I have been buying and painting furniture from the thrift store for as long as I can remember. My favorite piece I got before going off to college, where I knew I would have my own space to design and fill. I bought a vintage school desk and painted it orange and left on the old flowery knobs. I still have this piece of furniture, after many different coats of paint and several knob changes, it sits in my son's room and once served as his changing table. I love to give things a new look.... when you're decorating on a budget (and don't want plastic furniture) this is the perfect way to transform a space. You are also doing a solid for mother earth-you should always consider buying a 'used' or as I like to call is 'seasoned' piece of furniture. Not only are you being green, but you will feel so good once you have completed a great project for your own home, all by yourself :)
Materials:
- one piece of used or 'seasoned' furniture
- Paper towels and cleaner
- Paint color of choice (I used 1/2 a can for this piece.)
- Medium size brush
- New knobs
First choose your piece of furniture. I knew I needed more storage in my son's playroom. I was looking for something with a few drawers, that wasn't too tall, he's a climber. I found this old t.v. cabinet and it was missing the top drawer. Because of this it was marked down to $7. I SAID SEVEN DOLLARS, PEOPLE! Usually, I would expect to pay around $15 or so for a piece this size, still way cheaper than new!
I always wipe down the surface of any thrift furniture I buy. You never know where it has been or who has touched it, so I always recommend washing off your thrift finds before you begin painting, or using it even if you don't paint it.
Now remove the old knobs. Even if you don't plan on replacing the knobs (some do come with pretty hardware) still remove them so you don't get paint on them. They could also use a good wash if you plan on using its original hardware. If you like the knobs but not the color, why not paint them, too? They make specific spray paint for metal-go for it!
Paint the furniture with a good quality paint. I had Behr interior paint left over so I used the rest of that. Don't try to use left over 'craft' paint like acrylic or oil. It will just end up chipping and wearing over a short period of time and then all your hard work will be ruined!
Let your first coat dry overnight and give it a second coat once you are sure the first is completely dry.
Replace the knobs after you give it another night to sit and dry. I also found these knobs at Goodwill. I paid $2.94 for a bag of about 30 knobs. What. A. Deal. I've already used these on several different pieces around the house. You never know what people will get rid of :)
Lastly, stock pile those drawers and enjoy the new storage and newly found floor space! We use ours as a garage. That's where all of Eli's cars 'live' and he knows where to put them all when it's clean up time! I put two large baskets in the 'empty drawer' and even stored puzzles in bewtween them :) Enjoy your recycled storage, we do!!!!
Here are some knobs I love :)
