WWCD? (What Would Curtis Do)

Whitestrips?

j/k

How about bleach?

Erin T -

Funny (hilarious, actually) you should ask. I really have to say, to start with, that what I think is making this seem so dingy and dirty is the fact that the wall that it's in front of is so blindingly white!

So what I think I would REALLY suggest is for her to paint the walls some sage green putty color (kind of like I have in my dining room -- click on my name to see the little sets, and then click on the dining room one). She need not go nuts and paint the walls too look like wallpaper, but even just a solid color would work.

I think I would go one shade lighter than the color of the borders around the drawers.

Because that dresser was really not meant to be white, per se, it was meant to be the color it is, and if the walls are less starkly white, then that piece will pop out much, much better.

i think the original finish on this chest is an antique finish to help a new reproduction look like it has been around awhile.
however if you want to freshen it, and don't mind a casual look, what about a white wash. this would brighten the piece but let the original finish show. think shabby chic.

any chance you bought this on craigslist? I looked at one that seems identicle!

Hi There,

Thanks for the feedback.

1. Painting the walls
Curtis, I actually plan to paint the walls a deep brown color. I really want a white bright color to 'pop' out against the darker background. I've got other pieces that have similar lines but are a bright white finish. I have been thinking (as per your suggestion) that the difference in fnishes might not be so apparent once the walls are painted.

2. Patrick, I've debated about shabby chic but I hesitate because the finish of the other pieces are a flat bright white, definitely on the more formal side. Any possibility that a white wash could be applied without the usual 'weathered' look often comes with it?

3. Vick, I didn't get this from craigslist (although I saw a piece very similar on craigslist after the fact). I actually bought it from an antique store in park slope, brooklyn. I wasn't looking for anything with a specific age or pedigree, just the right lines and a relatively solid build.

DO NOT strip it!

If you decide to repaint (which I would not recommend) clean it with TSP, prime it, and paint with an oil paint.

It will be more trouble than latex but BELIEVE ME, furniture painted with latex is just nasty and wil not wear well.

Where were you Hazel when I needed you?

I painted some drawers with Latex paint. Now I can't put anything on top of them because they will just get stuck and take paint off each time.

And yes, I did leave lots of time to dry in between coats. And I put on very thin coats. I was, if anything, obsessive with the painting technique, and still everything went a little awry.

In this heat, the drawers stick too.

Hey Hazel,

Excuse my ignorance, what is TSP? Is it something I can get at any hardware store?

this may be a stupid suggestion, but magic eraser could do the trick (provided, of course, that the finish isn't intentionally dingy).

I know you want white, but I was thinking "this thing would look great ebonized." Not that I know how to do that.

Will oil paint not do that peely thing that latex does? I have to repaint a cabinet I have had for awhile that looks shabby, but not chic at all.

tsp

tri sodium phosphate

available everywhere where paint supplies are sold. Also tsp substitutes exist due to the phosphate part of tsp being a non-biodegradable and therefore not green product.

Jessica -- even the best latex/acrylic paint "blocks" -- which is the industry's way of describing that sticking thing. I learned the hard way too. I painted my windowsill area with top quality acrylic and 2 coats of acrylic lacquer and still stuff sticks and worse: when water falls on it (from rain or plant overspill) the water gets underneath the paint and stains it brown. Yuck!

Repaint time: alkyd primer, alkyd paint. Air purifier for the eventual off-gassing.

Curtis,

I love the job that you did on the end tables in your "NJ Living Room", can you tell me what kind of steps were involved? Did you sand? how bad were the fumes (looks like you did it indoors - I'd probably have to paint it inside my 670 s.f. apt)? Any recommendations on products? I think I that I'm looking for a matte finish

umm olga,
alkyd = oil?

I know this isn't exactly helpful, but is anyone else having a flashback to their jr. high bedroom looking at this?

I will say I've had luck faux-finishing with artist's acrylic paints glazed with tinted gloss (or was it matte?) medium. Much easier clean up than oil based paints, and I had no sticking. Though I wouldn't paint sides of drawers, or any area where 2 layers of paint come in contact with each other.

