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January 8, 2014

How To Paint Furniture

How To Paint Furniture. This is such a great tutorial for beginners! Love this!
Hey ya'll! So, before we left for Christmas break a few weeks ago, I started making some changes to our master bedroom. 

This will be the 11th set of changes to this room, 10 of which were fully documented in this unexpectedly popular post.
Also known as 'that one time I had Jesse photoshop my face on a turtle's body and hundreds of thousands of people saw it.' 












I learned several useful lessons from that post. One, it's okay to share your failures. We're all human here. Two, I'm not the only person who has to decorate a room 45 times before it looks even remotely okay. And three, I make a masculine turtle. 
You can't fight the truth.


Anyways, I have a few more things to finish up before I share the bedroom in its entirety, so today I thought I would share just one little tidbit to kick off the new year. 

Do you remember Vern?



Probably not.
So, I'll re-introduce you today. 
If you're confused, please refer to this. However, you should allow yourself a prolonged Hammer Dance if you know who Vern is without looking. 
Make sure to stretch beforehand.

Without further ado, here's Vern today, looking rather dignified in his striped suit.


In other words, I painted a dresser white with a gray stripe.
I kept the hardware the same, but spray painted them back to gold. 
Their memoir will be out in the Spring. 
"From Gold to Silver to Gold Again: Someone please make it stop."

I also added some fun new accessories. 

I found an awesome mirror for $10 at the thrift store. It was originally a dark gold color, but I updated it by coating the entire frame with this metallic paint and then I highlighted a few areas with this shade of Rub n Buff (affiliate links).



The little silver canister was another thrift store find that I've had for awhile, formerly seen here as a Q-tip holder.
The furry blob is some fabric that found temporary safety as Vern's scarf. Because it's about to be made into a pillow.



I also bought my first house plant ever, which I put in a pretty bowl. And although I watered him really well before we left for Christmas vacation, he did not fare well. I'm currently trying to resuscitate him by the kitchen sink, but the prognosis isn't good.
It probably doesn't help matters that Cheese keeps trying to sit on it when she looks out the window.


I shouldn't be allowed to own plants, but it was fun while it lasted. Luckily, I had the foresight to take these pictures before we left. So, let's take a minute to appreciate my first and last plant. He was beautiful.


So, here's a quick tutorial if you're wanting to join the striped dresser club. 
We have monthly meetings at Red Lobster.
All the Cheddar Bay Biscuits you can eat.
 Dress code is jorts and turtlenecks. No exceptions.
I'm waiving the enrollment fee for a limited time only.

Ok, so first step.
Paint your dresser whatever you want the base color to be, using the steps mentioned in last month's tutorial.
I painted mine during my New Girl marathon, using dollar store shower curtains as a dropcloth. It is what it is.



I let my base coat dry overnight and the next day I applied tape to create my stripe.


Then, I painted over the tape with the base color. This is a little trick I recently learned that prevents your paint from bleeding underneath the tape. Basically, it makes your stripe perfect.
It's awesome.


Then, I painted the stripe with my accent color. I wish I could tell you the paint colors, but I used samples and threw away the empty containers before I remembered to write down the names. So, we're going with white and gray. 


Then, before the paint dries, peel off the tape. You should have a perfect stripe at this point. Then just let it all dry and put the dresser back together.


And that's all there is to it!


How To Paint Furniture. This is such a great tutorial for beginners! Love this!


And that's all for today, ya'll!
I'll be back soon to share the rest of the bedroom, my thrift store findings over vacation, and celebrate my 2 year blog anniversary. I have no idea in what order, but hopefully all of those things will happen at some point. I'm currently still in the throes of ham euphoria. Plus, it's snowing here (which never happens) and Downton Abbey is back.



'Til next time!



