old things...new life

Honestly I want to be curled up in my bed in a fetal position because I am so tired,  but I am SO excited to share these pictures with you!
  I worked my behind off today getting that old buffet sanded and worked on.  I am doing backflips because it turned out so BEAUTIFUL!
  So since I have had several emails asking me about my techniques,  I thought I would give you a LOOSE,  and I mean really loose tutorial on how I do these things.  (It will be long-winded mind you....)
  I am no expert by any means,  but this is how I paint my furniture.
  I choose a piece that I think has good "bones"
the older the better. I typically prefer solid wood.
I lucked out on this piece....my good friend Molly found it for me.....
   You may think this is weird,  but most times I have no idea what I am going to do with a particular piece,  I have to let it "speak" to me....then I will know what to do.
As soon as I saw it I knew it would be a fantastic piece for a halloween display.

with it's imposing structure and dark mirror...the silver leafing on the mirror slightly cloudy...made me think spooky thoughts...i'm thinking BLACK!  OOOHHHH scary!

It is a very heavy solid wood piece with oak veneer that has chipped in many places.
it will need lots of work...but I am excited!

  scared really,  I will need to do alot of sanding and patching.

  So out comes my favorite tool,  I've mentioned this before...the orbital sander.  it's worth every penny.

sand your piece to down to the bare wood if you can...or if you don't have the patience for that, you can sand enough to scuff the surface to give your paint a good surface to adhere to.  (though I highly recommend that you do sand it down to bare wood) and trust me, I HAVE NO PATIENCE,  so if I can do it,  so can YOU!  :)

remove the drawers and sand them individually

there's that pesky foot.....but do you like my shoe?
KEEN sandals ...T.J maxx ...$20! last summer...DEAL!
love that T.J.'s!
NOW.... once you have sanded it all down

use wood filler to fix deep cracks....then sand smooth when dry.

wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust, vacuum out crevices if needed....you want absolutely NO dust or debris before you paint.

let dry.
now you are ready to paint!
I use really good paint for these kinds of things.
I buy the best on the market....durable aqua-bourne ceramic.
I get mine at Anderson Paint....$15 quart!  (I used about a quart for this buffet.)
  I prefer to use latex paints because of the ease of clean-up...and less harsh chemicals for the enviroment.

but honestly it's because I am L.A.Z.Y.  and i need a clean up that is stress free and Uber-fast.
most times i just pitch my brushes,  that's how lazy i am......so much for that enviroment thing.
yes,  I can be wasteful,  i'm not proud.
but I DO hate chemicals.
SOOOOOOO.....
NOW it's time to paint YAY!!!!!
use smooth, quick, even, strokes.
do not overbrush or you will get lumps...this paint dries fast!

be careful and pay attention to detail....
I like to paint the inside of the drawer pockets.....even though you will probably never see these parts...I think it looks MUCH better.....
(plus you will be impressed when you load this beautiful buffet into your car minus the drawers and see how good it looks!  LOL!  )
  go that extra mile....

Also, remove the drawers to paint them......I know there are some people out there who would paint those drawers in place,  but that's a big NO-NO!
you will have a mess if you do that...so please don't....
please.

now stand back and admire your fine piece!
isn't it just SO flippen gorgeous?!
 
this one will need one more coat of paint on sunday to give it that extra-durability.  I will also give it a coat of water-based polyurethane for added toughness.
  I still can't believe this diamond in the rough.

which proves you can turn trash into treasure once again.
...how many more years will this one have?
and you KNOW for a fact this is a well made piece of furniture with way more character than what you would find at any Pottery Barn,  and for a fraction of the price.  (i do like pottery barn, now don't get me wrong)
but you get the picture.

HISTORY!
So now that this project was waiting to dry,  I quickly turned to my next project...same day.  yes, i'm driven.
..crazy really....but when motivation strikes,  you have to roll with it.
I picked up this little dresser on my way home from the shop this morning.
...now because it has alot of detail and nooks and crannies...sanding is going to be a bit of a problem


so I use this stuff......you wipe it on and 10 minutes later you can paint.  that easy.

so i slapped on some paint in a nice buttery yellow...
i was outside basking in the beautiful weather, the sun was beating down on me and the dresser.

