Time to share my favorite "Before and After"

I found this hutch at our local Salvation Army and I knew I could not pass it up! It was the perfect size for our dining room. It was sturdy and I loved the curves. I didn't love the wood.

How to Paint Furniture | Decor and the Dog

Nothing a litle paint can't fix. Is there anything that paint can't fix??....

I never thought I'd own china (a wedding gift), let alone a hutch to put it in. Every day I realize something else in life that keeps adding to my oldness factor....

I used Valspar's Lincoln Cottage Black on the outside and Glidden's Granite Grey on the inside. I used the grey on the inside for contrast. I didn't want the hutch to turn into a giant black hole.

I didn't take any step-by-step photos (I'm working on it)....but here are the basic steps that I use to paint furniture...there are about 100 different ways but this is what I find works best for me.

Step 1:

Clean the piece and remove any hardware. I buy junk furniture which is usually full of cob webs and dust and grossness. I take some damp papertowels or an old rag and clean it REALLY well.

Step 2:

I usually go from stained wood to paint so I usually do a light sanding with whatever sand paper I can find laying around. Don't sand too hard or you can possibly scratch the wood. For this hutch, I borrowed a hand sander.

Step 3:

Clean off all of the sanding grit. Again, I just use papertowels for this. Some people use tacky cloths but papertowels have worked well for me.

Step 4:

Prime. I use Zinnser Fast Prime 2 and I apply it with small roller brushes. The primer usually dries within in an hour. This step doesn't have to look pretty....just get a nice thin, even coat.

Step 5:

After the primer has dried, you are ready to paint. I have used a variety of paints and finishes. I also usually do 2 coats just to make sure the piece is covered well. I use a smaller roller brush for this step as well.

Step 6:

Replace the hardware. You can also give it a coat of poly but I find this takes the piece FOREVER to dry and I'm too anxious to put it to use. :P I do generally wait about a week before I set anything on a newly painted piece.

There you have it! Piece of Cake!

Be sure to check out our DIY projects on our "DIY/Decorate It" page!