I wanted to make a vanity seat for my daughters room and finally found the perfect little seat at the thrift store. It needed some love, so I set out to refinish it for her.
This is part of a two part project. The other part was making the cushion to go on top of it. You can see that post HERE.
This is a project that anyone can do and the materials were all things I had, or found on clearance.
Materials
- Thrifted piece of furniture that needs re-painting and love
- Paint stripper if needed
- Sander
- Sand paper
- Paint ( regular or spray) I used both
- Foam paint roller
- clear satin spray paint
- Peel and stick wallpaper if needed
- Bondo for fixing any cosmetic issues
- Wood glue for repairs
Step 1: Removing all of the old paint
The piece I chose was not a solid wood piece, but wood with veneer glue onto it. I didn’t know this until I started stripping the paint off. It was painted poorly, so most of the paint was coming off of mine in large chunks with just a spackling knife.
If you need to apply a paint stripper to remove old paint, make sure you apply it in a well ventilated area and use PPE when needed.
What didn’t come off with a few scraps, I used my orbital sander for. I love my dewalt sander. Older sanders I had were pressure sensitive, making it turn on and off only when pressure was being applied. I went through sanding pads like crazy on these.
I love this one because I can turn it on and off with a switch button instead. You can get it on amazon HERE.
I used a bigger more aggressive grit to start. I used 80 grit. I didn’t want to go to harsh because it would scratch the veneer surface. I also needed to be careful not to press too hard, and sand through the veneer to the wood under it. I accidentally did this in a few spots….
Then after the 80 grit sandpaper, I went back over the whole thing with 100 grit to smooth out any spots that were really rough.
Step 2: Repairs
Once I got all of the paint off, my piece needed a few repairs. The wood working on the drawers was loose at the corners, and several places had large chunks of veneer missing or chipped on the sides.
I mixed some Bondo and placed it over the damaged veneer places. Bondo is my favorite. If you have been around awhile you know this about me. It doesn’t shrink like other wood fillers, and it cures FAST. Sometimes too fast. I have to mix small batches and work quickly, but there definitely isn’t any waiting around.
The only downside of it is, it is very strong smelling, so working in a well ventilated area.
While I waited for the bondo to set up all the way, I applied some wood glue to the drawer corners that were a little loose, and clamped them so that the wood glue would cure them into place.
After the Bondo is completely cured, I used a 120 grit sandpaper, and the sander to smooth out the repaired areas.
I also sanded any wood glue drips, but there wasn’t many.
Step 3: Paint
I had planned on staining the drawer front and painting the sides. I mixed up some stain, and on my way out the back door, I spilled it EVERYWHERE. I mean all over my shoes, legs, the sidewalk, grass, clothes… It was one of the biggest messes I have made in a long time.
I was pretty upset, but decided to try and keep going forward. I used a rag and mopped up some of the spilled stain and tried to apply it to the drawer front.
There just wasn’t enough, and it was pulling weird pink hues from the wood.
So I cut my losses and made another plan.
I ran to the store and checked their mis-tint shelf. This is my favorite way to get cheap paint. If I don’t have a specific color in mind and feel open about what it can look like, I go to the discount shelf. They usually have tons of colors, and the prices are awesome.
I found a small pint of tan/ off white, for $3.50. I grabbed it and practically danced out of the store.
I brought it home, used a foam roller, and started painting the whole drawer front, and shelf area in this color.
I decided to spray the sides of the seat with a gold spray paint I had on hand. It made it look fun and different. I don’t love how splotchy the gold looks overall, and may repaint it sometime in the future, but for now, its fine.
I did two coats of everything.
Step 4: Seal the paint
Next after the paint had dried I used a clear satin spray paint to seal the whole piece. I did this to add durability, since this is in my kids room I feel like things get so dinged up in there.
Step 5: Lining the drawer
I had some wallpaper on hand and decided that the insides of the drawers would look cute lined in it. I cut it into strips the right size and added it inside the drawers. I love the way it adds a little pop inside.
Next is the cushion part. You can see that tutorial HERE.
Here is the seat in her room. Its the perfect height and she loves the extra storage.
-Amanda