The original salon cushions on Knot A Clue were a bit drab. They had an off-white hue to them and showed the boats age even though they were still in great condition. We originally considered recovering them in Sunbrella fabric but thought a good paint job was worth a shot first. And i'm so glad we did!
Heres the finished cushions:
After a ton of research and google searching. I decided to go with Rustolium Chalked in the color Aged Grey. Although I could not find any videos on this particular paint being used on Vinyl, I went through many videos of crafters using Annie Sloans chalk paint to do the job. From what I could tell- the two paints were almost identical in finish and pliability. They had very similar colors in each line so making the choice of using Rustolium wasn't a difficult one once I saw that it was half the price of what a quart of Annie sloan would cost you, coming in at 17.88 a quart (Annies is over 30 a tin and is not readily available at your local hardware store or amazon). Thus it began,here are the steps I took to get these velvety like-new cushions below!
1.) Gather your supplies.
-Rustoleum Chalked. To gauge how much you'll need, one can covers 150 sqft. I used less then one can to cover the entire couch which needed 3-4 coats.
Rustoleum Chalked in Aged Grey - $21on Amazon
-You'll need a paint tray (preferably one that has a space to hold your paint as well as a a bit of water in a separate space).
-Paint brush. Some blogs recommend using a round short bristle brush if you are working on fabric. I chose to use a regular angled all purpose paint brush with softer bristles> the vinyl will not soak up and of the product so you merely need to apply it over the top rather than work it in.
-Plastic covers and scrap towels to protect your working space. I like to work inside when painting. I can control the temp. and don't have to worry about any debris marking up my project.
Plastic floor covers- 9x12 ft.-16.99 / 10 pack on Amazon
- All-purpose cleaner/degreaser. Many people recommend wiping down the area with TSP which is a degreasing agent before you start your project. I used an all purpose wipe and dried the cushion thoroughly after.
- Blue tape. In case you have any areas you want to leave paint -free!
2.)Prep Work. Lay out the plastic sheets and weigh them down in the corners. Give your cushions a good wipe down and dry thoroughly. I taped off any areas I wanted to leave alone, which was mainly the velcro on the back of the seats. Once you've properly prepped your projects surface and work space, you can give your paint tin a good shake, stir and pour a bit into your tray along side a container of water. I used a tray that had two separate dishes in it and it housed my paint and water perfectly.
3.) Let the painting begin! You'll have to thin your paint as you go. Do this however you feel comfortable. I dipped my brush slightly into the water, then into the paint, mixed them on my paint tray until I found a consistency I was happy with and continued this process every time I went back for more. The first coat is best done as a wash. Thin, light coverage to get you started. Be sure to keep an eye on stroke marks as you go. If you find that you are getting harsh lines, try thinning the pant a bit more. If you are getting milky puddles in any creases, thicken it up. There is no right or wrong ratio when it comes to this paint, it really is customizable to your project and its needs so don't be afraid to experiment a bit.
4.) 2nd - 4th coat. Once I gave all the cushions one coat, I immediately went back for a second. Dry time is about 30 min. per coat so I was just on time. Each coat gradually got a bit thicker in consistency as I tested the flexibility and coverage were still on track. In between coats, if i felt like the texture was getting rough anywhere, I could see stroke lines or specks of debris, I took a sanding block and lightly sanded away any of these imperfections.
Welcome home your new velvety-chic vinyl! I was really pleasantly surprised with this upgrade. I was expecting the worst. A crunchy, cracking, streaky mess. In the end, we had just the opposite! Its beautiful. Smooth, soft and modern. It doesn't feel as if it is going to crack or ware quickly and as an added bonus- the paint softened the look of any wrinkled or work areas. overall, a success! Hope you love yours just as much, Happy painting!