  I think that the sun dried up this deglosser WAY too quickly because I had some paint failure!  UGH!

it separated and started to crack in spots...SO,  i will be sanding this piece where I can.
will finish this project on sunday! 
Now usually this deglossing technique works,  but you can learn from my mistake, and do NOT do it in the glorious, hot sun.
  So on that note,  I will let you all go.
I will be back at the shop tommorow and will post some new pictures of all of the wonderful things we have gotten in this week!
  Trust me I want to scream out loud it's so cute.
i'll give you a little tease here at the end.
Don't you just LOVE my new rug?

i'll tell you all about it tommorow,  and then some! LOL!
sweet dreams!
xoxoxo
catherine








 

Comments

[Claudia]

I LOVE you new banner! I look forward to seeing how you finish these pieces. Your work is so fun!

[Linda]

Thanks so much for the tutorial! I love to give wooden pieces a makeover, too. But, I (head hung low), am a lazy painter. Yep, I admit it. I take the easy way out for myself whenever possible. I just recently painted my dining table using spray paint!! You heard me correctly..spray paint. I did splurge on the expensive spray primer and gave everything a light sanding before, but I know I was a bad girl. It did turn out well, however. It was a vast improvement...but I don't think I'll be giving a tutorial on my blog. Come on over and have a peek. If you can bring yourself to bear witness to a train wreck of a painter!!!

I am going a bit crazy with my spray painting craze. I just did a real pumpkin with it the other day. I painted it blue and glittered it all over. So pretty if I do say so myself. Maybe I'm on to something...

Can't wait to see your new treasures!

Linda

[julie (jane's apron)]

two things...
1. You are the QUEEN of painted furniture. The black piece is by far the coolest thing I've seen in blogland this year..seriously.
2. I think you might have been the only typepad girl (besides me) that was still using the standard typepad blog format. I've been thinking of upgrading and now I probably will. Truth is, I haven't done it because I think I would mess with my banner constantly. Love the new look!

[Jen]

Thanks so much for the great info! That black piece is so cool, I can only imagine how enchanting it is going to look once you are done with it and it bedecked in Halloween decorations!
Have a great weekend : )

[sara]

Danger!! I have a buffet that looks just like your original. Off I go to the paint store. Just beautiful. I wish mine would come out as well as yours. Thanks so much, Sara

[Molly]

... And you questioned your ability to continue the inspiration! This is an amazing post. I want to run around my house and take all the before pictures. I have three pieces left that I decided were worth my effort. Everything else went to the curb in a moment of de-cluttering frenzy. (It was a good thing.) Thank you so much for all the inspiring pics and technique. Your the best!

[julie]

This is truly amazing!! thanks for the tips! you inspire me so!!!
julie

[Joy For the Journey]

Wow!!!!!! What an unbelievable transformation!! Great work!! They are gorgeous -
Sarah

[noodle and lou studio]

Catherine! I hadn't visited in a few days and found so many yummy surprises today!! LOVE your big juicy picture of the shop for your banner...gorgeous! The buffet (and all your furniture for that matter) is to DIE for...love it!! What a treat to see the amazing transformation. You are such a multi-talented gal. Thanks for the constant inspiration and for your sweet note!! xoxo..jenn

PS...have I mentioned how fun the music on your blog is? Lots of favorites...Nick Drake, Feist, Elvis Costello...love it!

[Renee' D.]

Wow - great pics, thanks for sharing. I love the black !! Nice :)

[corry]

Thank you so much for the tutorial! I'm so in love with your blog and your painted furniture. You are truly an inspiration!

[Rhoda]

Hi, Catherine, now that is some gorgeous work you've done with the piece on your header AND the black painted one too. I love what you've done. I've painted lots of furniture myself & it's always so gratifying to see the results.

Congrats on a job well done!

Rhoda

[deb]

Great tutorial! I can feel a refinishing piece in my future. ;) That black piece is incredible. What a difference that made. And I loove your new banner!

[laura]

that buffet is beautiful! thanks so much for the great tutorial. i have a couple of pieces to paint - i'm just SCARED! maybe this will give me some more confidence. :)

[June]

Hi, I love your blog! It is so useful to me, I love to repaint old furniture. Your projects look great!
June

[Connie]

I enjoyed your tutorial very much. Last summer I hired painters for the first time and showed them a picture of my kitchen.
They removed all the cupboard doors, and sanded, primed and gave them 2 coats of paint. I told them I wanted a distressed look and by that time they had left.
They used an oil based paint, and I made up a glaze that is perfect -- now I found out that I have to start from square one as I am using a water based glaze.
Is there anything I can use for a final coat to seal it, or am I stuck with it this way ??I love the look I have achieved and want so badly to keep it.
This is a first and I don't know exactly what to do now. Would you have any suggestions for my big goof ?
Your work is so great. Hoping you have a secret for these mistakes. Would love your opinion....... thanks, C