Month: March 2018

We all have a table in our home that we really like, but has
more than lived out its days. Quite often it is the table in the dining room which
has been so well loved that it is just worn out where painting it is the
solution. Instead of tossing it out, here is how to paint a table for your
dining room.

Prepare an area

Before you ever start considering how to paint a table for your dining room,
you need to prepare an area that is specifically set up for this project.
If you’re painting in a garage or in your home, you be needed
to lay down the painting drop cloth. Even the best of
painters can have the spill from time to time.

Remove the Old Finish

Whether your table had a previous coat of paint or just a clear, protective
coating you need to remove all of the added items to the table until you are
back to the base wood. This will allow you a smoother painting
surface.

For this job you can purchase any paint or the varnish
remover from your local hardware store and follow the
directions on the package. In some cases, you can have the
stubborn old paint or varnish which will not come off. This is
where you will need to bring in sandpaper to get those coatings removed down
to a base wood.

Clean the Surface

Once you have removed all the old paint, it is time to ensure you
have the pristine surface so as to work with for the painting
job. Dust and wipe down the whole tables to remove any
particles which are left over from the stripping and sanding job.
Any debris left behind when painting a table, table can get caught
up in the paint and lead to an area that bubbles or chips
easily.

Painting

Now it’s the time you have been waiting for, time to pull
out that new paint. Start by applying a base coat and letting it dry. It
is vital that you only paint one layer and allow it to fully dry. Many people
become impatient and want to pile on layers of wet paint
hoping to complete the project more quickly. This will
lead to an unattractive finish and likely send you back to the beginning.

Once your base coat is completely dry, add a second coat. Again, allow this to
thoroughly dry before you consider whether or not the piece needs more paint.
Continue adding one coat at a time until you have the
desired amount and color of paint on your tables of your
dining room.

Finishing Coat

Once the painting of the tables you have been made the final question which you
need to ask yourself is, do you need to add the finishing protective coats?
Since you have been painting your tables which have had been beaten up due to
excessive use, this will not be the bad idea of adding the simple coat to clear
the coat as being the final layer to offer your tables as the extra defense
against the active family.

Not unlike a treasure hunt, there is a thrill to finding
that perfect antique piece. Yet, when you find it, you may already be thinking about
the various ways to restore it to its original beauty and counteract the
ravages of countless years of neglect and decay.

One of the prized antique-quality pieces that people seek is
the stand-alone cupboard, which tends to evoke an era of core family values and
old-world charm. It is typically an impressive piece of craftsmanship, standing
tall and wide, with a bearing that signifies an understated pride in having
stored a family’s household belongings with dignity. Though its underlying
beauty remains, the overall distressed appearance, complete with faded paint
and chipped wood, brings forth compassion in the purchaser’s heart.

That is not to say that you would necessarily want to
restore the cupboard completely to its original glory, because the aging
process also adds charisma and contributes toward making the piece even more
distinguished. However, there is a point at which an antique cupboard becomes
depressingly weathered, at which point a fresh coat of paint, stain, glaze or
other treatment becomes necessary.

The key is to decide whether your goal is total restoration,
in the sense of making it look good as new,
or the pursuit of a more selective artistic renovation with a more nuanced
purpose of capturing the essence of its age by virtue of keeping and even accentuating
its imperfections. In fact, maybe the “imperfections” that have accrued over
time are really what give the piece its old-world charm. Is it really worth
restoring the cupboard to its original glory if all of those acquired
attributes are regarded as flaws to be edited out of existence? This type of
forethought and planning requires careful consideration, as it will influence
all of the decisions you make throughout the process.

The first step in the repainting process is to take a coarse
piece of sandpaper (40 or 50-grit for rougher looking projects and 60-120 for
less distressed pieces) in order to remove flaking paint and splintering wood.
Once the surface is relatively smooth, continue to prepare it by using finer
sandpaper (150-220) to get it ready to receive the first coat of paint. If you
are looking to simply polish the wood, then a grit designation of 320 and up is
preferable to make the wood more receptive for adhesion.

Now comes the time to select your paint color and finish. Do
you want to make it the original color or do you have something else in mind?
Do you want it to be a matte or glossy finish? Do you want to simulate a
distressed look or paint the entire cupboard in a uniform way? If you decide
you want a distressed look, then make sure you have done your research and/or
have an artistic gene, because it will require some talent to get it right. You
only have one chance to get the creative design you want, or you will end up
painting the entire cupboard anyway to cover up your mistakes.

The process of finding that perfect antique piece and
orchestrating its artistic renaissance, whether by completely restoring its
original appearance or accentuating its acquired traits over time, is a most
rewarding endeavor. Best of luck with your project and enjoy your creative,
one-of-a-kind treasure.