I have a bedroom set in my guestroom that has faded from expresso brown to a reddish brown from the sunlight coming in my windows. Even though this isn’t a top quality set, I really like it and would like to refinish it. I just don’t know if I should stain it or paint it so I did a little online digging to find out what the differences are between the two. Low and behold I landed on the Home Depot Community Blog. The article I found explained all the differences to consider but the upshot is that staining requires bare wood, and a good quality wood is the best. Since my furniture already has a finish on it, I should use paint.
Of course my next step is how to do this. Another great site I found is Painted Furniture Ideas. She had many great tips to follow. First, just to get going and save a lot of time, she recommended using spray paint for your primer and first coat (look for latex or acrylic brands). Second, to avoid showing paint strokes, use high quality, longer bristle brushes that are made for the type of paint you’re using. She suggests Purdy or Wooster brands. Also, after painting with latex paint you should use a clear coat of Polycrylic for extra protection.
She had suggestions on different types of paint like using a metallic which I think cool!!
Here, though, is a favorite of mine. I love the tone on tone design. I think it’s very classy!!
Here are some suggestions on other good DIY Blogs to follow: