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Last updated: June 5, 2026 · By Anna Katherine Page
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Quick answer: Here is the full Jenny Lind high chair makeover, the multi-year story of one piece. I bought this vintage 1980s chair at a thrift store for $10, painted it black to match my kitchen, then stored it in the barn for years. Recently I refinished it in white to use as a styled rental piece for my event business. This is the full multi-year makeover, paint and all.
Some pieces of furniture have more than one life in them. This vintage Jenny Lind high chair has had at least three. It started as a $10 thrift store gamble, became a black statement piece in my kitchen, sat forgotten in a barn, and is now a freshly painted rental item for first birthday parties. Here is the whole story, and how I refinished it each time.
Years ago I spotted a vintage 1980s Jenny Lind high chair at a thrift store and brought it home for just $10. A Jenny Lind is the classic style with the rows of decorative spindle turnings, and they have a timeless, slightly old-fashioned charm that is hard to find in modern furniture. At $10 it was an easy yes. I documented that very first flip on the blog back then: you can read the original Vintage 1980s Jenny Lind highchair furniture flip, and I filmed it in two parts on YouTube, Part 1 and Part 2.
Round one: painting it black
At the time, my kitchen was leaning moody and dark, so I painted the high chair black to match that vibe. It worked beautifully for that season of my home. That is the honest truth about decorating: your taste shifts, and a piece that was perfect one year can feel off the next. The high chair earned its spot for a while, then slowly stopped fitting the space.
Round one: the high chair painted black for a moodier kitchen.
Then it sat in the barn
When my style moved on, the high chair did what a lot of good furniture does. It went out to the barn for storage. It was too charming to give away and too out of step with the house to keep inside. So it waited. For a few years it was just a black vintage high chair under a dust sheet, holding its potential.
Round two: bringing it back in white
This spring it finally got its third life. I am building an event rental business, and a vintage high chair is exactly the kind of charming, photogenic piece families want for a first birthday celebration. So I pulled it out of the barn and refinished it, this time in a soft white to suit a styled party setup.
Here is how it turned out: the same $10 thrift store frame, the same charming spindles, now in a fresh white that photographs beautifully against any party backdrop.
The finished high chair in soft white, styled for a first birthday celebration.
Renting it out through Keowee Event Co
The high chair now lives a working life as a rental piece with Keowee Event Co, my event rental business. We rent backyard games and styled pieces that make gatherings feel special across Oconee and Pickens County, South Carolina. A vintage high chair is a perfect example of the kind of charming, photo-ready detail that turns an ordinary first birthday into something memorable, and giving an old piece a new purpose is exactly the point.
The high chair with a vintage rocking horse, both refinished as event rental pieces.
Pin this Jenny Lind high chair makeover
Saving this for your own thrift flip? Here are the pins from the project.
Key takeaways
A $10 thrifted vintage high chair has been refinished twice over several years.
Round one was black to match a moody kitchen; round two is white for event rentals.
The white refinish took three cans of satin spray paint applied in thin coats.
Old furniture is worth keeping. Its next purpose may just be a paint job away.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Jenny Lind high chair?
A Jenny Lind is a classic style of wooden high chair recognizable by its rows of decorative spindle turnings. The look has been made for generations, and vintage versions like this 1980s one are popular for their old-fashioned charm.
Can you repaint furniture that is already painted?
Yes. You can paint over an existing finish. Clean the piece well, give it a light scuff sand so the new paint grips, and then apply your paint in thin, even coats. This high chair went from raw wood to black to white over its life.
What kind of paint should you use on a wooden high chair?
A satin-finish spray paint works well on a spindled piece like this because it reaches into the turnings evenly. I used a satin enamel spray paint and built the color up with several light coats.
How much does it cost to flip a thrifted high chair?
This one cost $10 at the thrift store. The white refinish added three cans of spray paint, so the whole project stayed inexpensive, which is part of what makes thrift flips so satisfying.
How do you get a smooth finish when spray painting furniture?
Warm the can, shake it well, and use short sweeping strokes that start and end past the edges, building thin coats. The full method is in my spray paint tips guide.
Where can you rent vintage event pieces in Upstate South Carolina?
Keowee Event Co rents backyard games and styled event pieces, including this high chair, across Oconee and Pickens County, South Carolina.
About Anna Katherine
I refresh thrifted furniture, document real makeovers, and run Keowee Event Co, an event rental business in Upstate South Carolina. Follow the flips and the building of the business on TikTok and YouTube.
Follow the makeovers and the rental business on TikTok, or see what we rent at Keowee Event Co.
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