Sideboard Goes from Drab to Fab Part I

October 20, 2016 1 Comment

We have spent the last couple of months trying to gather up all of our worldly possessions. This includes a 3,600 mile road trip to empty out a storage unit in Houston, TX that we really hadn't opened since we moved overseas about 8 years ago. And most of the furniture inside of it were hand-me-downs or starter pieces for newlyweds. Not exactly the stuff you want to showcase a brand new home and life, right?

One of the items inside was this cherry sideboard from my grandmother:

Before Dresser Image

Now as far as a functional piece of furniture, it's great. It has good lines, great storage space, it's not too big or too small. But it had been damaged long before it ever got to me. Furthermore, the finish is kind of blah, and the hardware wasn't exactly anything to write home about.

Tools to Paint Furniture

Alright, so here are the tools you need:

Rotary sander
Protective eyeglasses
Painters tape
Gold spray paint for the hardware
Water-based polyurethane
Semi-gloss latex based paint
Black sponge brushes
Trim roller brush
150, 220 and 320 grit sandpaper. Get the 150 pads for the rotary sander.

Tape Top of Sideboard

So I first had the Mister do all the prep work ;). He was excited to bust out some tools that we hadn't been able to use in about a decade, so that made me happy! Before sanding, remove all the hardware, and the doors (we didn't remove the doors and paid for it later)...

We also had to tape up the top of the sideboard because it had an inset top made of some kind of laminate. Being black, we thought it would look good with the green and didn't want to scratch it up with the sander.

Partly Sanded Dresser

Go over the entire surface of the sideboard with the 150 grit sandpaper until you have taken off the previous finish and are down to the bare wood. It is SO much easier to do this if you take the doors off the hinges and take the hinges off. (hint, hint).

Partly sanded sideboard 2

You can't get the little nooks and crannies with the orbital sander, so take your sheet of 150 sandpaper and make sure to get the trim. This will help the paint stick better.

Once you have finished sanding the piece, make sure to wipe down with a damp cloth and remove all the sawdust. Check out Part II next week to see how to get it painted!