apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

If that is a picture of your actual card catalog, please don't paint it black. Its SO lovely as is. I also think a black card catalog and black nightstands might be overdoing it on the black.

Personally I like it as natural wood - I wouldn't paint over it!
However, if your heart is set on doing it, here is what I suggest from personal experience...

#1 When I painted a wood piece, I brought a drawer into my local Benjamin Moore store to ask for their suggestions - REALLY helpful, and they can see the type of wood you are painting.

#2 They suggested a gray primer, as it made it better for the black paint to go ontop of

#3 - Yes, lightly sand the piece - it makes a huge difference in spending the time preparing - vs rushing into it.

All this being said, bring one of the drawers to your local reputable paint store and see what they say. My interesting factoid was that they told me to use gray primer....

It's gorgeous as is. Give it to me and I won't paint it and then you can go find a black one. Sounds good, right?

it won't be difficult, but very time consuming and messy.

* you have to remove all of that beautiful hardware.
* sand the entire piece.
* apply a primer/sealer like bin (to keep the oils in the wood from seeping through into your paint.
* sand the primer with a fine sandpaper to create a "tooth" for the paint to adhere to.
* paint the piece with two coats of oil-based black, sanding (again, with fine sandpaper) between each coat.
* then, obviously, replace the hardware.

i don't think the juxtaposition would be awkward at all.

good luck!!

after reading the comments above, i support you in your decision to paint the piece black.

i think it will be very dramatic. it will really make all of that beautiful hardware pop!!!!

Please don't paint this black! I really think it will ruin its uniqueness.

Black has fewer opacity problems than yellow or red, but if you're going high-gloss, you'll need to prep that cabinet within an inch of its life. High-gloss is utterly unforgiving in highlighting every tiny flaw.

If the wood finish is in good condition, I'd make this project the last major project of the room so that you're sure it's the right move. (Also, try it out as storage first. The ATLA post on using these for pants assumes you're petite and wearing some pretty thin, unstructured pants! I love tiny drawers for socks, but not much else.)

please don't paint it, the whole point of a card catalog is for it to look vintage.

No no NOOOOO!! Don't paint it! There are so many people who would appreciate it just the way it is.

please don't paint it! it's beautiful as is. and once you go black you can never go back.

Don't paint it! Especially not if it's your first piece!

You have a great thing going on with your white wall and wood cabinet, if you want to tone down your room check out some Swedish architects (Gustavian) and see how they do it. They use shades of white, gray, black, ambers: and let the wood items be the things that "punch out." There is a great example here.

http://www.remodelista.com/2008/02/15/architect-visit-fernlund-logan-2/

The women at Remodelista have a lot of images that would fall in this category.

have fun!

PAINT IT! PAINT IT! PAINT IT!

if you're worried about this being your first time, take it to a professional.

I painted a similar (reproduction) piece once, and I didn't wait long enough between coats of paint/top clearcoat and the drawers were sticking even a year later, yuck. I made a complete balls of it. Made me wish that I'd taken it to a professional to have it sprayed. Has anybody done that with furniture or cupboard doors or?

If the goal is simply "shiny black" and "small drawers," you might want to take a look at Asian furniture before pulling out the paint brush. There are a bajillion styles of tansus and Chinese apothecary chests running around, both vintage and repro, and some started life as either black or a very dark finish.

Sometimes selling a piece to someone else and replacing it with what you really want is kinder all 'round than trying to DIY the original piece into something it's not.

Thanks so much for your comments, everyone! That is *not* the actual card catalog that I would be painting. I've been searching Craigslist and Ebay fairly frequently in search of a card catalog, and I think I finally found one... but it occured to me that I wasn't even sure as to whether I could paint it, so I thought I'd ask!

For some background: I'm decorating my first bedroom (!), and I'm thinking of a soft palette of greys and blacks. I absolutely love the idea of a card catalog, but I'm just scared that if it were the only wood piece in my bedroom, it'd look out of place? That's why I was thinking of buying one, and painting it black...

Wende, that's too funny! My other idea was buying an Asian piece! (I'm looking for storage to hold small, random things, since I don't have a desk in my room...)

(That said, the reason that I loved the idea of a card catalog is because I have a rather unhealthy love for libraries and reading...)

I would suggest painting part of it black if you want it to be more dramatic, and that way, the wood could pop in the room without looking out of place.

If you're planning to paint anyway, you can look specifically for a piece whose finish is not in great shape -- it will be less expensive. Also, I would strongly consider using oil paint-- it's harder to clean up but will hold up much better.

Have you considered having some fun with the grid of a card catalogue? Maybe paint the drawers different shades of white-grey-black? Or add a couple in a bold color?

good luck!

Ah! Don't paint, Love the wood. Make it happy in your home. That card catalog is beautiful, I only wish I had one.

