topic Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab? in Home

Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

violann — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:15:55 GMT

I have a china closet and buffet in my dining room, gen-you-ine mahogany veneer, dark color, solid as a rock, but woefully dated. I usually love "dated" but these two pieces are really REALLY sort of "over the wall".

On FB this morning, someone had shown pictures of a "before and after" using a similar set, very dark wood, redone in a distressed cream color, and I have to admit, I'm starting to consider doing it to my set. I think the "new" look might really brighten my DR.

Has anyone done it? Did you use a kit? What was your experience? Did you wind up loving the result?

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

Silverandgold — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:31:39 GMT

I haven't done that per se, but I've rehabbed other things to a more updated look and was always happy. My dining room set is a cream color (though purchased that way) and I love it. Several years back I whitewashed my dated red brick fireplace and I am so happy with it. It has a look of today and brightened my living room. Everyone who comes over compliments it. I did lots of research and looked on Pinterest and never regretted it. Good luck with your decision!

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

J9 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:43:29 GMT

I furnished most of my new house with old furniture I've bought cheap at thrift stores and rehabbed. It takes time and patience (and a little bit of guts - I was afraid to ruin it), but I'm happy with how everything turned out. My recommendation is to use Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax. It covers the best. Google "the purple painted lady." She sells it online and since few stores local to me do, I order through her a lot. She also has a lot of blogs and tutorials on her page that were really helpful. I think she even answered a few questions I had on Facebook when I first started.

this reminds me.....my grandmothers old writing desk is still waiting for me in my garage. I really need to do that this summer....

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

lolakimono — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:46:50 GMT

@violann

I think anything that turns furniture into something you LOVE is great! I personally like some of the colors out there.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

lolakimono — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:55:16 GMT

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

tedEbear — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:57:27 GMT

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

151949 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:31:38 GMT

For our first anni - 32 years ago - my DH gave me a very pretty antique brass lamp with a capiz shell shade.When we moved to Fl. the salt air or something turned the brassfrom a soft yellow to a horrible color and sorta streaky looking. I could not polish it back to normal. So I decided to chalk paint it as I had nothing to lose. It turned out fabulous. I bought my chalk paint and wax at Home Depot.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

birkin baby — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:33:33 GMT

My motto is "slap some paint on it". I like my furniture painted white. Today I actually am planning to paint a jewelry chest I found thrown out on the roadside. One leg was gone. I took the other three off and it will sit on top of a dresser once painted. I have two chairs to paint as well as a porch swing and garden bench. I agree that chalk paint is easy...no sanding or primer. It can be expensive. Waxing the pieces ..I never want to do it. But it looks beautiful. I just ordered the "chalk" from Amazon and opened it this morning. I'm going to try making my own. No venture,no gain....I hope,lol.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

Irish1210 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:34:00 GMT

LOVE the before and after pictures ~ they are so inspirational! The yellow cabinet housing the white with red accented place settings really pops : )

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

flickerbulb — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:40:57 GMT

I was practicing with chalk paint and I am not that pleased with the results so far on small pieces.

I already bought a quart of a really pretty blue and am going to paint a small cabinet and hutch. It looks like the blue of the HR cabinet someone posted the other day.

If I were to do a china cabinet, I would use a gloss paint and not the chalk paint. You are assured a smooth finish.

Practice on a small piece you pick up at a thrift store to see which finish you prefer.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

proudlyfromNJ — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:39:43 GMT

I did my dining room table with chalk paint. It was originally unpainted pine. Hubs just Polyurethaned it. Turned orange after awhile. No sanding or prep needed. Put paint on, distressed certain spots and used the wax.

I like chalk paint paint because no prep is needed and it updates anything.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

colliegirls — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:40:49 GMT

Some of those look great, some not so much.

I am not handy so I would have to pay a refinisher to do the job.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

software — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:10:04 GMT

Not sure I would paint gen-u-ine mahogany veneer, maybe like another poster suggested, freshen it up with polyurethane. Some things should be painted, some not. I have painted some of my furniture, it's easy, start with a primer coat, then top it off with the color of your choice. But definately use a primer! Trust me on that. No special prep needed, maybe a light sanding and/or washing before the primer. I had several pieces that looked similar but the wood was a bit different, painted it all the same color, really looks good. Oh yes & when finished painting, top coat of polyurethane. You could do a small piece in a day.

I have a curved glass front oak hutch, it's about 6.5 feet tall. I don't want to paint it but I do put the poly on it, but the back inside needs a nice color. It's dark like the oak but it needs something, haven't decided if I want to paint it or paper it.

@violann wrote:
I have a china closet and buffet in my dining room, gen-you-ine mahogany veneer, dark color, solid as a rock, but woefully dated. I usually love "dated" but these two pieces are really REALLY sort of "over the wall".

On FB this morning, someone had shown pictures of a "before and after" using a similar set, very dark wood, redone in a distressed cream color, and I have to admit, I'm starting to consider doing it to my set. I think the "new" look might really brighten my DR.

Has anyone done it? Did you use a kit? What was your experience? Did you wind up loving the result?

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

gmkb — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:31:27 GMT

I would think about this project very carefully. Second I would not believe the paint store employee that any kit is easy. I have never done furniture, but I did buy a refrigerator paint kit many years age that was "so easy, anyone can do it."

Without going into all the horrible ugly details, let me just say it cost more to have the appliance painter repair the damage than it would have cost if I had hired him in the first place.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

Snowpuppy — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 16:00:53 GMT

Tho I've never used chalk paint, I have refinished my share of pieces.