Hazel is right. Please do NOT use latex on furniture, because it is actually rubber. And what would happen is that the when you close the drawers, etc., it will just do weird things, like stick to itself and peel off.

You really should use an alkyd (oil) paint, and probably in a satin finish.

You COULD even use a glossy oil paint, but you really have to think long and hard about how the other pieces in the room and whether they'll get along with that idea.

What that TSP will do is not just clean the surface (which is good), but it will dull down the current finish to make it more receptive to the paint. You could sand it instead, but there's enough detail in the wood that it would probably be pretty time-consuming.

Also... even if you decided that you wanted the hardware to be match the finish... remove the hardware first. I think your best best for them would be a good spray paint, put I would prefer for it to be in a metallic color OR maybe an accent color.

yes, alkyd=oil, except in reference only and not in actual formulation. so I was just being unnecessarily, um, precise.

I find this post very funny because that dresser is the spitting image of my childhood dresser. My sister and I had the complete matching set, with vanity, bureau, etc.

The original finish is/was not bright white, but rather an off cream. The vertical trim was likely gold/gilt. Also, the sage-ish trim on the drawers is probably not original, as I've seen this type of dresser many times, and its always been off-white and gold.

Mom cleaned ours and repainted a few years ago in a similar off-white. Don't paint the insides or sides of drawers and you won't have a drawer-sticking problem.

BTW, I am not "antique"! Not even "young antique"!!! Please!

the furniture in my childhood bedroom was part of the same set. i had the low-boy dresser + mirror, as well as the bed.

i think what you should do depends on how much you paid for this furniture and what it means to you. if you purchased it as an Antique with a capital A, i would take maxwell and/or curtis' advice -- it was clearly meant to be a warm antiquey white with gold undertones. once you paint over it, that's it. you could clean it and see if it gets brighter, but that's about it.

if you bought this as a fun craigslist find just because you liked the shape, sure, paint it a stark white or maybe even another stark modern color (it would look fabulous in a black laquer, especially if you could either change out or spraypaint the pulls). just be sure to clean it well first, sand it for some tooth, and tape off the hardware well. a sponge brush rather than a traditional bristle brush will make a smoother finish.

Speaking of painted furniture, I have a dresser that I stripped down to wood years ago & then painted. Now I'd like it to have the wood finish, but don't have a place to sand it down myself. Can anyone recommend someone who does that?
Thanks

As someone who is definitely into painting their furniture, I have had no problems with latex versus oil paint finishes. Except for the one time I was talked into an oil paint for my favorite mosaic table, I have painted all my others with latex just because of the convenience. Click my name to see the most recent pieces and their finishes. I live in Richmond, VA so I have had to deal with hot muggy summers too and none of my furniture has stuck like the examples above. Perhaps it is because I use a satin poly for a final coat.

I say sand, sand, sand, and repaint that piece whatever color you desire. If you take the time and care, you will be very happy with the finished piece and feel a great sense of accomplishment too.

Some topcoats (varnishes) and some types of woods (pine and ash) are photosensitive and will yellow with time (like a baseball bat).

I think you're gonna be painting. If you're pressed for time, some body shops will do the job for a lot less than other kinds of pros.

What about a flip-flop white / lavender gloss?

question,

bought this low TV center today at a thrift shop. It needs some serious TLC. what's the best way to repair scratches? type of stain? anyone know which store it might have come from? the only thing I could find on the bottom is a date - 04/04.

thx

I saw the exact same furniture in Jennifer Garner's 13 going on 30. That's standard little girl furniture, climbable but painful too. How much did you pay for it? Maybe a prop person would like to pay me a lotta money for my Bennetton sweaters!

Why not cover each drawer front with a different wallpaper design - colourful retro prints would look great (see for example, www.funkis.com), and re-use the old handles. Alternatively, if you wanted a sophisticated/manly/girly/whatever look, use appropriate-style wallpaper instead. You might need to cover the wallpaper with something (polyurathane?) to make it more stain-resistant...

I have a strong feeling that's the color it's supposed to be! My mother's childhood furniture, which became my bedroom furniture, was that exact pattern.

only 75 years to go before this is an antique lol

opoponax, you hit the nail on the head about painting it stark white. The chest was not expensive, I don't intend it to be (or pose as) an actual capital 'A' Antique (or even *young antique*). I really want a flat stark white finish that will stand out against a rich dark background.

