Side Project: Painting A Friend’s Furniture

Back in July, my dad’s neighbor put a call out on Facebook searching for someone to paint furniture. Yes, hello!

The dresser was pretty old – I actually found an envelope stuck in a crack with a bank statement from the 1960s! Overall, not bad condition, except a damaged drawer and leg. You can see the wood was scratched at the base as well.

The handles were muddy with age.

The top had the most damage.

Because of those scratches, I decided to buff the whole thing out with my orbital sander, starting with a 120 grit and moving up to a 220.

I wasn’t worried about getting the sanding perfect since I was using oil-based primer. Since I used a crummy brush to apply it, I sanded between layers to smooth out brush strokes.

After a couple of layers of latex paint and even more layers of polycrylic, done! I used a semi-gloss finish for both since it hardens well. As for the handles, I lightly scrubbed them with a vinegar and baking soda combination.

Oh, and for the first time, I used Floetrol. It’s an additive that minimizes brush strokes and extends drying time for latex paint. I could definitely tell a difference. I normally do everything with a high density foam roller, but it was making weird bubbles in the finish. I finished off the top with light brush strokes and the surface ended up smooth as glass.

I let the whole piece cure for four days before toting it back to her house. A BIG thanks to my dad, brother and husband who helped me move the pieces.

Here’s the before to save you scrolling.

And after! I’m pretty happy with it, and so was my dad’s neighbor.

I’m working on a buffet for her now. She didn’t have a specific color in mind, just wanted a medium gray tone, so I decided to try out Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint and finish it with the clear wax. So far, I love it. I can see why people rave about it. I’ll have more about that piece soon enough.

So there you go! Fun side projects. Anyone need some furniture painted? Haha.