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Friday, September 21, 2012

Hitchcock Chair Makeover

My mother-in-law is in the process of cleaning out her New York home to move full time to Florida.  She offered me a Hitchcock chair to do with as I pleased.  I had never heard of one, but based on her verbal description of it, I was sure that I could do something with it.  It's called a Hitchcock chair because it is manufactured by the Hitchcock chair company.  Here's the before and after:
I loved the lines of the chair, and I knew that a little paint and some topography, I could make this chair into something special for my home.

I started by lightly sanding the entire chair.  My plan was to use Annie Sloan chalk paint so sanding wasn't really necessary, but I find it helps get off some of the dirt and dust that accumulates over the years as well as roughing up the surface.

I taped off the seat and got out my chalk paint in Old White and went to work.
After one coat I realized that this was going to be tedious, and so I switched over to spray paint in Heirloom White (which is almost identical in color to Old White).  Once I switched over to spray paint, I covered the entire seat so as not to get any paint on it.
Once the paint was dry, I started to lightly distress the edges.  Since the chair was originally black, it made it very easy to distress since the black shows through.
Then I went to The Graphics Fairy  and picked out this beautiful graphic for a French floral shop.
I used charcoal on the back of the graphic to do the transfer.
Then using a pencil I traced over the design transferring it onto the chair.
Then I used a Sharpie and traced over the letters.
I applied clear wax and then a dark wax to the whole piece.
In person the chair has so much depth created by using both the clear and dark waxes.  
So what do you think of my chair makeover?
Can't wait to hear what you think.


-Judy
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45 comments:

ana@carpe_diem said...

it turned out just great! it looks so fresh now :)

ana@carpe_diem said...

why is it called "hitchcock"?

Debbiedoos said...

Pretty pretty Judy! I love this makeover.

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Very pretty, Judy! I love the update. How do you like working with the charcoal as a transfer?

Shannon @FairfaceWashcloths said...

Judy, your chair is gorgeous!! I LOVE your tracing details - I'm crazy for anything French!

Unknown said...

It really turned out gorgeous! I love the french touch too. I have a similar chair but without all of the detailing in the legs and back...more minimalist, but the seat is the same. I've been pondering what I'll do with it...

Cynthia said...

I have an old hitchcock chair that was my mother's. I would love to paint it but I feel so guilty. I just leave it alone.

Cynthia

Gina said...

That is really fantastic, Judy! I love how you breathed new life into this chair. I need to try the charcoal transfer method. Is it easy?

Bliss said...

I never heard of a Hitchcock chair either and it sure is cute. Of course I had visions of The Birds being attached to it at this time of year. Or are you too young to know of Alfred? Hitchcock that is.

~Bliss~

Susan Anderson said...

VERY cool.

=)

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

I have always wanted a Hitchcock chair...they are so collectable...have not been able to find one at a reasonable price in an antique shop.. You transformed the chair to a very beautiful piece...!!!

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Judy I LOVE IT!! Great job!

Anonymous said...

Nice makeover...I do like what you did with it - and if that Hitchcock Chair wasn't in such nice condition I wouldn't say this - never, never do that to a Hitchcock Chair - they are no longer produced and are very expensive in that condition...may not have been in your taste - but you could have sold it and bought another chair and had a nice profit - just sayin'. Hope no one is offended by my comment - I just hate to see that happen to a very nice chair...

Eiresicilia said...

Funny I found your makeover because I want to use chalk paint to translate the "Hitchcock" look to some other pieces of furniture. You really could have sold the chair to someone who would have loved the look of the chair as it was and bought four or more unloved chairs to do over.

frwebb said...

When Lambert Hitchcock began producing enameled, stencil- design chairs from hard rock maple and cherry in the mid-eighteen-hundreds, his innovative ideas included stencil designs using blown-in bronze powder, protected with a coat of clear lacquer. The early chairs had black or dark green backgrounds, though the current incarnation of the company produces other colors as well.

Today's Hitchcock factory, run by a group that started out restoring the antique models, is located near the original in Riverton, CT (formerly Hitchcocksville). Hitchcock chairs from every era are VERY collectible. Depending on the age and condition of the chair, even used modern Hitchcocks are typically worth a minimum of $75, with older ones selling for up to five or six hundred. With the original paint.

Whatever you'd call it now, it's not really a Hitchcock chair any longer. I see that some find your redesign 'fresh' or 'pretty'. To me, it's kinda sad.

frwebb said...

When Lambert Hitchcock began producing enameled, stencil- design chairs from hard rock maple and cherry in the mid-eighteen-hundreds, his innovative ideas included stencil designs using blown-in bronze powder, protected with a coat of clear lacquer. The early chairs had black or dark green backgrounds, though the current incarnation of the company produces other colors as well.

Today's Hitchcock factory, run by a group that started out restoring the antique models, is located near the original in Riverton, CT (formerly Hitchcocksville). Hitchcock chairs from every era are VERY collectible. Depending on the age and condition of the chair, even used modern Hitchcocks are typically worth a minimum of $75, with older ones selling for up to five or six hundred. With the original paint.

Whatever you'd call it now, it's not really a Hitchcock chair any longer. I see that some find your redesign 'fresh' or 'pretty'. To me, it's kinda sad.

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Unknown said...

Agreed. The stenciling on those is what makes them special and you covered it up with your name.

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No Blog said...

Oh my word...I like what you did, but I wish you had done it on another chair. This chair was an heirloom piece. It was a hand stencilled and painted original Hitchcock chair made in New England. It was a stunning example of the work done by the Hitchcock Company which is no longer in operation. I wish you had done some research before painting over this work of art. The chair was quite valuable as it stood. It is a shame that no one seems to know the history of this company and its beautiful hand stencilled furniture. I am into the painted French look, but use it on furniture that is generic or not a valuable piece as it stands. You did a great job and are very talented but this chair was a timeless piece in itself as it was. (My opinion only and not meant to cause offense).

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That is really fantastic, Judy! I love how you breathed new life into this chair. I need to try the charcoal transfer method. Is it easy?
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