Being rural , especially when yourfarm is distant , can make entree to just about anything take exception . Recipecalls for exotic ingredient ? Search the Internet for a more accessible permutation . Need an appliance part ASAP ? Order online and wait for it to ship . Need a certain gloss dresser for your chamber refresh ? You could order online , or you could refinish something that you already own or picked up secondhand .
Some furniture bit are wanton to name for a pigment refresh , but others — such asantiquesand vintage pieces — can be a little daunting and might even come with a degree of heat from your equal .
candidly , any piece of furniture you choose to paint is just that : your pick . No one else ’s opinion really matters , but I hump that mind does n’t always manage to trump matter , especially when that affair involves family and friends . So , to guarantee your heartsease of creative thinker and help oneself quiet the naysayer , you should consider a few factors before exert a key brush : historic period , condition , note value and material .
Age
Start by determining the age of the furniture piece you have in mind . According to Deidre Mundorf at Bob Vila , items that are 100 years or older fall into the passee category , particular that are more than 300 years old are antiquities or artifact , and vintage items decrease between the ages of 20 to 99 long time . The sneakiest recording label is that of “ retro , ” which let in newer items madeto mimic olderones .
Finding the age can be as simple as looking on the back , underside or in the drawers for the stamped particular date or a label . you’re able to also look brands and patent bit online .
Condition
Next , evaluate the status of the piece . Is there damage and to what level ? Faded , cracked and even chip pigment is minor . The more harm , the less desirable a piece will be .
For instance , my dog jaw so far into the leg of my passee dresser that I worried the stability might be compromise . It also had suffer body of water damage prior to purchase and has countless gouge andscratches . All in all , it had a lot of impairment .
Value
The eld and condition of your piece of furniture will have a Brobdingnagian shock on its market value . Unless you know a professional in the antiques or vintage market , your best options for determining the current value are to research comparable man online or to get an assessment .
For my Drexel dresser , I found a caller who offers 24- and 48 - 60 minutes turnaround on appraisals . I uploaded several pictures of the dresser , let in label , in series numbers , an overall shot and close - ups of the terms . Two days later , I got my response : $ 50 to $ 60 .
Material
For the sake of space in this article ( and mental capacity in my encephalon ) , I ’m focusing on paint wood furniture . Know now , there are purists out there who trust no Natalie Wood should ever be paint . I ’m not one of them , but I do believe in taking a mensural plan of attack .
I prefer not to paint items that are solid forest unless the status and/or be to get it back to stain grade is prohibitive .
Exotic or expensive hardwoods are see stain - grade for a reason , but condition may overthrow this rule of thumb . An cheap , easy wood such as pine that is a late product ( channel your internal IKEA hacks here ) is an excellent candidate for paint in my lowly sentiment . Plus , Natalie Wood can take in odor , which can be difficult to eliminate without resorting to a rouge or sealant to put away in odors .
Painting Your Old Furniture
Well , you ’ve made it this far , so paint your piece of furniture is n’t out of the enquiry . Do n’t operate off to the blusher memory board just yet . Consider what type of key will work best for your projection :
Wood is a poriferous surface and can easily engross oils , which can damage its fibers . Avoid using rock oil - base blusher on Sir Henry Joseph Wood . These are better served for metallic element refinish . However , if you ’re paint over another key and are n’t sure if it ’s oil- or water - base , you might debate using oil - based for your project .
Water - base paint wo n’t adhere well to oil - based , whereas , oil colour - based will stick to to both eccentric . Be certain to paint in an unfastened - air outer space for maximal ventilation system . These paints have high explosive organic compound that are n’t expert to breathe .
Water - found paint are often loose to come by , have lower VOCs ( and therefore odors ) , and are easier to work with and clean up . The polish is n’t quite as long-lived as an oil - establish , but the ease of use and access often come through out .
There are plenty of water supply - based paints with an even great mixture of finishes . Here are four of the most vulgar type used for furniture :
Let’s Get To Work
Here ’s how to paint woodwind instrument furniture .
Take drawers out and door off , then remove hardware . The last thing you require to do is inadvertently paint the bloomers and/or door shut . Wipe away any sticky or gummy residues with a degreaser . The residuum could affect the adherence of fillers and seek to sandpaper them would only make a boastful mess .
practice Ellen Price Wood filler to piece deep gouges and other major price , applying the filler in layer , sanding in between , and following the product didactics for juiceless time .
Once you achieve quiet coverage , gently sandpaper the whole objet d’art . Be thrifty not to go too deep with the sanding . We just require to rough up the surface .
“ Start with 80- to 100 - grit sandpaper , switch to 150 - grit or higher emery paper to remove any remaining destination , and then smooth out the surface , ” says Rachel Brougham at Bob Vila .
pass over the open with stable gear cloth or a damp rag — don’t use newspaper towel or rags that cast off to avoid further debris . give a fragile layer of primer or paint / ground all in one . have dry in full .
watch paint recording label for dry times , and add extra for high humidness surround .
This step will assist give you the smoothest final finish . light sand the paint , pass over the open to remove debris and apply another slight coat of paint and let juiceless fully . duplicate this step until desire coverage is achieved .
I did three coat on the frame and drawers and four coat on the top .
If this piece will live on heavy use or be outside , consider add together a protective finish .
“ If you are painting a piece of piece of furniture that will not be heavy used , you may be able to skip the sealant , ” says Carrie Spalding atLovely Etc . , a popular DIY internet site . “ If you do , be certain to be extra gentle with your furniture for the first calendar month of use . Even though the paint may feel dry to the touch , it can take up to 30 days for it to to the full harden .
Be sure to select the finish establish on your needs and the key you used . ( take note : Some topcoat can yellow the finishing . Be sure to select a nonyellowing sealant . ) Let the topcoat cure for the advocate time before incite .
Put on computer hardware and reassemble . Place your piece of furniture , decorate and enjoy !
paint a piece of article of furniture , disregardless of its age , all amount down to personal preference . If you are n’t looking to develop a piece ’s historic value or if you think refinish / painting it could potentially increase its value ( even if it ’s just in your eyes ) , then I say go for it . You ’re ultimately the client in this situation , and your felicity is what matter most .
More Information
There are mass of notion out there when it comes to painting furniture small-arm . Here are a few that helped me .
appraisal
Choosing a greatcoat
limit and Determining Antique vs. time of origin
brawl and Don’ts of Painting
Painting Antiques and Vintage small-arm
case of Paint
This clause appeared inHobby Farm Home , a 2024 specialty publishing farm by the editors and writers ofHobby Farmsmagazine . In summation to this piece , Hobby Farm Homeincludes recipes , crafting projects , preservation tips and more . you may buy this volume , Hobby Farmsback issues as well as special editions such asHealing HerbsandGoats 101byfollowing this liaison .
