Shameless solicitation here....
You see this sorry excuse for a paint job?
Don't avert your eyes, cowards, LOOK.
Don't avert your eyes, cowards, LOOK.
You know you've seen worse, albeit not lately I'm sure.
This small dresser started out black,
and had obviously been painted numerous times prior.
No before pics, which officially makes me a dink.
This small dresser started out black,
and had obviously been painted numerous times prior.
No before pics, which officially makes me a dink.
This is pretty much ugliness on a biblical scale.
I think it's 'cause I kept painting over tacky paint that had yet to dry.
I have a surplus of overly brown vintage furniture
I want to sell in my booth. Catch is, I'm not sure I want it to STAY brown.
I'd like to give it all a dreamy wash of antique white with a tea glaze over it,
but for now, I'd just be happy not to have the butt-ugly results you see above.
Here's what I'll be working with....
Brown #1
Brown #2
Brown #3
Just a few of my brown beauties that I'd like to give
new life to and then send off to a new home.
new life to and then send off to a new home.
Prior to this afternoon, I'd never painted a lick of furniture in my life.
Tuck that bit of info away into the painfully obvious files.
But knowing it would be a steep learning curve,
I armed myself with an el-cheapo gallon of paint
from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and got busy.
Tuck that bit of info away into the painfully obvious files.
But knowing it would be a steep learning curve,
I armed myself with an el-cheapo gallon of paint
from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and got busy.
I'm pretty sure the heinousness in the first pic was due to dry brush,
which not unlike dry socket, produces equally painful results.
Lesson learned, load the brush up with mo' paint.
FYI, I was using a brand called Color Place: Interior Latex Flat Wall, Country White.
Never heard of Color Place, but I've got a gallon of it,
so no sense mucking up perfectly good furntiture
with Ralph Lauren, right?
After some trial and error,
here's the not-quite-so-heinous side....
Still nothing you'd want in your home or your booth, but better.
Right? Please say yes.
Hooray, I managed to finally get it right
on a sad little lonely plank of wood!
on a sad little lonely plank of wood!
Cut to the chase....purpose of this post is to shamelessly solicit
my infinitely more talented friends for helpful hints
and/or heretofore unshared trade secrets
on how to re-paint old furniture.
In my perfect world, painter extraordinaire Troy from Junk Exchange
would swoop in like the superhero he is and save me,
but I know he's busy, busy getting ready for Warrenton.
So the onus is upon on all of you, my friends.
Links will be happily accepted, as will prayers to the junking gods.
Off for now, whiteness awaits!
XOXO,
~ Anne
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17 comments:
prime, prime, prime!
color place is a walmart brand (I think)
Not a bad paint at all.
but a girl's gotta prime! Or sand... I prefer primering. LOL I know, NOT a word!
Yes, the after is a LOT better. But when you have lots of coats, it's hard. THE hardest part for all of us ladies, is PATIENCE! And... if it's humid there, which I am sure it is, that makes a huge difference in how long it takes your paint to dry.
Use a good brush, keep it in a plastic bag in a cool place while you wait for the first coat to dry.
I love, love, love brown # 2 and brown #3!
I guess I may be in a state of shock that you have never painted furniture before, but you are quite a few years younger than me!
Practice makes perfect, but I would not want you to mess up those pretty #2 and #3!
That's my advice for you.
I am sure others will chime in very soon!
Lots of luck to you girlie! Keep your chin up! We've all been through it!
good thoughts and prayers go out to you!
gail
These will be great pieces redone! I unfortunately am not the one to help. I will tell you that with few pieces I have attempted, I love the shabby look because it does not matter if it is perfect. The mistake I made at first was wanting it to be perfect with the first coat and ended up spending much to much time and paint. Slap a coat on it and then start to make perfect with the second layer. But you would be better served to let a true expert give you advice.
Denis
Anne, I am SICK with laughter!!! STILL laughing. You are so funny. OK. Tell you what. I'm not an expert, but I'll tell you what I do.
Do you have a Lowe's anywhere nearby. If so it's a good place to start. I use a primer on anything that is stained or dark. Lightly sand first. Then prime with a white primer. "Valspar" is good.(ask for help, tell them you are painting furniture) Then I mix a satin interior wall paint (this can be your cheap kind) I like something with a hint of cream to it, not stark white. Mix it half n' half with a white gloss paint. "Valspar gloss white latex enamel" comes in a quart size. Mixing the two gives the paint "tooth", meaning it adheres better.
I like to use one of those small rollers for large surfaces like a desk or table top. That way there are no brush marks. I usually put 1 primer coat and 2 regular coats. I don't sand in between. Then after it's cured for a couple of days I usually just get out some stain (provencial) and put a little on a rag and rub lightly. Gives a little "antique" aging to it. Then I use a hand sander and go after the edges and places where natural wear would occur. Then I use a spray satin sealing topcoat.
That's my method and I'm glad to share it with you, honey. It's not professional but it usually ends up pretty good...at least it works for me. I'm not into perfection.
Hope this helps. Trial and error will go a long way on seeing what works for you.
Love ya, dear, Have FUN.
Debra
I meant to tell you amidst all the he hawing I was doing that, yes, your white piece is looking great! Just takes practice and getting a feel for it.
Debra
The reason it messed up is because it is oak and it is a mortal sin to paint oak. Seriously. Ok. that's not true...all together. ha! I just referred my boyfriend, David, to you. He happens to know all about painting. So, just sit around and wait. I imagine he'll get to you in the next little bit. Oak and paint don't mix...remember this. ~Mindy
Oh, I am NO help. I recently painted my armoire black and didn't even prime it. (Hail Mary, full of grace...)
