Five Dollar Find!

 

I have become a DI regular! There is a Deseret Industries thrift store very close to where I work. Every few days I stop by there to look for smaller items that will fit in the trunk of my car. I found this side table for $5 and with the legs unbolted, it fit nicely in my trunk. The table had some water damage to the top veneer, but the rest was in very good shape. I like the shape of the legs and the drawer works perfectly. 

 

 

 

I'm trying to get better at taking before shots. I actually started cutting away the damages veneer and then realized I forgot!

 

 

 

I used a utility knife and a scrapper to cut away the part of the veneer that had lifted away from the particle board. I'm guessing the table is somewhat newer because it is particle board under the veneer and not plywood. The hardware and the bolts that hold the legs to the table top seem more dated. The hutch I did for my mother-in-law also had particle board under the veneer and similar hardware. We know that the hutch has been in the family for maybe 50-60 years.

 

I used wood filler and sanded to repair the damage. I sanded the rest of the top. I probably should have gone over the top a few more times with filler - building up and feathering. On the finished table you can see the X through the paint from where I removed the veneer. It's not hugely noticeable but it's something that I want to try to avoid. If I were keeping the table I would probably sand down the stop and do it over.

 

 

The completed piece (I slacked on the step-by-step photos . . .) I went with AS French Linen and Old White for the paint, and used Fibber & Son's finish wax with AS dark wax for antiquing. I like Fibber & Son's - it went on smoother and seems to have a better finish then the AS. I replaced the bolts that hold the legs to the table (a few were missing) and also painted the drawer hardware with a bronzed nickel spray paint. I distressed and waxed the drawer hardware as well.  

 

 

 

Time to list it and see what happens!

 

SOLD!!!!

 

My first official sale happened on New Years Day! I think this must be a sign of things to come! 

Table and Chairs for the Newlyweds!

I'm really excited about this project! A few months ago Kristy and I were driving around one Saturday, doing some shopping. She spotted a high table and four chairs on a FB yard sale page for $30. We spoke for it and went right then to pick it up. The table had been sitting on the back deck of a house, being used as a barbecue table. It was dorty, the top had scratches in the finish,  and a few of the chairs were missing bottom stringers. Otherwise the table and chairs were in really good shape. We took the the table legs off - had to borrow a wrench from the seller- loaded it in the back of the SUV, and off we went. What a find!

Our original plan was to flip the table and chairs . . .

The old chair flip!

The chair flip - I found sold old wooden chair at a local thrift store. I was in the neighborhood and decided to check it out on a whim. What a find and for only $5. And best of all it fit in my trunk. The chair is heavy and sold but was loose in a few places. After doing some online research, I pulled apart and re-glued it. I had some longer clamps that worked on the back and used some tie-downs I had on hand to hold the base together. The rest when rather smoothly. I painted with two coats of Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint, did some light sanding to smooth out the paint and give it the distressed look, and then applied wax. I applied a couple of coats of the clear wax and used an old, small brush and steel wool to apply the dark wax, another technique I learned online. I like how it turned out. Anyone want a chair? It's for sale (much to Kristy's dismay).

Its off to grandma's house we go!

With my new found enthusiasm and wanting to test out my "Paint Your Piece!" idea, I went in search of my first victim. I soon found her: my mother-in-law. She agreed to allow me to paint an old china hutch from the 1950's - my uneducated guess - that belonged to her mother. The whole thing was done in her dinning area where the hutch had been sitting. It took less than a day and was indeed transformed. The success built my cobfidence in the Paint Your Piece! concept. Here are the before, during, and after photos. 

What did I learn? First, that a one-day flip is possible, even though it took most of the day. Second, that flipping a piece in place is also do able.  And third, it's totally fun. What would I do differently?  I like how it turned out but I may have over - distressed a bit. 

It starts!

Welcome to Adventures in Furniture Painting!

I suppose that is a fitting start to my blog. I have been dabbling in building and refinishing furniture for a while now. There is something special about creating an object of value that you and others can use and enjoy. My problem, however, has always been that I'm great at coming up with project ideas and even really good at starting some of those projects - but I'm not the best at finishing.  But then I found chalk paint and things changed for me.

My daughter recently married and my wife  and I (ok, mostly my wife) took on the enormous challenge of a DIY wedding reception. We ended up having only a few months to pull it off and frantically began collecting old doors, windows, picture frames, and other antiques for the reception. My wife suggested we paint an old side table that had been collecting dust in our garage for years. This is when I tried chalk paint for the first time - again my wife's idea. I loved the look I was able to achieve and the quickness and versatility of the product. I regret not taking a before picture of the side table but below are pics of how it turned out.

After that I was hooked. I did a few more smaller tables, changed the look of the doors we were using as a backdrop to make them look even more vintage,  and began looking around the house at what else I could transform. And then I started noticing other people's stuff. I liked the idea more and more of giving old stuff new a life, and being able to do it quickly and come up with an amazing result.

And so an idea was born. Why not turn my new-found passion, the evolution of my long time interest, into more than a hobby. Why not turn it into a business.

"Paint Your Piece!" is the name that came to me almost immediately. My vision is to find, transform, and sell my own peices; do custom work for others wanting to transform pieces they already own; and teach others how to do their own work using simple how-to guides and videos. 

I have a lot to learn about refinishing furniture and stsrting a business. I will use this blog to document my pogress. I am excited and looking forward to what is to come. I hope you enjoy the ride as well.