Buffet Beauty

Leap of Faith
by Leap of Faith
13 Materials
$30
2 Days
Medium

A friend asked for help giving her buffet table a facelift. She recently spruced up her home with new flooring and repainted her walls. This beautiful buffet has been used in her entryway so she wanted to give it a little update, too.

The first thing I did was remove the drawer pulls, handles, and hinges.

Then I labeled the drawers top and bottom. I learned the hard way that drawers don’t always fit into the drawer slots universally. I also put tape over the drawer pull holes on the inside to make sure no primer or paint dripped into the drawers.

Time to clean! This buffet has been well taken care of but it still had to be thoroughly cleaned. Furniture polish or wax builds up on the surface and will cause primer and paint not to adhere.

There were a few small dents and scratches that needed repairing. I used MH Ready Patch to fill in those areas.

After the wood filler dried, it was time to sand. I used my orbital sander and 220 grit sanding pad on the flat surfaces. To tackle the curves, I hand sanded with 220 grit paper. Sanding gives primer and paint something to "grab" onto. Then I brushed off the piece with a soft bristle brush and also wiped it down with a microfiber cloth to remove sanding dust.

To make sure not to get paint on surfaces that aren’t being painted, I used Frog Paint Tape. This does time time and patience but it is so worth it in the end.

Just in case there was a chance of bleed through, I chose to prime with Dixie Belle Paint’s BOSS clear primer. For this project, I wanted to make sure no white primer showed through anywhere. (You can purchase gray primer or have your primer tinted at your local paint stores.)

My client chose Dixie Belle Paint in the color Manatee Gray. This a beautiful light gray with blue undertones. I used 3 coats of paint on the body and 4 coats on the top to make sure it was fully covered. I lightly sanded in between each coat to smooth the surface and it also helps hide brush strokes.


(This is the same base color I used on the top of the dry brushed coffee table in my post “From Formal to Farmhouse Cozy.” )

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/living-room/furniture/formal-to-farmhouse-cozy-44280536

On to sealing! I applied 2 coats of Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Satin. After stirring it to make sure it was well mixed, I poured some into a container. This prevents contaminating the sealer with paint from other projects. Since this sealer is water based, I keep my spray bottle filled with water close by to spray my brush if the clear coat fills like it is dragging. To apply the clear coat, I brushed it on with a paintbrush first then I went back over it with a sponge brush to hide brush strokes. I lightly sanded with 320 grit sandpaper in between coats.

My friend decided to use the original hardware and it was a perfect choice.

Isn't she beautiful!

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  2 questions
  • Jeanne Welker Jeanne Welker on Jul 25, 2021

    Can this paint be used on kitchen cabinets?

  • Sandra L Warren Sandra L Warren on Jul 26, 2021

    That turned out beautiful! I have a buffet that my parents had (I'm guessing before I was born) I have been trying to research the piece and have never seen one like it in my searches. I desperately want to know the age and maker but can't find anything. It is solid as heck (for all the moves it has been through) but it needs to be redone but I don't want to destroy it value if it has any by refinishing it until I know. Is there a way to find out info on pieces that you know of? Free if possible. Anyone?

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