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That tattered old coffee table in my living room has been the pass down that won't ever die in my family. Purchased by my parents at a yard sale after they were married and then passed onto my brother when he left for college. Today it still stands strong in my living room—strong, but seriously scratched and heinously stained. My mission was to resurface and repaint this memory-filled piece of furniture. Reuse that old furniture when you can, a little low-VOC paint can go a long way.
How to Restore Old Furniture:
- First, sand down the piece of furniture, in my case, the coffee table, both to remove the outer layer of paint and to remove any imperfections in the surface.
- Use an eco-friendly primer for the bottom coat on the table. Prime all bare wood because the primer inhibits stains, prevents rot, and ensures a more even finish.
- Pick your low or no VOC paint color. Think about what would be a good fit in the room. In my case, I was going for the shabby chic look. The room has some rather intense coloring, a chocolate colored sofa, a grayish blue wingback chair, and carpet that ties them both together. So I wanted to choose a color that wouldn't fight with either one of them but instead, would bring them all together nicely. I went with a cream color.
- After painting two coats of the cream color I took a long metal brush and added texture to the top layer in order to achieve the shabby chic look. Make sure that you paint the same direction with the brush the whole time in order to keep a consistent texture.
- Look at the finished product to make sure it came out as you planned. If it's not quite what you planned, that's the beauty of paint, you can always try again.
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