Since the general consensus is that painting it is the way to go. I guess I'll be off to buy tsp and painting supplies this weekend.

Curtis, I do intend to either keep the hardware as is, or paint it in a dark metallic color. Any recommendations on products to use?

danae -
Although I like the idea of NOT stripping the wood, you MIGHT consider stripping the hardware, for 2 reasons:

1. Just in case you end up liking the metal it's made of that's underneath all that paint. Chances are it might be kind of a dull grey gun-metal, which could be kind of nice and modern, in a way. If the bright white paint you're using on the dresser is going to be glossy, you might consider a glossy version of a spray on varnish for the hardware just to bring something of up to speed with that finish, though. And there are such finishes available in the spray paint sections of hardware stores and paint stores.

2. To give you less paint to paint over if you still want to give it a new color. Because when hardware has detail in it, it's nice if you don't end up obscuring it with too much gloppiness. Regardless, you should probably using at least a thin coat or two of a spray-on primer. KILZ and Zinsser actually comes in spray form, by the way.

There are spray paints that come in a hammered finish, but keep in mind that those tend to be kind of thick and hammered. You might want to weigh that color idea against the idea of how it might obscure the detail.

All spray painting should be done in numerous light even coats, instead of one huge dripping one.

THAT SAID... you might pull out the details by using two different colors of spray paint. A darker one all over (again -- several coats) and then a light coat in a lighter metallic color.

Regardless, I would STILL do several coats of a clear finish, just to protect THAT from every day wear-and-tear.

You should probably screw the screws instead the pulls and poke them through some cardboard so you can keep up with the screws and so the cardboard will catch the excess spray paint.

Sorry... but one more thing... if you DO keep the hardware as is, I think you'll probably hate it once you've painted the rest of the thing bright white, because I think you'll think the hardware will seem dingy.

I still have that dresser set at my sisters house. I guess one thing we have to say for it - it was well made! No, it's not an antique, but it's quirky, nostalgic, and has stood the test of time and not fallen apart.

Thanks for the update on latex paint on furniture. Now I know why my painted dresser feels rubbery, duh.

To add my two cents - I wouldn't sand and repaint the dresser in a meticulous fashion, unless you are into a lot of work, there is a lot of detail on there that will be a pain.

I have a dresser & matching desk that look practically identical to yours. I actually used a spray paint that's meant for furniture (bought at home depot), and I'm very happy with the results. I had to go over it with sand paper first. The spray paint color I used sounds similiar to what you're looking for, so let me know if you want me to send you a picture(redvelvet1981@yahoo.com). Another option: While sanding I realized that just sanding alone would have worked for a vintage, shabby chic look. The sanding does take away a lot of the yellowed / aged tint and brightens up the existing paint.

You can use latex paint to paint furniture, etc... without sticking if it is 100% acrylic and not a vinyl/acrylic blend. If you've already painted with a latex blend, you can put a couple of coats polyurethane over the paint and that will solve your sticking problem.

Hi,
I had this entire bedroom suit when I was a young girl, and I will tell you, it never really looked stark white the entire time I had it. I don't think, if you aren't acquainted with refinishing furniture, that it would be a great idea for you to try to do it yourself. Have you checked to make sure all the components are wood? Some of mine believe it or not had some plastics on it. I would let a professional look at it. There are more our there than you would think. Also, it depends on its value whether or not you would want to maybe lose a lot on it if you do refinish it, or if you care or not. I also agree with it looking dingy against such a white wall.

Anyway, I do refinish furniture, I would be glad to help.

Curtis,
What kind of spray paint do you recommend for that metallic/ gun gold (regency) look? You mentioned spraying a darker color first then a lighter color can achieve this look, Can I get the paint at home depot or any other hardware store?

Ebee

I would love to know how this piece of furniture turned out, and what you ended up using. I am redoing my daughters room and she has a very similar piece of furniture, that she doesnt like and I am tryin to decide the best thing to do with it as far as painting, etc. thanks