Pinned It & Did It: Furniture Painting Sans Sanding

Who doesn't love the idea of refinishing furniture without the hassle of sanding? I'd looked at this pin several times, wondering when I'd find the right piece of furniture to give it a try.

Pin. Original Source.

Well, a month or so ago, we received a call from our neighbors who wanted to give us a few large kid items that they were purging while their kids were visiting their grandparents. It seems that tweens and teenagers no longer need a rocking horse or a kiddy table and chair set but might have a hard time letting go. We gladly accepted the items, and Madeleine has enjoyed them nearly every day since.

A quick wipe of the rocking horse, and he was good to go. (For the record, I love these wipes.)

I had a colorful vision for the table and chairs, however. Structurally, they're in perfect shape having been made from solid wood and tightly woven wicker. On the surface, I wasn't crazy about the finish and thought it'd look even better if we could cover up the cup rings, glitter, and paint left from lots of loving use.

We lived with the set as-is for a couple of weeks while we confirmed that it fit Madeleine and I figured out a plan for refinishing them. I considered renting or buying a sander, stripping everything down to raw wood, and painting it fresh. Then, I remembered the pin that claimed I could paint furniture without sanding it. I decided that this would be the perfect project for testing a shortcut because I can always sand it down and start again later (thank you, solid wood). Feeling like this was a now or never project, I dashed to Home Depot one Sunday morning to get supplies and get moving.

(Psssst. That's our new family room paint color. Isn't it delicious?)

The chair seats (wicker) got one coat of this primer and two or three coats of this paint in gloss white. I'm really, really pleased with the results and wonder if I've finally mastered spray painting. Repeat after me: less is more.

The table and rest of the chairs got one coat of this primer, per tutorial instructions, followed by three coats of this paint spread over two or three days. The color was matched to Glidden Candy Apple.

Here's where you gain some wisdom from my mistakes. In hind sight, I wish I would have tinted the primer because I had only just completely covered the white with the third coat. It really could have used a fourth coat, but I was out of patience and worried that too many coats would compromise the paint's durability. I also can't help but wonder if I would have been happier with smoother results from spray painting rather than using a brush and roller. It remains to be seen how durable the paint will be, especially because the finish is a bit "sticky" even after drying for a couple weeks, but no chips yet. All that said, I have no regrets. I love the new colors, and I'm glad that it's done.

Good addition to Madeleine's play area in the den? I think so. (Yep, that's the rocking horse. Isn't he darling?)

What now or never project have you taken on recently?