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HELP PLEASE! Sideboard and Hutch is not me....Can you ladies help me with some sort of painting technique?

January 23rd, 2009 in member junk     
pizzawife pizzawife, member
4 users recommend
HUTCH IS IN THE CORNER
Better look at the Hutch.  I have paper behind the door to match my dining room.
Sideboard
Sideboard
Hutch
HUTCH IS IN THE CORNER

HUTCH IS IN THE CORNER
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I don't want to make the ladies out there who are real antique collectors mad, I know I probably should not paint these, but I have to.  In their present state, they just are not me.....I can't paint them all crazy like I usually do with furniture, because they will be in my dining room.....and I will most likely paint the walls before I ever paint these again.  As hard as it is to believe, I don't know how to white wash?  Could this be a good finish? or how about making it silverleaf or pewter looking, first paint them black and then do a silver rub on top?  Please give me some much needed advice....except leave them as they are. 

posted in: member junk, furniture
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Comments (14)

DownHomeDIY writes: What about starting with one piece first to see if that makes enough of a difference? I love a black finish. You can sand the edges and places that would naturally show some wear. Or I have even painted a side table black with a crackle finish on the top - gold undertone in the crackle part. I can email pix if you would like. Black goes with everything and I think it would work well in your room. I think the sideboard would be easier. The detail on the front of the glass hutch would be tricky. Let us know what you decide. I just bought a sideboard that looks very similar to yours and I am going to paint it black. Good luck. Posted: 10:09 pm on January 25th
Redesigned writes: ...I think it would be fun to paint them a very bold color, such as red, yellow, blue, etc. then rough sand corners and random areas on the flat surfaces to expose some of the dark wood underneath. Gel stain is easy to apply over painted furniture; it seals and protects the paint and gives it a great aged finish. Add some funky knobs!!

I just posted pictures of my master bedroom; my furniture was originally maple (colonial style) and I painted it white, sanded distressed and sealed it with gel stain to compliment my other furniture.


Posted: 3:35 pm on January 24th
suewhitney writes: OK, I do have to weigh in on this! The first thing I suggest to people is to be true to their own style. I re-visited some of your posts and you truly have wrapped your arms around a unique and wonderful style. That's a good thing. I can tell by just looking at this furniture, although beautiful...it's not you. The other thing I noticed right away is that there is an awful lot of wood in this room and it's all matchy-matchy. My gut tells me that you would be happier if this room offered up some different materials and textures. This brings me to my suggestion. I would go with an alternative finish on the pieces...and they don't have to be the same or match, they just have to play well with each other and get along with the other design elements in the room. A whitewash or painted and waxed process would be beautiful on these pieces but they would still have a very old-world, traditional feel. A metal finish will blend with the traditional bones of the room while at the same time give it some punch or the "ah ha" factor. Rustoleum makes a hammered metal paint product that may interest you (check page 189 of Junk Beautiful, Makeover for the look)and I think silver leaf could be nice as well. You may also want to check into a faux stone finish for one of the pieces. Combining all of these textures will provide interest and allow you to play more freely with textiles and color. Sorry I was long winded. Good luck and have fun! Posted: 10:13 am on January 24th
MimiToria writes: These are gorgeous pieces "as is" for those that love the wood look, and it is totally your discretion what you end up choosing to do, no guilt applied!
I too love the shabby white painting for accenting beautiful carvings and details. You will need to prime the piece first and I would take Janis' opinion about primer. The primer will really help you to get a nice quality piece in the end. I even once primed a piece and started sanding it for the paint and it looked so great, I never had to paint it after that.
Some people also use a wax product after painting, and Sue could probably tell you more about that. It really gives a great finish and on pieces like these you want them to be awesome when you're done painting them. Posted: 9:16 am on January 24th
italianpeasant writes: ok, most of you are right LOL but i feel that if you don't like it the way it is, it couldn't look worse with paint :) i've been whitewashing for over 23 years & i've never met a piece of wood that didn't look better afterwards. some people think that painting takes away from the integrity of the piece or detracts from its value, but i've sold my painted pieces to antiques dealers & they leave the piece as is & don't strip it. ok, i'm done touting my white paint technique, oh. pizza wife, i never seal as i like the way it wears with time :) Posted: 7:45 pm on January 23rd
Tuttibelle writes: I agree with irishrover. These seem to be in great shape. While Italianpeasant has some great ideas, you could do the white wash thing with subtle stencils. Two shades of white or white and a pastel or two. Your stencil work could be a floral and/or vine or it could be a lace effect. What is the rest of your house like and what would work best? Posted: 3:08 pm on January 23rd
pizzawife writes: Thank you all for your input, I will take it all under advisement. Posted: 2:39 pm on January 23rd
texasjunkermom writes: Sorry, but I agree with irishrovr, wood this beautiful would be a shame to paint. The inlaid parts are just too pretty. I'd take that suggestion and sell it and buy what you DO like and make fit into being 'you'. Posted: 2:14 pm on January 23rd
fellowjunker writes: You know I have to say that I agree with italianpeasant....I had some beautiful old pieces of furniture from one of my grandmothers, but I just didn't like the wood stain so they stayed in the basement for years. When I finally took the plunge and painted them I was amazed at how the detail in the woodworking just "popped"!!! They are now my most prized possessions and I don't feel at all quilty about painting them. I, personally, would go with white as it really seems to bring out detailing, but I think you have to decide what would look best with your own style.
I also recommend using "bulls eye" primer....it is amazing and doesn't require messy sanding to prime the piece for paint.

What ever you decide please show us the after pictures.
Good luck!!!
xojanis Posted: 1:54 pm on January 23rd
irishrovr writes: I'm all about repurposing, rescuing, refinishing, renewing, re-everything BUT I would not do anything to something this beautiful - even if it did not fit into my decor or suit my personality. I would rather see this set sold to someone who will love and cherish it as it is. Use the money to rescue something that you can transform into something beautiful. PLEASE!!! :-) Posted: 1:33 pm on January 23rd
pizzawife writes: I will need LUCK....thanks shamrockerin. I wish I had Italianpeasant living near me. Posted: 1:20 pm on January 23rd
pizzawife writes: Thanks Italianpeasant: but you're not getting away this fast, so in your opinion which "method" works best? Then do I seal it with poly? It is hard for me to believe that these things work......I will try and then post the results. Posted: 1:18 pm on January 23rd
shamrockerin writes: These are beautiful pieces, but they do look very out-of-date for most people's decor preferences. I LOVE antiques, but I agree that they need a face lift. I agree with Italianpeasant- whitewashing is great because it matches alot of diferent styles, and if you make it look 'primitive' then it match the style of the pieces more.

Good luck! Posted: 1:18 pm on January 23rd
italianpeasant writes: HI, THIS IS MY FIELD OF EXPERTISE :)

you can use spray or an air compressor if you have a lot to paint, any kind of white latex paint semi gloss will work, even the 99 cent cans. after you paint, let dry, sand edges, middle if you want, then comes the fun part :) to "primitivize" it ( my word) you can use a tea bag steeped for awhile, wring it out,then rub; or black coffee with a rag, rub on,or hot chocolate with vanilla, the vanilla stains good :) or used motor oil. these give the prim effect. you can go the dark stain route, but it doesn't look as prim & original :) hope i helped! also these treatments can be used for any other color of paint.
Posted: 12:27 pm on January 23rd
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