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57 comments:

  1. I love everything! Also thanks for the anti-bleeding tip, it's genius!

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  2. Oh man!!! I loved Vern with the beautiful shade of blue! -- But I have to admit I wondered how long the pop of color would last. And he is just too cute with the stripe!

    polkadottedbluejay.blogspot.com

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    1. Ha! I truly did love Vern when he was blue, too. But, I just kinda grew tired of decorating around the blue, ya know? Plus, I just can't help but change this room around every 5 seconds. Resistance is futile. :)

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  3. Only us girls can watch television and paint at the same time. If it was a man, the paint would be dripping on the floor while he watches the football!

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    1. That's hilarious, Elmarie! I always have to watch something fun or listen to music while I paint...it makes time fly by. Luckily, I have yet to spill a drop of paint anywhere...in 4 years! It's a miracle. xo

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  4. I absolutely LOVE your blog! I thought I should let you know, however, that you're using the phrase "without further adieu" wrong -- the phrase is "without further ado." Just thought you should know since you like to use it :P

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    1. Oh my Gosh, Shanti, that is so hilarious. I just googled it. You are SO right. Thank you for making me learn something new today! I'm pretty sure I've said that in about 400 posts. HA!! xo

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  5. Dear Virginia!
    This plant does NOT like much water, cold weather or much sun. It needs 64-79°F and very little water to grow nicely.
    Best wishes,
    Daffodil (yeah, flowers know eachothers needs ;) )

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    1. WOW! That's so impressive...that's exactly what the little stick that came with the plant said. I only watered in once, right before we left for 2 weeks, but when I came back the edges of all the leaves were brown. It's still holding on for dear life, though. I should probably move it away from the kitchen window. I'm hoping it will pull through. I was testing out my plant skills before I moved my way up to a Orchid. I'm not encouraged. :)

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    2. Yeah, you should always check those sticks, they know better ;) Zamiifolia is a typical offfice plant, it survives even the darkest place if it's warm in there.
      Orchids can be tricky, too, but don't give up! I killed some plants before I've found the ones that like me. We all did I guess.

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    3. Thank you for the encouragement!! I'm still kinda tempted to persevere with my Orchid plan. My little plant seems to be pulling through after the weekend. Perhaps there is hope yet! :)

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    4. Hi! I'm new to your blog. I was searching the web for tips on painting a veneer dresser and ended up here :) I know nothing about painting furniture, but I do know a little about plants :) if this plant does not have drain holes in the bottom put rocks in the bottom so your roots don't stay wet. Just in case you didn't know that trick I thought I would chime in. I'm loving your blog! Thank you for taking the time to write it.

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  6. Great tip for painting stripes without bleeding! Now I want to go paint a stripe somewhere just so I can try it. :)

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    1. Definitely do! I've painted tons of stripes before, but always had paint bleed through a little bit. The trick I mentioned works wonders!! :)

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  7. Woo hoo! (For the dresser, snow and Downton.)

    :-) Looks amazing. And the hardware makes all the difference.

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    1. Thanks so much, Lisa! Triple woohoo back atcha! And I totally agree about the hardware! xo

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  8. Did I catch a "Bachelor" reference in that last sentence? LOL
    Love your blog...and the dresser :)

    Erica
    www.FortheLoveofDecorating.com

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    1. HA!! Erica, I was wondering if anyone would even know what I'm talking about! I decided to risk it! :)

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  9. I have read about painting the stripe with the base color first, but I admit, I didn't really "get it," until you showed me in pictures. Me no comprendo? ya know! so thanks!! I love that you name your furniture, I didn't remember Vern, but I do remember Kevin!!

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    1. HA! Hilarious! Oh, Kevin. And yes, I know what you mean...I had heard about it several times and never knew what on earth people meant. Until I sat down and tried to do it myself and it really did work so well! :)

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  10. Great job Virginia, everything looks AWESOME!

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  11. Only ever paint in front of the TV how else can I excuse watching 3 seasons of a show in only a couple of weeks? Vern is a sweetie - love the tip on stripes, will come in handy for my next project :-)

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  12. Virginia, what is your take on buying thrift dressers that might need more work than just some painting? Like is the drawers stick or need other repairs first? Do you bother? Thank honey!

