Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Blue Hutch

When I bought this hutch, I bought it knowing I was going to paint it. However, the big debate was what color. As always...I was leaning towards black. But, I wanted something different since 90% of the furniture in my house is black. So, I called up paint expert Stephanie Farris:)  She thought a blue to match my dishes would be cute. She is the expert, so I trusted her. I love the finished piece. She taught me - so now I teach you. Read and learn....haha
1) PICK YOUR PAINT COLOR: I took my blue and white plate to Lowes (or Home Depot, honesty I can't remember) and found a color that matched perfectly. When trying to decide on a color, ask a friend for their opinion. It is always fun to think outside of our own box:) FYI - they can also custom mix a paint color if you can't find one to match.
2) GET TO PAINTING: I put 2 coats of the blue paint on the hutch. I wasn't concerned about it looking perfect because I knew I was going to distress it. 
3)SAND BABY SAND: After the paint was dry I got the electric sander and started to distress. This is my favorite part!! I wanted it to be heavily distressed so I tried to run the sander along ALL edges. You really can't mess up distressing. If you are nervous about it, don't be:) Go ahead, distress the entire piece of furniture and then step back and see what you think. If it needs touching up then you just have to repaint some spots..no biggie. Just don't judge your entire piece when only a part of it is done.
4) STAIN IT: This step is optional. But I really, really like the results from staining a piece. It gives it a great depth. Before, the blue seemed kind of bright. But once the stain went on it gave it a nice "aged" look. If you are going to use stain, just remember a little bit goes a long way. I brushed the stain on the entire piece, doing a small section at a time. After I brushed it on I used a rag to wipe off the excess. If you do stain, it is a good idea to wear gloves so your hands don't get stained too. I never wear gloves...but it is a good idea:)
So there you go...PAINTING FURNITURE 101. Now you are ready to tackle your own furniture painting project. You can do it! And, be brave - don't always pick black or cream paint:)

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