How to Lacquer a Chair

Espresso-toned lacquer provides a modern look on a functional kitchen chair.

Lacquer is a glossy finish that modernizes and updates a chair while also giving it a vintage look. Many restored antiques and vintage chairs have had a colorful shade of lacquer applied for a hybrid look of modern restoration on antique design. Lacquering a chair is a fairly easy DIY project that can be completed by even a novice refurbisher.

Things You'll Need

• Rags
• Paint stripper
• Sanding paper or sander
• Lacquer
• Smaller paintbrushes
• Protective plastic
• Putty knife

Instructions

1. Cover your floor with protective plastic. Apply paint stripper with a brush to the chair and wait for it to bubble up; it takes on the appearance of a foamy liquid. Use a clean rag to remove any of the paint stripper mixed with removed paint or stain. Do not apply any more paint stripper until the product has activated and has been wiped off the chair. Repeat this process and remove all of the paint or stain from the chair; the stripper is applied to all areas of the chair that have paint.

2. Sand the chair to a soft, easy-to-lacquer finish. Paint stripping and the general aging of the chair impact how much sanding is required as particularly splintery pieces require much more sanding. Use sandpaper for hard-to-reach places or for the entire project if you do not have a freestanding or hand-held professional sander.

3. Apply thin, even coats of lacquer with a clean brush. Let each coat dry throughly and repeat this process until you have reached the desired color. Lacquer dries quickly (this is one of the benefits of using this product) but allow four to six hours between coats and keep the lacquer in a dry room.