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    1. Hi Kacie! If it's something I can fix with wood filler, sanding, paint, or a drill, and I really like the piece, I'll usually get it and fix it. It kinda just depends on how great the piece is and what kind of damage it has, ya know? xo

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  13. LOVE your blog!! It has helped me so much, I am in the process of painting my first dresser. I went with the pretty aqua blue color Vern was originally and it looks beautiful! I want to do another dresser and try and the striped detail. I can't tell if the strip goes all the way to the top of the dresser or did you just do the front?

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    1. Hi Whitney! That's sooo awesome! I really enjoyed Vern when he was blue. We had a good run of it. :) As for the stripe, yes, I took it all the way over the top of the dresser. I meant to include a picture of that, too...It looks so great on the top! I'm kinda forgetful sometimes! :)

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  14. Love the paint stripe on Vern. The gold hardware seems somewhat discordant to me. Did you try it first with the silver and decide against it? Love all the silver things on top!

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    1. I did indeed, Sue! I took pictures of both, because it's often easier for me to 'see' things in a photograph, and I ultimately went with gold. It just seemed to pop more when I put everything together. But you could easily do all silver, too! Both ways looked really great! xo

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  15. Love your blog! After painting over the tape with the base color, how long did you wait before painting the accent color, and how many coats of the accent color did you need? Also, before painting did you just prime like you did in the first tutorial about Vern?

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    1. Thank you, thank you! After painting over the tape with the base color, I allowed it to dry for about 15-20 minutes before using the gray accent color. It was still a little tacky, and not all the way dry, but it kept the two colors from mixing. That way, I could pull off the tape when it was all done and not pull up the paint. And yes, I actually did prime, as I still had a layer of polycrylic on Vern from the blue phase. It was either that or sand it down, and Vern has already been through so much already. :)

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  16. Hmm watch tv and paint.... that might be the solution to the A.D.D. I get while painting. Thus making month-long projects, days- maybe even hours-long. Please write a note to my husband letting him know that I require a tv in our garage, as I've already tried this and he doesn't believe me. :)

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    1. Yes, yes, yes! It is seriously the solution. Back when I painted the trim and cabinetry in our ENTIRE house, I used to carry around a little laptop with a speaker and go through seasons of my favorite shows. I'm 100% sure it fueled my mission. :)

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  17. I have to say I was shocked when I saw the new striped dresser-- I totally can do the hammer dance for instantly knowing Vern as the gorgeous green makeover! I love the white with the gray stripe but I was sad it displaced the previous version-- ah well! You may be happy to know that Marina Isle Vern's spirit lives on in my living room-- I literally had just bought the supplies to paint a desk this weekend when I saw this post, haha! I'm so in love with the color and it's all thanks to you, I don't think I would have found it on my own. It's harmonious with the blues I have in that room without being too matchy matchy. I also stumbled upon Rustoleum's Satin Nickel spraypaint for the hardware and totally love the combo of the warm gray with the cool green (sort of that gold vibe without the gold). Thank you also for the nifty painting trick above with the tape-- ingenious! I hate when the paint bleeds over but figured it was just part of my imperfect life. Oh! And New Girl! Yes! I'm totally convinced you're just like Jess-- quirky, funny, and beautiful :-)

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    1. HA! You are too sweet, girl!! First, yes, I knew many would mourn the loss of Vern in his 'original' form, but I also knew that Blue Vern will forever live on in the blog. So, he says to tell you that he's still there for you. He says to stop by anytime. Second, I love that you actually have your own little Vern. That's just too awesome. Third, thank you for your Jess compliment. *Tear. :)

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  18. love how this dresser turned out the grey stripe is awesome and i love the mixed metals you accessorized with looks super

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  19. I absolutely LOVE your blog! I found you by googling "spray painting mirror frame" and Thank God I did! Thanks to you, I've spray painted an old mirror and two paintings that my husband found at a garage sale. He was right, it looks fabulous now with the new color! I'm in the process of updating a lot of my old frames and furniture to match the new decor of our new home and you, my dear friend, are my muse! Thanks so much and so glad to meet you!

