apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Congratulations, these chairs are winderfully versatile indoor-outdoor furniture, suitable both for lounging and dining. I would leave them as they are for a while, you may grow to like the patina. The fabric? Whatever speaks to you and goes with the rest of your decor...

I really love them unpainted. I would just throw some cushions on them, there are a ton of great styles and designs!

Whatever you do - Don't sand and don't paint.

I'd clean them up w/ some warm soapy water and a soft brush - allow to dry thouroughly, then coat with a gel-stain that will help darken and preserve your rattan.

As far as cushions - take a chair to an upholstery shop where you can have cushions custom-made from a selection of outdoor fabrics such as Sunbrella. A couple of matching throw pillows would be nice too.

Finally, keep these out of the weather so that the frames don't deteriorate any farther than they already have: on a covered porch in summer and inside the house in winter.

Oh yeah, they are really quite lovely as they are. At least wait a while to see if they grow on you.

these are beautiful! you can use pretty much whatever pattern you want. if it were me, i'd probably do a dark mossy green in a tough fabric for outdoor use, but that's just a colour combo i love.

bepsf has the right idea... you really never know what you have until you first clean thoroughly.

After that staining or some sort of wood oil with scratch cover could go a long way to giving you something you'll love.

I'd say anything goes with cushions/fabric, but I personally would go with a durable outdoor fabric.

I would prefer them more in a weathered white or gray but i agree with everyone not to paint them..as for fabric I would love to see them in a thomas paul print in green or yellow. While not my style I think it would fit perfectly.

That flowerbox really distracts from the beauty of the chairs. To start with, you must give me the flowerbox.

Really wally3? Then maybe Desiree should send that flower box over to my house because I like it :)

I agree... clean them up and see what you have. Personally, I don't like the weathered look and I would paint them a bright color, but that is me. If you like the wood look, then go with the other posters.

You can get some great outdoor fabrics... I would do something bright and stripey or dots. I am thinking Orla Kiely kind of colors.

I wouldn't paint either. I'd seal them and go with a bold patterned Sunbrella fabric for the cushion.

If you really want to paint, go BOLD. Bright red, bright turquoise, lime green, something fun like that. :)

Must. Have. Flowerbox.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I really love these chairs and couldn't believe the price. I'm leaning towards not painting. I will get to work on these.

Wally3 and thelittlemonster thanks for your kind words on my window box! It makes me happy.


Desiree

I have these chairs too. One summer in the yard and they faded terribly, but still, oh-so-comfy. Toss some pillows on them and enjoy.

you'll love the old patina of the chairs once they're cushioned - try a crisp print with a bit of black to go with your windowbox and shutters

Great find!

I agree, the patina on the chairs adds character. Just add some cushions that compliment the cheerful plant box.

I second (or more like 16th) the "don't paint" comment. Perhaps a protective clear coat so the actual bamboo doesn't get more damaged. A beautiful set of traditionally upholstered cushions would contrast beautifully with the rustic look of the bamboo and would tie the chairs better into your porch style which seems to be on the traditional side. Love the black shutters BTW.