Domestic Training: Furniture Stripping 101

Amy, from Peppertowne is here to train us in the proper way to strip that yucky furniture and make something beautiful!

•••

 Supplies:

Jasco paint stripper, paper towels, rags, putty knife, paintbrush, glass container, sandpaper, electric sander, and gloves

Step 1

 To give this dresser a new stain I needed to get rid of layers and layers of paint and lacquer using furniture stripper. Always wear gloves and work in an open ventilated area, this stuff is toxic, it burns your skin on contact and is not good to inhale. Don't be intimidated to use this stuff, it's easy as pie, this was my first time and it turned out excellent. 

Work in small areas, about one foot square. Shake the can before you use it, but make sure to open it slowly or it will explode in your face. Pour a small amount in a glass container, not plastic it will melt plastic. Use a paint brush and paint on a thick layer, let it sit a few minutes until you see blisters bubbling, then using a putty knife scrape it off and wipe onto paper towels, throw away. Repeat until the whole surface has been done, you may have to do this twice before enough paint is removed. Sand down the surface using an electric sander until the remaining paint is gone and the surface is smooth.

Step 2

Lightly sand the rest of the surfaces, apply a coat of primer, let dry and paint. I used Valspar Sanibel Gray, then stained the top. I used Old Dad's Clearcoat, the best ever but unfortunately they don't make this anymore, luckily my Dad has several cans left of this liquid gold.

Step 3

Spray paint the hardware, I used Rust-Oleum hammered copper for a beautiful rustic finish. I used sand paper to add some distressing and age marks, it really makes the drawers stand out.

•••

Thanks for the great tips Amy! For even more creative-ness, visit Peppertowne!