Painted Furniture Photos

These pieces are scattered around the house. The smaller red/black chest was my very first piece - probably around 2001. I guess that means averaging slightly more than 1 piece a year :( .

The TV Table is Finished!

It was finally finished and "installed" (i.e. moved from the kitchen to the family room) in March - when the tax refund came and we used it to get the big TV! One of my favorite pieces to date. It's supposed to "echo" the mirror in the kitchen.

The TV Table

Yes, we have a perfectly good TV table for our 27" TV. The picture included here doesn't thrill me, but we've enjoyed it since I finished it about 4 years ago. It has sentimental value because I first painted it white with purple knobs a month before Maggie was born for her room ("Maggie's Garden Room"), so it will just move up to our bedroom, we think. Meanwhile, it is our hope that sometime in the next 5 years, we'll get to upgrade our 27" TV. When it occurred to me about a year ago that in order to do that, we'd need a larger table, I immediately began the hunt at every convenient thrift store, family members surplus, and the occasional yard sale. I finally found an acceptable dresser right after school was out. There's a picture of it (more or less; I had already removed the 2 doors that cover the 3 shorter drawers on the left end) in my June 19, 2010, post. It came in handy sitting in the kitchen when I needed a spot to place all those wedding bouquets!

After paying $28.50 at Goodwill and getting help from Mr. Next-Door-Neighbor to unload it from the van, I was overcome by a severe old musty smell. To help combat this, I did several things: 1) bring it inside to the air conditioning (hence, it's placement in the kitchen); 2) sand (a piece at a time on the deck) every surface; 3) put baking soda in every drawer from June until today; 4) use up can of spray paint trying to get paint on all the interior walls. I think it's better now!

I've probably put in 8 hours of work already. I primed all the drawers pretty early on. Today, I primed the cabinet, starting with it upside down so I could go ahead and finish the legs. Because it has metal feet, I used my favorite metal primer spray paint. Then I used the same Sherwin Williams black I used on the Lynn. Finally, I added my first dots to the feet. Once the base was thoroughly dry, Bob helped me flip it over so I could spray the interior black (I'm not sure which drawer space is going to hold the DVD player & Comcast box, so I painted all 3) since I couldn't easily reach the back wall with a brush and prime the remaining areas (hence, the white!).

I don't have a plan for the design of this piece. Maggie said I need to get a notebook and go to bed and sketch multiple designs because that's "what you always do." Funny, I vaguely remember doing that with my first piece about 8 years ago! Maybe I will try that again... Regardless, I hope to get the whole thing painted black, the top stenciled and the edge gold so it can sit in my kitchen with pride until I figure out that the rest is going to be!

The Lynn Table is Finished.

The fun paints that led to the delivered table!

The Lynn Table - Days 6 through the End (Almost)

Many steps, none documented. Ugh. Hopefully, I'll be more careful on my next piece and will take the few minutes it takes to type an entry.

Picture 4 shows the finished table base. I measured the spaces to get more or less equal and centered diamonds, marked them, taped them, and "put" on 3 colors of green (one was metallic, for a little extra texture). After they dried, I added an outline of silver right on the edge of the tape (you wouldn't expect me to be able to paint a straight line, would you?).

I'm missing pictures for the next 2 steps. 1)  the outer edge of the table top. I taped the top edge and painted 2 coats of silver. Then I dragged a brush down the silver that was a blend of gold and black. I like the way it turned out - hadn't done that before. 2) The next day, I taped the edge and painted the top a creamy white color.

Picture 5 shows the stenciling process. I used a tight sponge to apply the black paint to the stencil. I've given up on trying to match this particular stencil. I had cut it in half years ago to work on a small project, so now I lay the pieces side by side and try not to get a line in between the 2. I did buy a replacement of the same stencil, but as many things go, the plastic is different and I have a harder time getting clean lines.

Picture 6 shows the finished top. Rubbing the stain on a painted surface is an imperfect, uneven process. I always look at and wish it were more even, but once I get the polyurethane on, I know I will like the light spots.

The Lynn Table - Days 3, 4, and 5 or so!

The black basecoat was completed and the table "cured" for 3 days (see picture 1). Then I "eye-balled" increments on those long gorgeous legs to paint some fun socks and taped them off. I spent a while tracing and cutting circles out of blue painter's tape to create black dots on the lower sock - maybe someday somebody will market pre-cut painter's tape shapes! I put on 2 coats of the silver paint on and waited 24 hours before I continued decorating the socks. The 2 paints I've used so far are in picture 2.

It's Lynn Table Time!

My first "commissioned" work! Leeann loves to paint furniture...once she gets going on it, anyway. So far, it's just been for fun. I've done 2 small chest of drawers for my living room, a T.V. "stand," 4 end tables, a mirror, 2 kitchen tables (one's in my classroom), a dollhouse, and several bookcases. All of these pieces have multiple colors and are intended to be "fun."I don't paint anything other than dots and stripes and a few variations - and I use a favorite swirly stencil.

The Lynn table belongs to a friend of mine who appreciates my whimsical approach to furniture and doesn't seem to mind that there WILL be imperfections - and it's small so it doesn't overly frighten me. The biggest problem I have right now is that the Lynn table seems to think it belongs in my house! The pictures explain it all.

I am headed upstairs to change into my paint clothes and paint the table black (well, all but the top - that'll be last and not black!).

Photos:
Two "before" shots, including the leg that looks like a doggy chewed on it. I sanded the table, filled in the dinner bites best I could and primed it with dark gray spray auto primer by Rust-Oleum. Now, I know it's more expensive than brushing on Kilz from the can, but it easy and it forms a wonderfully smooth surface on which to paint.