A New Coat of Paint, and a New Life for Your Distressed Furniture!
Distressed furniture painting,distressed finish furniture,distressed leather furniture
Are you fond of visiting garage sales, jumble sales, flea markets, etc?
Well, you must be coming across lots of exciting finds, especially furniture!
A little bit of repair here, a few touch-ups there, and your antique purchase
can acquire a “finished” look. And you can do it all by yourself with just
the right materials—
(1) Either a slightly damp rag or a tack cloth
(2) An old newspaper or a disposable drop cloth or an old sheet
(3) Gloves
(4) Dust mask
(5) Safety goggles
(6) Disposable foam brushes (discount stores offer packages of three or
five)
(7) Water-based paint (color is your choice)
(8) High-quality water-based primer
(9) A small electric sander or fine-grit sandpaper.
Okay, now that you have all the stuff at hand, let’s get started!
(1) Choose your workspace with care. Does it have good ventilation? Is
it far away from sources of heat—anything that can result in sparks or
flames?
(2) Your distressed furniture could be anything—a chair, a sofa set,
a chest of drawers, etc. Whatever it is, if you see anything such as hardware
or drawer pulls, remove them.
(3) Spread out your newspaper or sheet or drop cloth. Place the piece
of furniture on it. Your floor will remain safe from paint marks!
(4) It is now time for sanding; we have to get rid of the gouges and
bumps on your antique piece. Use the sandpaper and a small electric sander
or a sanding block. This is when you protect yourself with the dust mask,
gloves and safety goggles.
(5) Residual sawdust can be removed with the tack cloth or rag. If needed,
you can go in for hand-vacuuming also.
(6) The primer is to be applied with the aid of a spray (small item)
or a brush (larger item).
(7) Your furniture will need at least one to two hours to dry completely.
It may take longer if the weather is humid.
(8) In case the first coat does not appear to cover the original paint,
then you can go in for a second coat of primer. Again, some time has to
be given for drying.
(9) A repeat sanding is required to remove the remaining rough spots
and ensure a smooth finish.
(10) It is time to brighten up your piece! Which is your favorite color?
If you are utilizing a brush, make sure that the strokes are even and
the movements are towards the grain. If you are using a spray can, let
your movements be slow. There should be a distance of about 8 to 12 inches
between the can and the surface.
(11) Once the first coat of paint dries, apply a second coat. Leaving
it overnight should be enough to get it dry.
(12) Now use the fine-grit sandpaper for the last time. Doesn’t your
antique piece look marvelous? A brilliant look and a smooth texture!
Now that you have finished the job, rinse the paint brushes immediately
under running water.
