there is a very wrong way to put them together!
An awesome save!! One less thing in the landfill and it came out pretty decent!! I like that faint pink color too..
I don't know what I was more pleased about -- your step-by-step photos...or your silly kittie on the seat!
Thank you so much. This was a big help, and is inspiring a future project.
Adorable kitty pix.
On this chair rehab, I feel that you will put the same intensity and drive into your nursing career, and that your patients-to-be are lucky indeed. Great job on an unlovely piece that you revived and made pretty again.
I hadn't thought of that but yes, you are probably right. I bring that same drive to my schoolwork, so I probably will to nursing as well. 😉
Wow, you have some great rehab skills there!
You did a wonderful job! It looks a million times better! I love how you never, ever give up 🙂 Donna
I applaud you for keeping it out of landfill! It’s always good to have a spare chair around in case you have a crowd around the table. You did a great job on the chair Kristen!
I'm very perplexed by Facebook marketplace. I listed a high quality ceiling fan for free and the first person to reply was a guy named Bill Sonny Robinson who wanted me to send MY PICTURE so he knew who he was talking to. IS THIS NUTS OR WHAT??? I'm so upset it's taken me 5 minutes to type this out in English.
@Elaine N, wow. It might be because of all the scammers trying to get your information but that definitely was weird. Sorry it stressed you out. I hope you were able to get the fan to someone who appreciates it.
Brava, Kristen! The chair looks great.
Nice job! You re-used a nearly dead chair and made it useful and presentable. I vote win!
Frugal Girl, AKA Salvage Queen!
A cabin neighbor asked us to haul away an armoire for her (we have a pickup and live close). She is from the Bay Area, and probably kind of wealthy. She said with a sneer, "You can just dump it because it is only from Ikea".
We took it home, and I offered it to a couple of different friends who both responded, "Ikea—nice!!"
Different perspectives, to be sure.