PAINTING FURNITURE

PAINTING FURNITURE

I can’t tell you the number of pieces of furniture I have stripped paint off of over the years only to reveal beautiful oak, mahogany, or walnut grain below. At one point in time I used to make a pretty good living buying painted antiques pieces at auction, refinish them, and selling them at antique shows around New England.

As we all know things change and based on the number of requests I’ve received lately to paint pieces of furniture I would have to say things have changed once again. I suppose it makes sense, decorating trends change, our personal taste change, and maybe even our home that we live in has changed in location or has been remodeled.

I’ve found that often times many people have a personal connection to their furniture. For example they may have a lovely old piece in their attic, garage, or basement that belonged to a family member. They would never sell it or give it away understandably because they have a personal connection to the piece. But it just doesn’t fit in with their décor or lifestyle.

Consider painting it! Some important things to remember when painting a piece of furniture is to prepare the surface correctly before painting it, surface preparation is really key. Depending on the condition of the existing finish may need to consider stripping the old finish off first. If you decide to do this please remember to do it in a well-ventilated area and make sure you wear eye protection when using paint and varnish remover.

If the existing finish is in good shape you should then give it a light sanding with a 220 grit sandpaper and then clean the sanded surface with denatured alcohol. This removes the dust from sanding and any surface dirt that may be present. Priming is the next step. I would recommend going to a paint store and tell them what you’re painting and that you need the primer to have really good adhesion to the wood or old finish. At this point pick out the color you want to paint your piece and the paint store will make sure you receive the paint and primer that works best together. I like latex paints the best for ease of cleanup, shorter drying time, and low on volatile fumes.

Once you’ve applied the primer and let it dry thoroughly, sand once again with 220 grit paper and clear off any residual dust. Now comes the fun part! You can now start applying the paint color you’ve selected. A bristle brush works best in this application. I use poly brushes frequently but not with latex paint.

Now that great old piece can have a prominent place in your home for you to enjoy on a daily basis. The before and after picture shown was in the basement of the client’s parents’ house. It now sits in the entry way of their home to not only serve as an attractive storage piece, but they have the pleasure of seeing and enjoying this piece daily along with the great memories attached to it.

I hope you all have fun working on your furniture

Be good to your wood and send along any questions you may have!  David LaCroix is the Furniture Fixer, 

http://branford.patch.com/listings/the-furniture-fixer-david-lacroix-and-sons-woodworking

The Furniture Fixer, David LaCroix & Sons Woodworking has been refinishing, repairing, and building custom furniture for over 20 years. Call us today at 203-627-2728 or you can see some of our before and after photos on our Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/FurnitureFixer