Peeling Veneer? No Fear! A Showstopper in Red

by The Painted Drawer by Suzanne Bagheri

I was given this lovely old empire buffet to restore and transform by a neighbor and friend. She is in the process of a huge home renovation and wants it to be the focal point in her new foyer.

peeling veneer no fear a showstopper in red, how to, painted furniture

The piece has those gorgeous empire style lines but was in pretty desperate condition.

The top, sides and bottom had chipped and peeling veneer. For the top, I used a strong carpenters glue and vice and clamped it back down. I then added wood putty and sanded it back.

I added wood putty to the sides and again, sanded and reapplied until smooth.

The bottom veneer was really coming off in places. I chipped off the large pieces and added wood putty to smooth it all out. This is a tedious process!

What a transformation in red! I applied two coats of paint and distressed the edges prior to the topcoat.

For the paint brand and color - check out my post!

No more chipping veneer and the glass pulls really pop against the deep red.

Clean inside and out and ready for its new place in its new space!

Check out my post for a full before and after with details!

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2 questions

Sandra K Salisbury on Mar 23, 2016
What did you use for the top coat? I'm curious about these waxes that are frequently mentioned.

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Sandra on Mar 24, 2016
I have my mom's China cabinet. It has lost a piece of veneer on the base in front, but I can't bring myself to paint it. I want to keep it as it was in our house for as long as I can remember. I have decided to have someone do the veneer for me, although I have been told I can do it myself. My questions about your project are did your client want the chest painted and was all that beautiful wood veneer? It has a beautiful,grain so I am wondering why it all got painted.

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