How To Paint Furniture

Welcome! My first blog post on How To Paint Furniture

Here it is, my very first blog post! Welcome!! I have to admit, this is sort of very intimidating for me. I haven't always been the most amazing writer on the planet. Lets just say I was average at best on my English essays. But practice makes perfect right? So, here I am here practicing...

Sometime in April I caved into setting up a Pinterest account as my friends were constantly raving about their love for the site and it wasn't long before I too, fell in love. My inner kindergartener came to life again and I was looking for friends to do crafts with at any free moment. It wasn't long after that I was completely OBSESSED with DIY projects. I was and continue to be inspired by bloggers, that I have stumbled upon after countless hours on Pinterest, to also share my projects with all of you!

As of late I have a deep deep love for refurbishing and refinishing old, outdated furniture. Dressers, dressers, dressers. What can I say? I love them. They are such a big part to any bedroom and so they should be fabulous. New modern dressers, bureaus, nightstands etc. are great and I love them just as much as the next person, but ya know what I don't love so much? The price tag! Geeessshhh those things are expensive! So, why not work with what ya got? ... Or in my case, find at a thrift store (ps I am obsessed with thrift store shopping, which you can grantee I will rant about frequently on this blog). I sometimes even like to drag my friends to yard sales early Saturday mornings. :D

This is her. My first refinished dresser to my apartment. Isn't she beautiful?

Well, she certainly didn't use to be. Here's the evidence.

Here's the thing.. I sorta forgot to take a picture before I took off all the hardware and began sanding. (Note the two middle drawers which are sanded and the rest are not. Fail.) I'm trying to get better at  remembering the "before" picture. I just get so excited.

I remember the first time reading about refinishing wood, I was pretty intimidated but seriously there is nothing to be nervous about. Unless your life depends on it then maybe. Kidding. I broke down the steps I took to complete this little baby and added tips I thought may be helpful. It really is super simple and easy that just about anyone could do it. And if you screw up, it's okay! You can also sand it down and try again.

How To Paint Furniture

Step 1. Clean and air out the dresser. My mother made me put my dresser out on the lawn with all the drawers taken out for the day because she has this weird fear of bed bugs. Anyways, it's not a bad idea to let the fresh air take away the ... well ya know thrift store smell that only some of us are lucky enough to identify with.

Step 2. Remove the hardware and put all the pieces in a bag so you will not lose any. For this piece I lost a few screws and had to find others to replace them. Very frustrating and easily prevented with a little more organization. (Still learning!)

Step 3. Look for any nicks or spots that may need to be filled with wood filler. Fill with wood filler and let dry. I use a plastic wood filler that can be bought at any hardware store. I bought that nifty little joint knife to apply the filler at my fav store, dollarama!

Step 4. Sand the bugger! If you don't have a palm sander and you are planning on completing DIY projects then my advice is to invest in one! Try to find one used. Kijiji, thrift store, yard sale.. that's where I found mine. 15 smackaroos, not too shabby.

For furniture that you plan on painting or staining then I would recommend sandpaper that is 150 to 220 grit. A note for the newbies: the higher the number of grit, the finer and therefore, the smoother the surface. Since I wanted my dresser to be very durable I sanded most of the varnish off using 150 grit paper and then a quick final sand with the 220 grit.

Step 5. Prime. Priming is so important, especially if you only do a quick sand. Priming will prep the surface to be painted and will adsorb the paint and prevent chipping.

Tip: Lock away all animals especially mischievous cats. Or you may find a few of these during your painting endeavour.

Step 6. Apply the paint. For this dresser I chose Behr Premium Ultra White from Home Depot.
I paint with foam rollers purchased at the dollar store. Don't pay 10+ dollars at hardware stores when you can get the same thing for a dollar.

When applying the paint its best to work out a plan in your mind first. Organization! It's best to roll with more pressure on the arm side. I usually work from right to left on the section I have mapped out and the arm of my roller on the right side. I like to only roll in one direction so the pattern is the same on the whole piece. After I have finished my first coat, I let dry according to the directions of my chosen paint color and then apply a second coat, third coat and so forth.

Step 6. Apply a top coat. I use Minwax polycrylic because its water-based and doesn't yellow over time like polyurethane does. I usually apply two coats, again, for more durability. Let dry! Usually paint takes 1-2 weeks to completely set before washing is recommended but again read the directions completely before starting!

Step 7. Put hardware back on. Depending on what look you are going for, I would suggest replacing the hardware. However, in this case. I kept the original hardware and just spay painted them with a high gloss black. Aaaaaaaand finally, viola! finito. Here she is again, in all her glory.

and a few close ups.

and my kitty Taz, who is so proud of his mom.

Thanks so much for reading!! I know my blog is pretty bare as of right now but I will be doing a lot of editing!! Plus many more posts to come so stay tuned :) I can't wait to share more!

- mary-ellen

ps. if you liked this post and think you will use it in the future, don't forget to pin it!