Repainting furniture
After a big renovation, the cost of furniture (and rubbish furniture at that) was slightly depressing. So I decided to apply some of the love of colour and design that I put into the house, into smaller projects to furnish that house. And it has turned out to be addictive. I have also learned quite a lot in a short space of time:
Chalk paints will pull woodstain through them. You need a barrier primer on anything that has stain, particularly mahogany. Zinser BIN works but is horrible to use, unless you buy the spray cans. Or use a dark colour.
- Making your own chalk paint from online recipes just gets you vinyl paint with bits in it, not whatever the super sticky stuff you buy from the shop is. So sanding and priming are needed.
- No matter what the tin says, a bit of sanding helps the paint adhere better.
- Whether you use a roller or a brush, unless you are going for the brush-mark/roller stippled looks (even with a fine roller), you'll need to sand before finishing with wax or varnish. I have just bought a spray gun and look forward to using it.
- Oil paint works pretty well, but I hate the bloody fumes and clean-up. And you still need to prime properly.
- Wax polish is only really going to get you a high sheen on a perfectly sanded surface. But it's much nicer than varnish in terms of a finish, especially over matt paint, where you get this deep sheen. But varnish is way tougher.
- Cabinet knobs can be damned expensive, so buy "factory seconds" with finishing issues (e.g. scratches on brass) and refinish them yourself. I am experimenting with some verdigris finishing on some solid brass knobs.
- Knowing that actually, it is hard to get a durable, smooth and attractive finish, I am definitely not buying any furniture anyone else has done.
So here is my first attempt, as I wanted a green and pink theme in our master bedroom. Knobs are white/pink marble, and wood/acrylic hexagons on the top. Paint is a tough vinyl in a Dulux colour. Top was done by roughly brush painting in three colours, sanding through and waxing.
Comments (14)
smartypantsnancy
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Make my room more impressive
Comments (127)Lots of ideas....couldn't resist adding my two cents. i copied your photos and did a little cut and paste- it's messy, but hopefully gets the main idea across. i'd put your sofa in front of the large book case, chair by the fireplace, tv on the stand on the wall opposite the fireplace - so you can either look at the fire or the tv. Someone suggested using frames of one color for your photos - an inexpensive way to do that would be to spray paint them all a dark color-black goes with everything. Since your shelves are a medium tone wood, display things that are dark or light so that they contrast against the wood. Limiting your display items pallette to a few values usually helps to unify things. (I think that's why so many people want to paint the shelves or put inserts in the back to help your nice things read more clearly...some get lost). If you want to "splurge" -you may consider having a carpenter make a few solid tall cabinet doors to provide a visual break in the shelving. I'm showing 3 doors - 1 on the right side of the fireplace and 2 on the left to leave two open vertical shelves for display on each side - with things arranged to frame the fireplace as the focal point. To add some height to your big vases, consider stacking some books beneath them. Enjoy experimenting untill you get something you're happy with - good luck!...See MoreFireplace dilemma?
Comments (21)I agree with victoriabunglowranch, scrub it and repaint in one of the colours of the piece, I'd personally head towards dark and moody colours for walls, with crisp white ceilings, how about wrapping the chimney in smokey mirror in same shade that you paint the wall, I agree floor is very busy, would like to see a large rug here to keep the focus on the fireplace and I'd keep the "mantle area" free from objects, the fire place is enough, art work on side walls and floral pieces on coffee tables or buffets, I'd also choose luxe furniture and fabrics in one of the lighter shades shown in the fireplace, perhaps with a slight leaning towards art deco in some pieces and then spice up with accent cushions, art, lamps and lighting. Art Deco can carry contemporary pieces too, be brave here this could be a very special room with it's own personality and with care it will still link to the other areas of the house....See MoreDaughters bedroom
Comments (9)Firstly, get matching beds and put them end to end so the 6month old is closer to the door for checking on in the night. If you need a changing unit in the room then it could slot between the beds. I'd like to see pics of the wardrobe and the radiator wall. I'm imagining it is probably in an awkward place like smack in the middle of the wall ; D. How about getting a radiator cover and then above that making a shallow bookshelf for their smaller books, special toys and a few photos. Then I'd have matching wardrobes either side to store everything else! Décor - not sure if you're thinking that far ahead yet but I'd paint all the walls white to keep the timber from looking too yellowy (I doubt you've got time to be painting furniture!) get matching bedding for both beds, a wall decal (inexpensive and easy to change as they get older or if you sell the house) in pink, a basic white drum shade for the light (IKEA) and a set of pink or white eyelet curtains and pink tiebacks. Most importantly, have fun!...See MoreLiving Room too dark
Comments (11)Agree with alant1000 about starting from scratch, but not sure about white. They are some lovely either light grey, light green, or light caramel, which will keep the room warm feeling, and less stark. The wallpaper feature wall you presently have is far too dark for the room - if you want wallpaper, there are some lovely sparkle designs, or stick to paint and do a slightly darker colour than the chosen wall colour. Have you thought about painting the doors white? The dark curtains do not help either. Do you need curtains and vertical blinds? If you lost the curtains, the window would look neater and lighter. Hope this helps....See More
Juliet Docherty
4 years ago
Patrina
4 years ago
rachelmidlands
4 years agoResh
4 years agoOld mahogany wardrobes being prepped with shellac based spray primer where light coloured topcoat will go. Four wardrobes to do...
PROBrandler London
4 years agoPatrina
4 years ago
PRObubbles bathrooms and tiles
4 years ago
leonardoflondon
3 years agoOoh, I do love a restoration project!
I've done a few pieces as well - now moving onto display cabinet and a footstool!
88wj88
3 years agoleonardoflondon
3 years ago
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ReshOriginal Author