    Angela

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    1. AH! That's so awesome, Angela! And thank you!! Your comment totally brightened my day!! xo

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  20. I'm in love with both Vern's. I must say I've lurked around quite a few DIY sites and yours is the only one that made me laugh outloud. You are SO funny! I too am fond of Mr. Spraypaint and his sexy ways. I have a late 80's bedroom set (previous owner was me) in my daughter's room that's been screaming for a makeover, but I was too chicken (okay, lazy) to sand it all. LOVE that you're telling me I don't have to. I've subscribed so I can keep up with what you're doing next...you know, so I can copy. lol

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    1. HA! Crystal, you are quite the hilarious one, yourself! 'Previous owner was me'....for some reason that totally cracked me up. Glad you've found my blog and thank you for subscribing! I love knowing that my readers are awesome people! Oh, and no, you totally don't have to sand it. Primer is magical. :)

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  21. Please come down to Arkansas and teach me your ways! I would love to find the amazing things you score
    http://collegecaitlin.blogspot.com/

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  22. love this, you have the best painting tutorials!! I can't wait to try this on an old dresser I picked up at a flea market. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Kelli
    Style Domesticity

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  23. such a cute makeover i would love to feature Vern, if that would be ok please let me know
    lauren

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  24. Wonderful blog! And fantastic writing too! Will definitely bookmark this.

    Also, a little suggestion for keeping plants alive while you're off on holiday:

    Transfer them to an earthen pot, and place the pot in a bucket of water. The water should roughly cover the bottom half of the pot. This allows the plant to absorb moisture gradually (because earthen pots are porous) rather than being dunked in more water than it can handle.

    Hopefully, you'll have many more happy and healthy plants!

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  25. Hello! Did you put a sealant/ protector over the new Vern, or just give him a good wax? If so, how do you wax a piece of furniture??? May sound silly, but I am a paint virgin, about to tackle makeovers on all of my furniture (aka about $200 from garage sales). They could use a new look!

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  26. I really love your blog! I have one question about this piece (which is gorgeous!) do you only need one coat of the gray paint and that's enough?

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    1. I think I did a couple coats. Basically, just paint until it looks covered. :)

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  27. DUDE. I just discovered your blog today and I'm doing a run-don't-walk straight to HD for supplies...I've got a wooden giraffe lamp with Rust-Oleum's name written all over it. I came for the spray paint tips, but you had me at the chubby cats and New Girl bulk-watching. I just subscribed. I NEVER SUBSCRIBE. Thank you!

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  28. You are just too dang funny. I love how you interject your humor. The title of the memoir was priceless!!

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  29. Hello Virginia!

    Just wanted to say that I found a post about painting furniture on pinterest, and that's how I ended up here... and now it's been 4 hours. And there's no sign of me stopping. I'm sure my boyfriend will come home and I will be passed out with a Cheeto in my hair drooling in front of the computer.

    I am obsessed with your re-dos, your cats, and you! You're hilarious. I will say though, I could use a few more kitty-cameos. No vase (just FYI I said vase the fancy way-vaaaaahse) or lamp can match the majesty of a live feline.

    I do have one quick question (Are you still reading? You've made it this far? I'm long-winded.) ...when painting the stripe down the middle, and you paint over the paint with the base paint color first, do you need to let it dry completely before putting the next coat on? I would presume so, but I've messed up way too many brilliant ideas by making assumptions.

    Thanks for your wonderful blog!!
    Breanna

    P.S. I love you.

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  30. DOLLAR STORE SHOWER CURTAIN DROP CLOTHS!!! <3 ARE YOU A GENIUS??

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Thanks so much for leaving a comment!! I do the hammer dance every time I read one.

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