Decoratig advice?
Question:I got this old wooden book shelf from a garage sale and I want to decorate it to match my daughters room. Her furniture is white is it possible to chang the finish on it or paint it. HELP
Answers:
Furniture made from wood is a blessing to work with because the sky is the limit on possibilities !
You can go about this a few ways so I'll give you the "pros" and "cons" and you can decide whats best for you and your project. You must first remove the existing finish. If it is an older book case then it may have been stained and then laquered for a nice shine. If you choose to sand, be prepared for a lot of work. Laquer hardened to an almost plastic surface and can be difficult to remove. Use a palm sander because rubbing it will break your will to live. If you do sand, also keep in mind that there will be an enormous amount of dust particles that will become air born and caution should be used. Children and elderly should not be in the area and you should wear a dust mask. Breathing in the particles can be dangerous. Also, there will be a lot of settling on other items in the direct area you will be working. You will need to clean the area because of the potential for damaging the other surfaces. Discard the clean up material properly. Once you have reach a dull finish, you can put a stain block such as Kilz and then apply the paint after it has completely dried. A touch up coat is recommended. Once satisfied with your work, apply a polyeurethane spray finish. Follow the directions on the can in a well ventellated area. This final stage will help to prevent scuffs and scratches and cleaning up messes will be a snap. This basically takes place of the laquered finish which protects the wood.
The other way, which I recommend in your case, is to use a stripper for removing the old finish. There are products on the market which are odorless and will do a more efficient job than the eleven hours you could have managed sanding. You will need to wear rubber gloves and be available for a few hours. A normal sized book case should take you about 11/2 hours. Follow the directions and don't get frustrated. It can be a little tricky but I have faith in your abilities. Start by turning the peien totally upside dow. In other words, the piece that normally sits on the carpet or the bottom shelf, will now be facing the ceiling. The absolute bottom is the first place to start with the stripper. This is how you can orientate your self with the product usage without possibly leaving your mark on a visible surface. Once you've mastered the product, you'll be amazed at the speed at which you can finish the chore. After the old finish has been removed and you've cleaned up your work area, wipe down the entire surface of the book case with a clean cloth. Next, dampen a clean cloth with a bleech/water solution of maybe 2/3rd to 1/3rd and wipe the surface one final time. Get some sleep.
In the morning, you can follow the latter directions in the first example for paint and finish. Using this method, it is possible to do the work inside the home but still, follow the manufacturers advice. Also, try and avoid leaving the stripper on the woods surface past the product recommendations. When your protective coat is completely dry, you can add some style to the piece if you'd like. Some stencil work ...etc.
You'll enjoy your completion so much, you'll be looking for anything made of wood that needs a little TLC . Good Luck !
Sand the crap out of it... Paint it with a quality Primer... and you can paint it any way your heart desires! Use a higher gloss paint (at least semi gloss and even oil base) for durability... I did a dresser it white and added cut outs from the wall paper border to the drawer fronts... It was very cute!
It would look great painted white to match the furniture.
Paint with 2 coats of Kilz. Then put 2-3 coats of paint over that, allowing time to dry between all coats. Cover with a coat of polyurethane for easy clean-up.
Yes it is possible, you'll have to sand it down and prime it first though for the paint to adhere to it properly, I'm sure it'll look great! Gotta love garage sales =) !
I think that wood looks best in its natural color but you seem hell bent on painting it so I'd go with the easy way, using Kilz.
All you would need to do is sand it really well, wipe it with a damp cloth to get off excess sanding, prime it and then paint it with white paint. It should be very simple to get this done and I'm sure it will look great.
After getting the thing ready as told by many others, use small mirrors, laces and beads to decorate the shelf. you may also use old pins, broaches , earings and other accessories not in use by your daughter, but they will look good to decorate the shelf and make it a personal asset of your daughter. All the above things will suit the white back- ground.
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