A client recently asked if I could paint over furniture — he was sick of the look, but the piece was functional and he didn't want to throw it out. Why not?
You could take your furniture to a shop and have it sanded and sprayed and spritzed in a dust-free environment and perhaps it would last for all time, but that sounds a lot like expensive restoration to me. Or for Plan B, try this:
Give your sideboard a light sanding (220 grit), dust it off and paint over it in an oil-based paint. For this project, we choose tough-as-nails Fine Paints of Europe in Wine Red, which I blended with Penetrol (a paint leveler — just a drop) and top-coated the following day. This didn't break the bank, it took just a minute and it's definitely cheaper then buying new furniture. One caveat: I wouldn't try this over plastic or a factory finish.
(Images: Mark Chamberlain)
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Very nice!
I love the color you chose with the rest of the room, except I think the TV would look much better and be easier to view if it were resting on this bare console table instead of hovering above it.
They still sell oil based paints? Hummm..I was told by one large paint store that they only sold water based paints. Regardless, the piece really came out nice.
The paint job is an improvement, but now it doesn't work with the floor. Time to choose a rug?
I'm a bit confused why there is so much wood grain coming through the paint. I guess you didn't sand the original finish off completely? That piece is the perfect shape for a multi-coat lacquer finish.
imo, if looks better now with the floor.
@LYONSTILL oil based paint is still available in some states. You can get it in Calfornia, but you have to buy it in quarts. It's weird because low VOC oil based paints can be made with safe ingredients. Many oil based paints use linseed oil which has a strong odor but it is a safe material. It's what makes oil paintings smell like oil paintings.
I agree that the tv should be sitting on the console or at least lower, at least it is installed much cleaner than you usually see. I cant stand seeing lots of messy cords coming out of the tv. However, I dont get the need to mount televisions. Usually it just means it is too high, not ergonomically smart. Good idea for a topic here, have an ergonomist talk about how to properly align your tv.
Nice color. I agree it looks odd to have the wood grain peaking through.
Not really an improvement.
I like the woodgrain.
THAN
Love it. Wasn't a fan of the wood colors before, and I also like the texture. I think it looks ok with the floor, but I guess I'd have to see the rest of the room to really get a feel for that.
Unless you are planning to stain, I highly recommend to avoid sanding. Painting doesn't need it. In the first place, it is very difficult to get into all of the areas and completely remove all of the finish. So sanding is mostly a feel-good activity. Secondly, lots of those pieces are veneered and sanding can damage the veneer to the extent that peeling veneer becomes more of a problem than peeling paint. Thirdly, we have new bonding primer technology that allow you to apply paint directly without sanding, even to laminates So spend less time sanding and more time priming.
I think it looks great.
@quiltmaster, you don't need to sand? How do you identify the primers that make this possible? (I have a couple of projects waiting for that step...)
@rural and rueful, oak and other heavily grained woods don't always get covered up by paint. I think you'd need a filler for smoother coverage. (I like the woodgrain showing through, though. It's texture, not color...)
the drawers are better all one colour but I liked the dark colour better
Am I missing something here? The after looks like it should be the before!
I like it much better AFTER.
It's . . .ok. The one drawer lighter than all the others bothers me. While the room isn't arranged well, there's still enough interesting stuff that sadly, it shouldn't be all about the big, honkin' TV on the wall.
ps. I kind of like the 'before' but at least the after isn't 'gawdawful'.
The after is nice, but I really like the before best. I guess if the owner was bored with it then the change was acceptable. Hope he doesn't get tired of it too quickly.