Saturday, March 27, 2010

Refinishing.... make something old new again....

This weekend's post will be on refinishing or painting old furniture to make it new again. Recently, my cousin purchased a house and along with it came rooms of old.. really old furniture... dark and not her "style" but she loves the "bones" so she decided to keep it. Good for her, right! Well.. now the weekend project begins! Here you go Wendi!

Supplies: 1 Gallon Bucket, Dishsoap, Soft sponge, 100 / 150 Grit Sandpaper, Liquid Sander, Tack Cloth, Plastic drop cloth or old sheet, Krylon Spray Primer & Krylon Spray Paint (all can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes)

If the furniture is very dusty/dirty you want to wash it (outside) with luke-warm water and dishsoap, use a soft sponge and wipe it down with the soapy water, dump the bucket and refill with just warm water, re-wipe the furniture. Next, towel dry the furniture and let it dry completely, 1hr. or so (outdoors). Once dry, move the furniture to the drop cloth (my husband is not a fan of the multicolored driveway).

White and black are classic looks for any room, if you're feeling more bold go for a fun red or my personal favorite for a kids room, bright orange. The reason I love spray paint, is because it drys quickly and it's easy to re-paint if you don't love the finished color.

  •  If refinishing a piece of furniture that has drawers, remove the drawers and all drawer/pull hardware\remove drawer pulls and other hardware. 
  • Place the furniture on a layer of newspaper or a disposable drop cloth.

  1.  
    Sand the piece of furniture until smooth with sandpaper or wipe with liquid sander. You may need to sand the furniture two or even three times, starting with relatively rough sandpaper (100 grit) and moving on to progressively finer grits (150). Wear gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask.



  2.  
    Remove any residual sawdust with a hand vacuum, brush or a tack cloth - you don't want to wet the wood.



  3.  
    Apply a coat of either white brush-on or gray spray-on water-based primer (I like Krylon Spray Primer), depending on the size and area of the piece of furniture you intend to cover.



  4.  
    Allow the primer to become dry to the touch; this usually takes 1 to 2 hours. If you're not sure, read the recommended drying time on your can of primer. (spray primer drys quickly)
  5. If the primer coat looks spotty or thin, apply a second coat and allow it to dry.



  6.  
    Sand any rough areas.
  7. Add a coat of water-based paint. Brush it on with even strokes, going in the direction of the wood grain. With spray paint make slow passes with the can 8 to 12 inches from the wood surface. Allow the first coat to dry.
  8. Add a second coat and allow it to dry overnight.

    Happy repainting! Bring old furniture into 2010, remember bold is IN!   Live Beautifully... Erin

2 comments:

  1. yes.. I really believe bold is IN. Take a risk... you can always repaint if you absolutely hate it!

    ReplyDelete