I like to creep around during spring and fall clean up and wait for the perfect little piece of unwanted furniture that I can rescue and call my own.  There is so much good stuff out there just right for the picking, like this chair for example.  Today, I am sharing my curbside chair makeover.

Let me show you what this guy looked like before.

Not bad right? I really liked the orange color, and when I first snatched it from curbside, I had intended to keep it just as is.  But this little chair had a secret, it STUNK!! Like a mix between burnt plastic and rust, it was really bad.

I knew that if I intended to keep this chair, I had to paint it, because paint fixes everything, right!

I picked up a can of KILZ, which is known for covering stains and smells, and seals the odors right in.  This is the first time I have had to use this product, and now I am a fan.

I cleaned and sanded the chair and taped off the legs, I wanted to try to keep something original to the chair.  I don’t have a pic of the primer coat, but it was just white primer, which took a little bit longer to dry than normal spray paint, but once it dried, there was a noticeable difference in the smell.

Once the primer coat was dry, I used one can of Rustoleum Heritage Red in satin.

It covered perfectly, and the stink was just a distant memory.

This chair had it’s fair share of rust and grime.  My goal was to get it to it’s original shine, or at least as close as possible.

My go to cleanser is Bar Keepers Friend.  Just shake a bunch in a bowl, add water and mix into a runny paste.  I use this to clean just about everything in my house because it has basically no odor and cleans like a dream.

I covered the legs with it and let it sit for a while.  Every so often I would go back and scrub some more and add a little bit more Bar Keepers Friend.  I started with a toothbrush but ended up using a Brillo pad in the end.

When it came to the tips of the legs, I knew I had to replace them or they would scratch up my newly finished floors.

Any home store sells replacement tips.  I found these at Lowes, and I ended up using the 3/4″ chair tips.

I needed to get the old chair tips off, and this is when I discovered the magic that is WD-40.

I squirted each leg with the lubricant, then went back about 30 minutes later and coated them again.

I used a pair of channel locks to grip the old tips and just kept twisting until it moved.

Gross right?

Once I had all four of them off, I wiped off any residue and slipped the new tips right on.

Perfect fit.

The legs cleaned up really well.  Some of the pitting would not come off, but I am happy with the results.  And most importantly, it doesn’t STINK!

My favorite thing about this chair is it’s unique shape.

The paint covered really well and I don’t think you can tell that it was from the curb.

I gave it to my son Shawn to use in his room so he has a place to sit and change his clothes.

I found the pillow not long after he shot his first deer, I told him he doesn’t have to use it if he doesn’t want to, but he said “Whatever you want Mom,” ….I love him….

I have red throughout the room, this is Stephen’s antique truck that Daddy bought him, but he is not allowed to play with.  HaHa..

Each of the boys have a red “S” on their bookshelf in the same color.

And then there are these guys.  I have two of these soldiers that were once my Noni’s.  The boys love them.

I used my new camera on parts of this post, and captured this shot, which is my favorite.

I love finding treasures curbside, or as some of my friends like to say “Yard Shopping.”   Both of my daughter’s dressers are also curbside rescues, and I plan to share their makeovers next week, so until then, don’t forget to Pin and Share!