Should I paint or stain cane chair?

I got a cane chair for nothing - someone was throwing it out at our Civic Recycling Centre and my husband bagged it. It's nothing special - just the standard kind you see for 鈧?0 in loads of shops now - a sort of orangy brown colour. I've repaired it with wood glue and now it needs refinishing. I was originally going to use Plastikote spray but it seems I'll need at least 2 cans and maybe primer too - that's almost 鈧?0 for a start! It seems to defeat the whole idea of recycling. I've plenty of half-empty stained varnish of various kinds - light oak, walnut but I'd have to brush these on.





What would you do?Should I paint or stain cane chair?
Scrub it down with Soda soap and wire wool and coat with a cheap 'light wood' stain, this will achieve a natural aged look and not a false fresh painted old chair.Should I paint or stain cane chair?
stain or light varnish
Paint is horrible for any kind of furniture,so tacky


and cheap looking.Best to rub it down with fine


Emery paper then clear varnish,this will make


the grain in the wood stand out and it will look super.
Stain... if you want to save money paint if you love the chair to bits..





Now if it were a Lloyd Loom chair I would say paint as I have an old one which is now a collectors item even though the paint is distressed and flaking. It is a nineteen thirties design and made for comfort.





Saw one in shop in Dublin and they were asking funny money for it!
Spray paint is better because it doesn't fill in the spaces between the caning like brushing on paint will. Staining will only work if the cane has no finish whatsoever on it. I'd play safe and spray, I've used plasticote before with no primer - check the can.