Your finds are so beautiful, though, and I'm sure you'll work out all the bugs and kinks in no time flat! (no pun intended...)
Anne, don't worry you will learn by error too! Nothing wrong with that, use the best paint you can. You will have less coats to cover your piece. I use Pratt & Lambert or Kelly Moore. Satin or eggshell finish. Sometimes if I get tired of white, I use a jell-stain, Light Oak. Wipe it on and off right away. That's a interesting look. Try it on a sample board first. The color white sells the best for me, I am now painting a lot of black. For the Frenchy look. I will see what happens. ps let your paint dry in between coats. If you are going to sand the edges to give a worn look, I let it dry to the touch and then sand. (Not a hard dry) that's to hard to sand. Hope this works for you. sandi
Annie:
I'm not an expert but muy shop is shabby chic and mostly painted pieces. Paint goes a long way, especially in dated pieces. I paint everything. Most of my income comes from furniture since it takes a lot of smalls to come out with a big rent and overhead. I will send you an email with my cell #.Blessings, Marta.
Hey Annie,
You are soooo funny....thanks for the comments on my blog!!! I have been trying to get Troy to tell me his secrets, but, alas, no such luck!!!
One thing I do know though is one must prime...and I hate sanding so I use Bulls Eye Primer (available at Home Depot) as I once read in a Country Home magazine that you can use it without sanding first. Also, thin layers of paint or you'll have what happens to me....drips, drips, drips all over the place. Anyways, best of luck.....I know it will all end up looking great.
By the way....I noticed in your profile that you are a RT....I'm a nurse...too funny.
xojanis
Anne, you're mostest welcome!
you are one of the joys of blogging!
Debra
Very funny post. I just bought some tables from Sandi at the Green Pea who left a comment earlier. I actually posted them for REDnesday today. I'm pretty sure she painted them too.
Good luck with your booth. I'm so envious of all you gals branching out to sell all the stuff you've collected.
Dawn
There are a lot of potential problems in painting previously stained wood. You can head off the problems with good surface prep and by using the right materials. First, the surface must be clean of all contaminants that would prevent paint adhesion. Specifically, furniture polishes, oils and waxes are notorious for causing problems. So it's imperative that they be removed. Use a product called "liquid sander." It's sometimes called "liquid deglosser." Put it on with one rag and wipe it off with a different clean dry rag. This way you're not just smearing the contaminants around and letting them dry back on the surface, but actually removing them onto the rag. When you're sure the surface is clean and dry, first let the varnish reharden (the liquid sander will soften it slightly) and then sand it lightly. This will give the primer a little something extra to "bite" to. I know some primers say you don't have to sand. OK, you can take your chances if you want, but keep in mind that when they say "no sanding," they probably mean on raw or previously painted wood, but old varnished furniture is sort of a special case. Sanding will not hurt; it can only help. Then I would still recommend that you go over it a second time with the liquid sander. This will get all the sanding dust off the surface and slightly soften the varnish. Prime with a good quality latex bonding primer and stain sealer. Junkdreams mentioned Zinnser's Bulls Eye. That's a good one. But be sure to get the one that says primer AND stain sealer. Here's why. No matter how hard you try to clean the surface, it is next to impossible to get ALL the contaminants out of the wood grain, especially for oak which typically has a deep grain. The stain sealers are better at sealing over any small amount of contaminant that may still be present. After the primer is dry and cured, you may need to sand it lightly, depending on how talented you are with a paint brush. (If you can put the primer on smooth, it won't require sanding.) Finally, apply the finish paint. You will want a product with the word "enamel" in it. Not the flat latex wall paint you were using. Interior flat is really made for drywall and, while it will work on wood, it has a variety of problems that make it far less suitable for that purpose. Choose the sheen to your liking. Satin, Semi-gloss or Gloss latex enamel is what you'll be looking for. Most people perfer semi-gloss. You will probably want to apply two coats. As you already found out, it's important to keep a wet edge and never over-work or dry brush the paint. I know this sounds like a lot and some of it may overkill for your particular furniture pieces. Problem is the only way to know that you SHOULD have gone that extra mile is when there's a problem and then it's too late and you have a big mess on your hands. Best of luck!
More good tips here than I know what to do with! Strike that, I know exactly what to do with 'em....fix that ugly mess of a dresser I desecrated yesterday.
And to Mindy's David, thank you doesn't even BEGIN to cover it. Have I mentioned that you're a Rock Star? Well you are. :-)
~ Anne
He is! But, I can't believe he forgot to mention "no paint on oak". If God doesn't judge you for it, I will. :-) ~Mindy
But Mindy ma' love, it was ALREADY painted a most sinister dark black. Mine was but a mission of mercy.
So there. :-P
XOXO,
Anne
Oh my. Well, I've had some pretty horrible looking pieces in my furniture painting adventures. This is not the worst there is. You can check out my blog for step-by-step instructions on painting. One of the main keys is prepping your furniture properly and being patient with the process. You have a great eye and greta taste. I have confidence that you'll be cranking out beautifuk pieces in no time!
Love your honesty here! Painting furniture is definitely a "learn as you go" skill. Ask 10 people how to prep and paint and you will probably get 10 different answers. If you plan to do a lot of furniture painting, do yourself a HUGE favor and invest in a basic airless sprayer. For what it's worth, here's what I've learned: http://mycottageofbliss.blogspot.com/2009/06/furniture-painting-101.html
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