Sean Wells via iPhone

BEFORE

AFTER

A quick rehab of a 1970′s sewing table.  I was enamored with the lattice weave front, so I decided to accentuate the panels by using contrasting colors at the natural break lines.  I discovered four cans of black gloss spray paint at my Mom’s house, so that determined my base color.  Then, I had 1 can of “Ivy Leaf” Krylon gloss that I have been itching to use.  It’s a bright avocado color.  It was not enough to paint all the green, so I used a partial can of an evergreen color for the top.  I was disappointed at first that I didn’t have enough of the bright green, but I actually liked it better when I was done.  It’s much more sophisticated this way.  I kept the existing handles because i liked their lines and shot them with the black and a clear coat.  I put a hefty clear coat on the whole thing to give it a lacquer look.  I hit the top black trim a lot and let the overspray fall on to the evergreen.  This gave the evergreen a darkened edge, which I was going to correct, but then decided to keep.  It reminded me of the old leather table tops that get the weathered fade at the edges.

Here is the masking stage.  I did the majority of the masking and painting in complete darkness.  It’s not the best idea, but it made it more exciting to see it in the morning and it’s sometimes the only me-time option when you have toddlers.  I used blue painter’s tape and some scrap paper.

Step by step:

1. Removed all hardware and hidden sewing machine using mostly a phillips head screwdriver.
2. Light sanding with a fine 220 grit sandpaper.
3. Gray primer on all exposed wood.
4. Light sanding fine grit paper again.
5. 2 coats of gloss black spray paint.  Remember to coat hardward, too!
6. After completely drying, mask off any areas you want to remain black.
7. If the second color is very sheer (usually colors that are saturated with not a lot of creaminess in them), I recommend hitting the panel areas with a good primer base coat (ideally white).  I had a can of emerald green that had been sitting around.  Let dry.
8. Hit with 2 coats of Ivy Leaf Krylon (let dry in between).
9. After dry to the touch, remove masking (oh, this step was soooo fun).
10. Reattach hardware.
11. Several coats of clear gloss (let dry n between).
12. Voila!

This piece is headed for the consignment shop today!

Sean Wells via iPhone

1. 

   BEFORE

   Removed broken pieces

2. Tightened and reglued connections
3. Reinforced weak leg and arm joints
4. Applied sandable wood filler on ding-ed areas
5. Lightly sanded
6. 1 can gray acrylic spray primer
7. 1 can Krylon Bauhaus Orange acrylic spray
8. Power staple gunned new fabric on seat

AFTER!

So glad I took the time to put on a new seat fabric.  I HIGHLY recommend investing in a power staple gun if you plan to refinish.  It is so much more pleasurable to work with than the manual gun.  I regret using a grey primer as a base.  The white primer was more expensive, but would have given me a crisper orange color.  The Krylon Bauhaus Orange is lovely, but pretty sheer.  OK, hope you like it as much as I!  It will go into my new booth space 37A at Antiques & Things 4710 Central Ave.  Oh, my Chinese Vanity sold for full price from the consignment shop–whohoo!

Sean Wells via iPhone

Sean Wells via iPhone

Committing to a paint color can be difficult at times but for this project I knew that I wanted my counter stools to match the gray countertops & black appliances in my kitchen. I applied several layers of Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover Gray Primer to the legs and allowed an hour to dry. When the primer had adequate time to dry I applied two layers of Rustoleum’s Dark Gray Gloss Ultra Cover and let it sit over night.

The following morning Mr. Polo gave me the “okay” to proceed to the next step.

Several layers of black Behr interior satin enamel “oops paint”, purchased from Home Depot, were applied on the seat edges.

Using a dinner plate as a template I traced an outline onto the backside of my favorite decorative paper and carefully trimmed along my pencil line. Using a foam brush, I applied a layer of Mod Podge to the stool and the backside of my paper and carefully positioned the paper onto the seat. Working from the center I used the edge of an expired Starbuck's gift card to eliminate any air bubbles.

Add three layers of Minwax ploycrylic protective finish to the counter stool, sanding lightly between each coat, and now l have three beautiful stools that match my kitchen perfectly.

Beth

In this video, I convert an old bike stroller into a Skull.  Why in the world would I do that?  To involve my family in the joyful atmosphere of celebration for the annual Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade in Albuquerque, NM!  I use a fleece base and smoke-colored vinyl for the cover.  The cover is clipped to the existing fabric canopy.  I make tissue paper flower accents.  It was a fun project and I introduce a bit of the history of Dia de los Muertos in the video.  And, of course, my kids loved it!  Enjoy!