Painting can help you match an antique to your home decor.
Antique furniture can add a sense of character and history to your home. Unfortunately, the original finish of some antiques doesn't always withstand the test of time. If you're looking to give your antique furniture a facelift, a new paint or stain job could do the trick. Whether you decide to restore it to what it originally looked like or update it to fit a modern home, you'll save money by doing the painting yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Stripping
1. Put on safety goggles and gloves and lay a tarp down in a well-ventilated space. Place the antique you wish to paint on the tarp and carefully remove any hardware, such as knobs or handles.
2. Apply a thick coat of gel paint stripper to the surface of the wood. Brush in one direction instead of back and forth and work in small sections beginning at the top of the piece and working down to the bottom.
3. Allow the stripper to sit for the manufacturer's recommended time or until the surface appears wrinkled. Gently scrape away the spent stripper with a scraper made for wood. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all traces of the previous finish are gone.
4. Apply a final coat of stripper and remove it with steel wool to remove any traces of the previous finish from the small pores and cracks in the wood.
5. Use a sponge to wipe down the entire surface of the antique with lacquer thinner. Allow the antique to dry for 24 to 48 hours before refinishing.
Painting
6. Choose a paint designed for wood furniture based on what you want the repainted antique to look like. Restore it to its original appearance by researching what types of paints were commonly used during the time the piece was made and choose a similar paint. Match the antique to your existing decor by choosing a color that matches your other furniture.
7. Apply a thin even coat of water-based paint primer using long strokes along the grain of the wood. Allow the primer to dry completely.
8. Apply your top coat paint in as thin and even a layer as possible, working along the natural wood grains. Allow the first coat to dry before applying a second thin coat if necessary to achieve the look you want.
9. Let the paint dry overnight. Protect the newly painted surface by applying a protective finish, such as paste wax or clear glaze. Reattach the hardware once the finish has dried completely.
Tags: antique your, coat paint, previous finish, thin even, traces previous