I have a particular piece that I refinished recently that I just love. I've had several people asking about it and if I'd be willing to sell it. So far, I'm pretty attached....But, I'd love to show you all how to do this yourself if you happen to find a similar a piece.
This piece was one of my great, late night-I can't sleep-garage sale add-finds. In order to find great pieces, I've found that insomnia is my best resource.
From the picture,
I could tell it was definitely solid and wood, but had that dark 1970's finish that doesn't go with today's decor and can't be sanded down or refinished. For pieces like these, chalk paint is the perfect solution. I make my own, which gives me a greater amount of color choices and is much more cost effective.
Chalk paint is great. I've found that Vista Latex Primer+Paint in a Flat finish works great. I purchase my paint in either quarts or small samples from the local Do It Yourself center. 1 quart of paint will over several furniture pieces when made into chalk paint. You will also need Plaster of Paris and an empty container with a lid to store your chalk paint. (I save all my mayonnaise containers and pickle jars just for this.)
To make your own chalk paint:
1 cup paint
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup Plaster of Paris
I like to mix these in a container with a lid so I can give it a good shake. Then I stir it with a wooden paint stirrer to make sure I don't have any lumps in my paint. This amount of chalk paint will more than cover a desk this size, with paint left over. I used both a French grey and an antique white for this desk and, after doing two coats with the white paint, I still had enough for touch ups if needed.
To begin this project,
you will also need 220 grit sandpaper and a couple of paint brushes for latex paint. I found that using a couple small, inexpensive sponge brushes worked great for all the complicated edges. I also keep a couple of old rags on hand to help with drips, etc.
Before I started painting, I removed all the hardware and set it aside. Then I used a palm sander and 220 fine grit sand paper to rough up the finish a little bit so the paint would adhere nicely. I found later on that this really wasn't even necessary due to the chalk paint adhering so nicely to the existing finish. After sanding, take a clean, damp rag and wipe all the surfaces clean.
When refurbishing a desk, I always work on the desktop first. In order to do this, I used blue painters tape to separate the surface I want painted from the rest of the desk. Once this was done, I began paining the desk top grey.
Here's a photo of the desk as I was working on the bottom piece.
As I was painting, I decided I really liked the way the character of the dark wood was apparent under the first coat of grey. I decided to continue that look throughout the piece on the drawer fronts and the shelves of the piece. I allowed the grey paint to dry completely for about 2 hours. At that time, I took a small square of 150 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded off paint on some of the edges and corners to make the paint look old and antique.
The top of the desk was then given two coats of clear polyurethane to protect it from wear and tear. The drawer fronts were given a coat of Minwax Paste wax in Natural.
I then removed the blue tape and applied 2 coats of white to the remaining frame of the desk and the hutch. Take note that to paint the hutch, I taped off two of the shelves. Then I applied the two coats of white paint first. After the white paint dried, I removed the blue tape and applied one coat of grey chalk paint to the shelves of the hutch. After all the paint had dried for a couple of hours, I once again used the sandpaper to sand off edges and give the piece an old antique feel. I then wiped off all sand dust and gave it a coat of wax. (I will add a blog later on the best way to wax and buff a finished piece.)
For the hardware on the drawers, I used the old, existing brass hardware and chalk painted it with the antique white chalk paint. I then sprayed it with a coat of clear acrylic in Matte finish to protect it. Once it dried, I reassembled my now beautiful vintage piece.
This piece is the perfect size for my laptop and has made our small office feel a lot more spacious.
Please feel free to visit my Facebook page for information on my current and past projects:
Busy Bee'z Vintage Creations
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Busy-Beez-Vintage-Creations/1447381158842015
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