Make sure you're not ruining a masterpiece. Take the time to look at the quality of the piece. If you're happy it's more garage sale worthy than an heirloom, I'd do it.

Intricate details like turned legs or carvings are a headache to get right. Simple designs are easier to work with. Get the piece as clean as you can.

I've seen many homes where the original crown moldings, wood doors and fireplaces are painted over and it usually makes me cry!

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

novamc1 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 19:15:27 GMT

I got into a furniture-painting mode for a while, and enjoyed it......especially when the job was finished!! I took a lot of care doing it, so it took forever.

I painted several small side tables, wooden chairs and a 1970s Mediterranean-style dresser that had drawer fronts made of molded plastic, a faux-wood top and framed mirror, and was an ugly color of brown. Cream-colored paint worked wonders on that dresser, and I love it to this day.

Have also spray-painted a few items......one is an Oriental-style ceramic ginger jar lamp that originally was 1980s mauve and is now a matte-metallic color halfway between silver and gold-----I used a base coat of sprayed-on silver metallic paint and then dabbed a paper towel in a little gold metallic paint.......the effect is nice.

I found when painting furniture that I could get the best results, including in nooks and crannies and around turned legs, by using not just rollers and brushes, but the inexpensive foam brushes sold in paint and craft stores. The foam leaves no marks that I would sometimes get with brushes and even little foam rollers.

Good luck with your project, if you decide to go ahead.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

JeanLouiseFinch — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 20:08:51 GMT

@violann wrote:
I have a china closet and buffet in my dining room, gen-you-ine mahogany veneer, dark color, solid as a rock, but woefully dated. I usually love "dated" but these two pieces are really REALLY sort of "over the wall".

On FB this morning, someone had shown pictures of a "before and after" using a similar set, very dark wood, redone in a distressed cream color, and I have to admit, I'm starting to consider doing it to my set. I think the "new" look might really brighten my DR.

Has anyone done it? Did you use a kit? What was your experience? Did you wind up loving the result?

I'm currently working on several pieces and it's my first attempt. Some of the pieces I already had (dresser and chest of drawers) but I've been purchasing others at a local junk store, garage sales, and a couple inexpensive unfinished pieces online. The dresser I bought at the junk store is mahogany with original glass knobs. I haven't started that one yet, but will later today. I'm using a paint called "Rethunk Junk", and love it! There's no kit per se, everything it ala carte. With this particular paint there is no prep work other than cleaning your piece well - no stripping, no sanding, etc. I cleaned my stuff with a solution of TSP but still used what Rethunk Junk calls their "Prep" - it's in a bottle, spray it on and wipe off with a soft cloth, and you're ready to paint. The first coat of paint goes on very thin. After it dries, come back and do your second coat. Depending on the color you're using and the color you're trying to cover, you might need an additional coat. There's also a stain, if you like the look where part of the piece is painted and part stained. There's a sealer in the paint so you don't need any additional sealer unless it's just for a highly used area, like the top of a table or dresser, for instance. Then you would use their "Tuff Top" for some added protection.

Look up Rethunk Junk on Facebook and you can see a lot of before and afters...truly inspirational. You can also look at the RJ website for some additional pictures and to see their color assortment. There are also tutorial videos to watch on the website and on youtube.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

151949 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 18:29:47 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
Tho I've never used chalk paint, I have refinished my share of pieces.

Make sure you're not ruining a masterpiece. Take the time to look at the quality of the piece. If you're happy it's more garage sale worthy than an heirloom, I'd do it.

Intricate details like turned legs or carvings are a headache to get right. Simple designs are easier to work with. Get the piece as clean as you can.

I've seen many homes where the original crown moldings, wood doors and fireplaces are painted over and it usually makes me cry!

My first husband and I bought an old craftsman home and it was pretty much all rehabbed but they had not touched the wood trim. Unfortunately it was in bad shape - needed much filling in and glueing & clamping etc, and then to hide the wood filler we had no choice but to paint the trim white. Eventually all wood trim will show signs of age and the wear & tear of children and pets etc in the home. I'm sure most people paint out trim because they have to , not because they want to. I have to say our house looked so nice after it was painted. Clean and fresh.

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

tedEbear — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 19:17:31 GMT

@violanne------Sorry trying to post on tablet didn't work very well. 2yrs ago I took my Birch nightstands out to garage and had DH light sand them. Then I gave my 10yr old GD and 8yr old GS a brush and bucket of white paint. When they were dry, I gave them sandpaper to take some off. They had fun, kept them busy and I love my end tables. Now I have to get them here to do dresser.

Over the years we have painted, stained, painted various pieces of furniture. Take a deep breath and have at it!!!---tedEbear

Re: Cruelty to furniture, or terrific rehab?

151949 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 19:48:01 GMT

@birkin baby wrote:
My motto is "slap some paint on it". I like my furniture painted white. Today I actually am planning to paint a jewelry chest I found thrown out on the roadside. One leg was gone. I took the other three off and it will sit on top of a dresser once painted. I have two chairs to paint as well as a porch swing and garden bench. I agree that chalk paint is easy...no sanding or primer. It can be expensive. Waxing the pieces ..I never want to do it. But it looks beautiful. I just ordered the "chalk" from Amazon and opened it this morning. I'm going to try making my own. No venture,no gain....I hope,lol.

OMG - are you a reincarnation of my Mother? She was the slap some paint on it person! We lived on a farm, not a lot of money, so everything - and I mean everything - had to last as long as possible. My dad was constantly painting something.