From Rubbish Pile To Height of Style - Restoring A Sideboard

traceysweeney6
May 12, 2016
2 min read

The Yeppoon Paint Place store were offered a rather worn sideboard and our talented team jumped at the chance to restore this rather beaten piece of furniture to even better than its glory days.

Time Frame

Weekend Project (1-2 days)

Build Your Basket

Sandpaper

An electric sander (optional)

Putty (optional)

Zinsser B.I.N Primer

Brushes

Designer Shot of your chosen colour (we used New Look "Strike The Stars")

Porter's Chalk Emulsion in your chosen colour (we used white)

Stucco wax

Step One

Something this ... loved ... needs some serious TLC to get started. Take all your doors off and drawers out and patch up any major gaps, holes and gouges (we opted to leave any minor imperfections which will come up beautifully in this shabby chic finish). Then, get sanding.

Paint Guy Tip: Full bragging rights are in order if you do it by hand (an excellent upper body work out) but bonus points for speed and smarts if you have, or can borrow, an electric sander.

Step Two

For the best possible result, you must use an undercoat. We used Zinsser B.I.N Primer to stop tannin bleed. You want an even coat over every surface, including the inside. Start with the edges and corners before moving onto the full panels.

Paint Guy Tip: Once it's dry, make sure you give it a good sand to take off any rough bits and paint dribbles (this is best done by hand).

Step Three

This step will give you the beautiful weathered two-tone effect that makes shabby chic so stylish. Select an undercoat in a shade you love. We used a New Look designer shot called "Strike The Stars". Cover the whole of the dresser evenly and smoothly. Again, once it's dry, give it a light stand to get rid of any rough patches and dribbles.

Step Four

The next layer will be, for the most part, your final colour. Porter's Chalk Emulsion is a specialist paint for furniture restorations, with a decorative matt finish giving a soft chalky appearance. We chose fresh white. Get a smooth, even finish on this coat, completely covering the previous colour.

Completely Coated In Porters Chalk Emulsion

Step Five

Once the top coat has dried, you need to sand again, however this time you're not just getting off any imperfections but trying to reveal a little of the colour beneath. Lightly sand the entire piece, applying just a little extra pressure on the edges of the piece and on the seams between any planks or panels to create a more authentic weathering effect.

Paint Guy Tip: Any natural or pre-existing imperfections, such as knots, should give extra character to the piece.

Once you're finished, give the piece a good wipe down to get any dust off.

Step Six

Screw on your handles - there are some beautiful vintage-style handles available that will update your piece even further, or perhaps you can clean up and reuse the original handles - then reattach the doors and put the drawers back in.

Step Seven

Finish the whole project with some stucco wax applied with a cloth for a smooth finish.