What I love about thrifting is that you can find some awesome
pieces for a fraction of the cost you would pay in another store. The chest
that I used for this project, I drove past for about two days and one day I
finally said to myself "Go see how much they want for it". The store
had the chest tagged for $50. We were able to talk them down to $40.
Before
Tip one for thrifters: negotiate
the price, but know your store. Often times the store needs to get rid of the
item to make room for other items that will be donated. Keep in mind, there are
also "high end" thrift stores that have the more expensive vintage items
that are a little more difficult to talk down simply because they're an
"antique".
The Color.
Initially I purchased Amy Howard Hugo Grey. It's a very beautiful
color, but when I painted one strip on the chest, it didn't stand out or speak
to me.
I spent so much time searching for a perfect Charcoal, Navy,
Black, Midnight blue mix. I guess you can say I was all over the place. I
stopped by my local Home Depot found a PERFECT Classic Blue. I LOVE blue tones.
Especially rich blues, so this was a no brainer. I purchased four cans of Rust-Oleum
Classic Blue.
I am an avid "Googler" of ideas. I love being able
to find a sample color on a project to make a definite decision about paint.
Can you believe I couldn't find the sample of the color online?
I purchased the color
after testing it out on a test strip and fell in love. Rust-Oleum is my GO
TO paint simply because it's so user friendly, non-drip, and the paint
and primer is combined. I love how I am able to open and use their paint without
hassle.
The Process.
The entire process took me about three days to complete. I took two days to correct the holes and allow them to dry. I used Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler to correct holes. It's super easy to apply, just squeeze and fill. You are supposed to scrape off extra filler to smooth the surface, but I did not have a scraper. I used a finger and patted the shape as smooth as I could, and then once it dried I sanded it down to a smooth sharp edge.
Tip two: Look
past the ugliness. The chest that I used for this project wasn't too filled
with grit and gunk like past projects, but it did have a few dents in the wood that needed to
be corrected.
After the second day, I
sanded it down. I plan to invest in a sander in the future, but for now, I used 3M
Garnet 100 Grit Sandpaper from Home Depot.
Then, I re-wiped my surface. It's always a good idea to clean any residue before painting so the residue is not left in your paint.
Tip three: Be
patient. Good things take time. It's easy to get hasty or impatient with the
process. Have fun!
After cleaning the surface once last time, I applied the spray
paint. The chest took about 3 and 1/2 cans of paint.
Tip four: Make sure you allow the chest
to dry before going over areas for a second coat.
The Finished Product.
I even found a few Blue dressers online priced at $253 and higher. I couldn't imagine paying that.
I can't wait to find another piece to work on. The next item (or two) I'm on the look for are a dining room table (I wish I could build one myself) or a Modern open-shelved bookcase.