Try it out in your space first before you paint it. I bought a very beat-up dresser on ebay thinking I would sand it down and paint it, but it ended up looking great as it was, beat up or not. I still may paint it this summer if I have some time, but leaving the wood "woody" doesn't always detract from the style you're going for.

i say paint it if you want to. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Go with a black enamel paint. They're oil based, so you need to get some mineral spirits to clean the brushes up. The enamel hardens on it and gives it a nice durable finish. I did a bed like that (quite sloppily since it wasn't that great from the start) and it looked good.

Just make sure to do it on a non humid day as it gets warmer, humidity will cause it to dry slower or to not dry at all and remain sticky.

One last thought -- if you're using oil-based paints (which do cure to a much more durable finish than latex), you'll need a work space with outstanding ventilation, and you'll need it for longer than you expect. Oil dries slower than latex, and does it stink! Plus you need to be able to deal with turpentine or similar in a safe way, as oil paints do not clean up with water. Do not let your paint thinner anywhere near vinyl floor coverings -- they'll eat right through the vinyl! (Gee, why do I know this?)

For oil, also, it pays to pay attention to the common advice to buy natural hair brushes. Some of the synthetics used for latex brushes will be destroyed by oil paints.

I was going to say that it never fails ... the women who don't appreciate a good man for exactly what he is, but instead want to change him, are the ones who always get him. Until you mentioned this isn't your actual piece and you haven't found a card catalog yet.

Only my 2¢, but ... So many people want a card catalog in its natural wood state, that it breaks my heart imagining you scooping one up and destroying it. Either find one in bad shape that should be refurbished anyway, or buy a black drawer unit and affix library label holders onto the front. If you find one in good shape, either keep it as is, or please leave for someone who would appreciate it just as it is. I'm all for making a piece your own, but even I wouldn't ruin a rare vintage wood piece by stripping it and painting it a funky color ... I'd find something in need of love that I could fix up.

Don't ruin this gorgeous piece with paint!

I disagree, paint it black!

Jeez, people, read before you have a hissy fit. The piece pictured is not the piece in question and clearly she wants to do it right and not just ruin it or she wouldn't have asked. That said, I'd keep an eye out for one that's not in very good shape so you can save some $$$ and be very patient between coats, the last bookshelf I did I got impatient and it didn't look as good as it did when I let it dry really thoroughly in between coats.

And I'd buy the nightstands first and then decide if the card catalog needs to be black too, because they won't really match no matter how nicely you paint. Maybe the wood will look nice in your room's palette (it's always worth considering the alternative involving less work).

DON'T PAINT IT !

Why don't you just paint the wall black?

When the article heading states: "Is There Difficulty in Painting this Black?" the assumption is that the piece shown is the piece being used. Probably would be a good idea to make it clear.

Sorry for the confusion, everyone! The picture is *not* the actual card catalog that I would be painting -- I'm on a rather tight budget (see: first apartment), and so I wanted to make sure that painting a card catalog black was something that I could actually do before purchasing one?

So, for what it's worth, any card catalog that I bought would have to be relatively cheap, and therefore also not in fantastic condition, if that changes peoples' opinions. That said, I'm really grateful for all the advice that everyone has offered, including the "Don't paint it!" opinions!

all of your furniture does not need to be black, it might seem to matchy matchy

Whether or not to paint it black was not the question.

I am going to agree with those who said find one in not great shape, and put the work into it to get it ready. You said you are on a small budget and nothing helps stretch a budget go further than pushing up the shirtsleeves. That being said, however, card catalogs are sturdy pieces, and once you've done the prepwork to get the surface ready to paint, you're going to see some very lovely bare wood (I work in a library and most older library furniture is made of good solid hardwoods meant to last lifetimes and the only real damage is most likely a scratched up or water damaged finish) which you may not want to paint over because (1) the work you just put into the piece; and (2) the beauty of the wood. Use that as an opportunity to judge how you want it to look in your room, and you may find that instead of painting, a stain that may work better with your room's colors is the best answer. Good luck.

If you paint it, then please please do NOT use latex paint, or you will be cursing yourself everytime you lift anything off it, since it will take a little bit of paint away everytime.

I painted an old dresser with at turquoise, high gloss, latex paint.

I'll be honest, it wasn't a quality job. I threw down a drop cloth in my kitchen, barely sanded the dresser, and started slapping on coats of paint. I probably did about 3. Then I replace all the hardware with glitzy knobs from Anthropologie (no 2 alike.) It turned out nicely enough that several people have asked to buy it from me.

So yes, I think you could paint it. I suspect you could even do a much, much nicer job than I did with all the above advice.

If everyone manages to convince you to leave it natural, I think it would be very easy to tie it into a black and gray color scheme... a few black and white photos nicely displayed, maybe a nice piece of black and white pottery. Find an interesting box of a similar natural wood to keep on one of the night stands. Lot's of options.

Hey, have you seen this post from today?

