Refinishing Furniture with......Spray Paint?

Yep, you read it right.  Spray Paint!  I love this technique for so many reasons, no brush strokes and a super quick drying time between coats are just a few of my favorite reasons.  I primed and painted both pieces and then glazed them with a black glaze.  The primer I love to use is Kilz in the spray form, and my favorite spray paint is Krylon.  I love Krylon because of the nozzle--it is so great for spraying anything, but especially furniture.  The color for both pieces is Ivory in a gloss finish, and then I brushed a black glaze over both pieces after the paint was dry.  Glazing is a wonderful way to bring out detail in a piece or to get a really good distressed look.

Before

This was the first piece I ever did.  I was a little nervous to be doing it with spray paint, but I knew with this piece, I would have nothing to lose if it didn't turn out!  However, it did turn out, and made me a true believer in the spray painting technique!

After

 

Here it is all finished and in it's new home.   I still need to find drawer pulls for the bottom drawer.  They are an odd size, so I may have to end up ordering them.  It is in our game room in the basement.  On the top sits jars filled with art supplies and inside the drawers are all of our coloring books, construction paper, etc.

One of the very first shows I filmed was re-finishing this desk for my daughter's room.  I had been wanting to refinish this desk for a while, but couldn't decide what to do with it. When I finally decided, I thought it would be a great topic for a show.

Before

After

I love how it turned out, and so does my daughter.  I did this with the same paint/glaze combination I did the dresser with, but then I added a few decorative elements with chalk board paint.  I had a piece of sheet metal cut to fit the opening in the back of the hutch.  I had to clean the sheet metal with vinegar before I could paint it, because it is treated with some kind of oil.  After cleaning it, I primed it with a spray automotive primer and then I sprayed it with chalk board paint.  I used sheet metal rather than wood because I also wanted the surface to be magnetic.  The desk top was taped off in the diamond pattern and then painted with the chalk board spray paint as well.  The pattern was a little difficult to get right, but once the measurements were figured out, it went pretty quick.  I wish I had step by step pictures for this, but I didn't think to take pictures while we were filming.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section, and I will get back to you as quick as I can.

All in all, I really like this technique!  I already have plans to do an old china hutch given to me by my Grandma.  I am just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to go outside and do it.  I will certainly remember to get some good step-by-step pics the next time around!