We had this old chipped up, crumby looking coffee table we got for free a while back. It had good features, just was worn and sad looking. I decided to take it and do what I could to freshen it up. For my first project, it didn’t go too badly! However, there are things I would have changed in my planning and process. Here’s what I did:
Tools
-Sandpaper
-Rag
-Drop Cloth/Plastic
-Paint Brush/Roller
-Primer
-Paint
-Accent Paint (optional)
-Painter’s Tape (optional)
1. Clear the area you’re using, set down drop cloth/plastic, and gather everything on the list to be readily available and ready to use.
2. Sand and wipe clean piece of furniture, so that it has a smooth surface that will allow paint to stick to it. If the wood was previously varnished, that would interfere with the paint’s ability to adhere.
Ready to Be Sanded
3. Prime the furniture. This gives the paint a good base to which it can stick. Be liberal and paint even strokes without spreading the paint too thin. This is something I still need to work on. Let Dry.
Primed
4. Paint on the first coat. Again, make sure to be liberal and have even strokes, trying not to spread the paint too thin. Let this coat dry, read paint can for drying time.
5. Apply second coat and let dry, read paint can for drying time.
6. Once paint is completely dry. Tape with painter’s tape around where you wish to paint accents. In my coffee table, there were lots of crevasses where I could paint my accent color. I used the tape, because my hand is not yet steady enough with the brush to paint ‘inside the lines.’ Even with the tape, I somehow painted outside the lines a bit.
Top of table taped and ready for Accent Color
7. Pull tape off before paint dries completely. I took it off a few minutes after I painted.
8. Touch up any place that you missed or may have pulled paint up with the tape. Let dry completely.
9. Voila! You have a drab to fab piece of furniture!
Done! With our kitty Buttercup in the background 
There were some things I would have changed with this project. I probably would have tried spray paint for a more even coverage, plus it would go a LOT faster. I also may have chosen a different texture, I used flat, if I were to do brush paint again. I also wish that I had used another main color, mainly because when I see silver accent I dream purple! Either way it was a great learning experience and the project still turned out great.
What paint projects do you have in store. Have you done one like mine? Tell us about it with some shared cents!
*I wanted to note, please be mindful with what furniture you paint. You don’t want to paint something that has historic value, an heirloom, or something that has much value on accident.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
That looks pretty sweet – I’ve got nowhere to refinish things like that, but I do love a good project. Hopefully I’ll have some space in the future.
Thanks, Jeff! Wait until you see what I’ve done with my outdoor furniture