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/ravenswood/patina-040859

Maybe you want a steel cabinet instead of a wooden one? The paint would go on better, it would be less likely to look odd painted (you might even find a black one for sale), and the folks who say it's a shame to paint it (me included) would be happier!

If you did find something like that piece pictured, and did as someone else suggested, which is paint part of it black, but not the whole thing, it might look kind of like Biedemeyer, which might be kind of interesting. That is, paint the top and sides -- the entire "grid" of it, but not the drawers.

Anyway... I think that you really should just buy a totally different kind of piece, since you don't have this yet, anyway. By the way, whenever I've seen these for sale (there's an antinque store in Newport, R.I. that I saw one in, I think), they tended to be smaller drawers and yet the piece itself tended to be kind of huge.

Anokha - I spent labor day weekend painting a dresser and bed I already had heres my tips. I had a lot of help from Benj Moore store and fabulous carpenter ex boyf.

I went with a white so used white primer.

I took a photo to the store, and he told me to get primer, paint, some sanding bits, rollers and trays and dropcloth. all told I spent $100 I think - you're job may be smaller, so you may end up spending $50-70. Maybe just up your budget a little, and get something you dont have to finish?

I was told to prep a lot and paint once.

Ex provided a sanding machine - so I sanded, primed, left for 8 hours, sanded, primed, left overnight (summer - opened windows) and then painted on the final day. Optional would be to sand and paint a second coat. The hardest part is staying out of the way while it drys!

The only thing I wish i had done was some kind of varnish/protective layer on the top, as the dresser is the bedroom landing strip and as such I am constantly placing a removing water/tea/mail/handbags/laptop and other bedroom stuff....

I love looking at it every day and thinking "I made this"!!

Oops. 'scuse the grammar errors above.

Some people shouldn't be allowed to have nice furniture...

@ Anokha - I read the comments and I feel for your sitch, because a few years back I lived in an apartment in central London - and, everyone said to me, don't paint a bedroom, black?!

Everyone says, if you have a dark room, make it bright, do the whites, yellows, whatever. Flowers. Sheers.

Well, I painted my gosh-darned north-facing bedroom DAMNED matt BLACK, with a maroon ceiling, dark grey flooring (major budgeting, made do with the floor tiles that were already there - a rockn mama lived there before me!) and black bedlinen.... and I was NEVER so pleased with a result as that!

It was possibly THE most stylish space I will ever create.

I did one wall insert in pale blue, which was superb, and if you can do any contrast on this, and it's appropriate, do consider it - it lifts the "black" into heavenly realms.

If you have your heart set on this then go for it - my limited experience would be, take off the hardware, do some primer, sand, whatever, but lash on that dark stuff like there's no tomorrow, because black can look so STUNNING that you'll laugh at the naysayers afterwards - I did!

Now, what's that Rolling Stone's song again?.....

"I absolutely love the idea of a card catalog, but I'm just scared that if it were the only wood piece in my bedroom, it'd look out of place?"

Why do you need a card catalogue in your bedroom? Do you do a lot of reference work in there?

I'm a little late to the party on this post, but I wanted to respond because I tackled a very similar project last year.

I inherited an antique oak bureau (same era as your card catalogue), but the one I received had been badly painted, and needed to be stripped and sanded before I could revarnish or repaint. jeffnyc gave a pretty good description of what the steps would be to prepare the piece (any piece) of wood furniture, if it's in decent shape already. But, if you're planning on picking up a card catalogue that has been abused (and this will be a better project for a paint job), be prepared to strip/sand.

I will warn you, however, that this is not necessarily a "cheap" way to go, if what you are looking for is a dark colored set of drawers. You will need to purchase the furniture and assess its condition. If it needs to be stripped (which my bureau did), this adds the cost of paint stripper (it took me three trips to the hardware store, and prob. $100 in supplies just to strip, and then another $30 or more for paint another month later). Paint stripper is highly toxic, so you need to be able to work outside in a well-ventilated area. I ended up needing to purchase new knobs and pulls for my dresser, too. (Went with a dove grey paint and black faceted 1920's antique drawer pulls that set me back another $100...but SO LOVELY!!)

Anyway, I'm very pleased with how my dresser turned out -- it's become one of the focal pieces of my room, but I also spent some two weeks working away at it, spent probably three times what I expected to, and I didn't even buy the dresser. The project was nowhere near as "cheap" or "easy" as I first believed it would be. But this is what we do when we have an image stuck in our head, right??

Just to add my two cents, I have a card catalog (the little one featured on SF Scavenger a while back, actually). It's been painted a kind of khaki color which I don't mind, but isn't ideal. I plan to paint everything but the drawers black, and then put a clear finish on the drawers.

You should be able to paint it. There's no reason why you can't. I do agree with the others who have said get one in no-so-good shape if you're going to refinish. Have fun, and be sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting messy.