Blue Happy Living

So many people tell me they hate the furniture they have. I say why don’t you paint it, redo it and give it a whole new look. The next thing they say blows my mind because it’s so far from the truth. “I can’t paint it because it’s not real wood and you can’t do that”. Yes you can and I’m gonna prove it right here on my blog.

A few weeks back I mentioned on my blog a friend texted me to come by her neighborhood. They were having bulk pick up trash day and she saw a dresser on the street. Well I went by and it was there so in my truck it went. Sometimes when I pick things up in the dark of the night they appear to be good. In the light of the day or the light in my studio the truth is revealed. This lovely dresser although study, heavy and well made is not real wood. Yes its press wood so stripping the color and staining isn’t the best idea. So what to do, what to do.

First thing was to clean it up. Who ever took it to the curb drug it so it had mud and grass all over it.  I took the sander to the piece and took off the spots that were damaged. At the same time I took off the shiny over coat finish. On the edges and where it was damaged I did sand hard enough so that the white paint came off. I had to be very careful so not to go to deep into the press wood. After I had sanded the entire body of the dresser and the drawers I wiped it all down making sure it was dust free. Then I used wood stain in a dark color and went all over it. The stain got into the groves of the side edge design, in the feet and it soaked deep into the areas that I sanded the damage away. I took a fresh rag and wiped it all down to remove any stain that didn’t soak in or cover over the white paint. I let it sit for about 3 hours in the sun to get really good and dry. I used Valspar Satin clear coat finish to seal it.  On the top two drawers the knobs were missing.  In my stash of hardware I had these glass beauties just waiting to be used.  The fit perfect and seemed as if they belong on this dresser all along.  It’s tagged, loaded and has been delivered to my little shop at Doc Holliday’s Emporium.

This method can apply to any type of furniture even if its painted to look like wood.  I would recommend Valspar Project Spray Paint with a built-in primer.  No matter what furniture you have you can redo it and update it so that you are happy. One good weekend, paint and a little creativity can make a world of difference in you home. Redoing a room or just one piece of furniture can lift your spirits and bring about decorative organization without big bucks. Start with one small piece and move forward from there with recreating your home.