♔The Elegant Home: Rocking Chair Redo (Karpen)

This Karpen Rocking Chair has been in my family for years. It was my great grandmothers. She rocked my Grandmother, my Mother & me in this chair (and likely many other family members). It had been upholstered by my Grandmother in the 70's, in a lovely orange avocado green ensemble. Sadly (gladly), that upholstery was removed (lol)! It left a lot of tack holes in the chair, and it is also sporting chew marks on it from my Grandmother's dog! Now that's history! It had a time worn Mahogany finish (of that era). I dated this piece to between 1913-1920's.

This chair had not been used for years and was in my Mother's storage shed. I refinished it using Maison Blanche Hurricane Vintage Furniture Paint. I used Maison Blanche Le Craque Crackle Medium and I finished it off with Maison Blanche Dark Wax & Le Dirt. I then sanded it down with a heavy grit sanding sponge in a few areas distressing it and allowing the original Mahogany finish peak through. I added a top coat of Min-Wax Water Based Satin Poly-acrylic. It was fun but a challenge, as all chairs with a lot of rungs are. I purchased my Maison Blanche products from Shannon at Fox Hollow Cottage. She is wonderful and ships items out so quickly!

While painting it I imagined rocking my Grand babies in it one day. One day hoping my daughter will rock her Grand babies in it too when she inherits it. I imagine, by then it will be painted a fresh new color for a nursery, such as light yellow, white, or even blue...whatever my daughter's fancy is when she inherits it! I love that it was passed down to me and breathed new life from into for the next generation to use and enjoy!