Today’s (& Yesterday’s) Wood Cane Accent Chairs

Vintage wood cane chairs are classic. The mid-century ones, like most mid-century furniture with its clean lines, are timeless. But did you know there’s a modern take on those older classics? Today, I’d like to show you a high-low wood cane chair makeover and few modern wood cane accent chairs that I’m absolutely loving.

Yesterday’s Wood Cane Chair

Let’s start with the vintage high-low makeover. A client found a black painted cane chair online that she absolutely loved. I only saw the photo briefly, but think it had a 5-6-inch thick cream and black zebra print cushion.

Instead of paying the $600 for the high-end version, she asked me to paint a mid-century chair she found online for a fraction of the cost.

Look at those lines! And the walnut wood, as always, was smooth and soft to the touch. I almost didn’t want to put paint on it, but understood the look she wanted to achieve.

The cane was in excellent condition and the backrest had a beautiful strip of burl wood running down the center, so the challenge with this chair was to not get any black paint on either of those.

To prep the chair, I sanded it by hand using 80-grit sandpaper. The goal was to break through the clear coat and create some “tooth” for the paint to grab on to.

Once sanded, I dusted it with a clean cotton rag and then wiped it clean with Krud Kutter. This non-toxic, biodegradable cleaner removes any dirt and oil that may be on the wood.

Then, using two different size artist brushes like THESE, I painted on the black enamel. The angled brush really worked well getting into the crevices where the pieces of wood met. And the smaller flat brush was used along the edge where the cane met the walnut wood.

I’ve never used artist brushes to paint a chair, but it was critical that I didn’t get any paint on cane or the burl wood. It took a little longer, but there was much less risk of getting too much paint on the brush and splashing the paint.

Pro Tip: For a smoother paint finish, apply 3-4 thin coats of paint, rather than 1-2 thicker coats.

Get all of the details about the exact paint I use on chairs and pro tips on how to work with this paint for best results: CLICK HERE.

As you can see, similar black painted cane chairs can run $600-900.

Today’s Wood Cane Chairs

While the vintage versions of these wood cane chairs are beautiful, I’m absolutely in love with the modern version of this chair. They are extra wide and have cushions as thick as those you’d find on a comfy sofa. My favorite feature is the light, natural wood. It’s like a piece of art!

These two are sold on Amazon…

The curve of the seat on this one from Target caught my attention too.

So if you’re looking for a side chair that could also be a natural wood feature in your home, consider a new, wood cane chair or make over your own with a vintage find.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products I use and love.