How to Paint an End-Table

One of my favorite hobbies is flipping furniture. I love that you can pick up unwanted, dinged up antiques for pennies and then turn it into something absolutely stunning. Sadly, I don't get to flip furniture as much as I like; but when I do, I make it count!  

This end table was actually given to me by a dear friend at work. Even though it was in rough condition, I was excited to be able to turn it into this magnificent piece of furniture... 

This was my first furniture flip ever and I am more than pleased with the outcome. While I forgot to take a before picture of the end-table, this is the type of stand it was (to give you somewhat of an idea). 

So how did I achieve this look? Well, first you will need the following: 

• Sandpaper  
• 2 Disposable Paint Brushes 
• 2 High-Quality Paint Brushes (Purdy) 
• Shellac Paint Primer 
• Valspar Paint Sample (any color) 
• Valspar Finishing Wax  
• Spray-Paint (any color) 
• Screwdriver 

Instructions:

1. Use the screwdriver to disassemble any hardware off of the furniture (knobs, handles, etc.).  

2. Lightly sand the handles (to rough them up a bit) and then spray-paint. When finished, set aside and let dry. This may take a couple coats.  

3. Next, sand the heck out of the end-table (or whatever piece of furniture you are working on). The biggest mistake people make is not sanding enough. Trust me, the more you sand, the more thankful you will be later that you didn't rush this step. I never used a mask this step, but since then I have been flipping a lot more pieces and have decided that it is probably best to wear a mask. Your health is so much more important than I pretty piece of furniture! Also, if you think the piece could possibly contain lead paint, please, please, please test it before starting this step! The tests are about $10 at Lowe's and worth every penny if you think your piece may contain lead.  

4. Once you have finished sanding, give it a good wipe down with water and let it dry. 

5. Now for priming... Shellac destroys any paint brush that it touches. So this is why you should use the disposable brushes to prime your furniture. I like to give it 2 coats. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area (and a mask would definitely be a good idea here as well). Also, read the can and make sure you are waiting the accurate amount of time between coats.  

6. And it's finally time to paint! Just remember, several light coats are ALWAYS better than a few heavy coats. And again, remember to wait the accurate amount of time between coats (read your paint can). I always buy the $3 paint samples from Lowe's and unless you have a larger project (such as a dresser), it is always more than enough paint.  

7. Waxing. This is literally my least favorite step. Read your wax can to see how long you need to wait before starting this step. Also, if you read the lovely directions it says to apply the wax with a cloth. Well, you can do as you wish, but I have tried this several times and I hate how my piece turns out. So, I use my high-quality paint brush. Don’t judge! The key here, is several LIGHT coats. In the end, my furniture always turns out amazing.  

8. Finally, let your furniture dry for SEVERAL days before attaching the spray-painted hardware and wait SEVERAL MORE days before ever trying to use the piece of furniture. Just because it is dry, does not mean the paint is cured and ready for use. 

Just remember that this is a long process. There is no reason to be impatient, or it will just suck the fun right out of furniture flipping. Just be in the moment and enjoy the time you spend working on the piece and enjoy the downtime you have while it's drying. I hope you enjoyed this blog and if you would like to see more of my furniture creations, comment below. I would also love to see some of your projects!