When you have college students, knowing how to properly refinish furniture comes in very handy. It’s college move-in week here in Boston and if you’ve had any kids headed to college, you’ll completely understand the totally confusing emotional ups-and-downs we go through as parents. But in an effort to keep busy and be part of the excitement, I helped my daughter furnish her new off-campus apartment – something that’s totally fun and right up my ally as a furniture flipper!
Her very small apartment needed a small kitchen table and chairs so we headed off to the local thrift store. This particular thrift store has a $5.00 section set up outside where they put miscellaneous furniture that (I assume) they think is too far gone for people to really pay much money for them. It’s my favorite section!
We picked up these two mahogany chairs for only $5.00 each. Well, they were actually under $1.00 because we donated 3 bags of clothes after cleaning out closets and at this particular thrift store you get a $5.00 credit for every large bag of clothes donated.
Yup! under $1.00 for these two chairs (to cover the tax). I almost felt guilty. But I always send my donations here so it all works out.
My daughter was really hesitant to take these chairs home. To her they looked old and dirty. To me they were the perfect small size for an apartment and had the coolest modern shape!
Two coats of primer and two coats of white enamel later and these two vintage mahogany chairs were transformed into modern white beauties! Perfect for an apartment.
Tip: When painting over mahogany stain, be sure to prime with BIN primer which is a shellac-based primer and the only one that truly prevents bleed-through.
My parents had a small round pedestal table in their cellar. Actually, I think this table may have been their first kitchen table when they got married more than 50 years ago! It’s white formica with a metal base.
At first I spray painted the base white to touch up some scratches, but I could tell right away the spray paint wasn’t covering well and was scratching off easily. And the formica top was yellowing around the edges. So I put a coat of the BIN primer on the formica top and then painted on two coats of the white enamel.
WhaaaaLaaa!… new table!
The enamel is super durable and sticks to everything from these solid wood chairs to the formica table top and the metal base. That’s three different materials. Boy do I love enamel paint.
What a super cute set for an apartment.
And yes, those are two dressers in the background that are also going to school with my daughter.
Yes, knowing how to refinish furniture and the right paints to use comes in really handy. It’s taken me years of trial and error and experimenting to feel confident in shopping for pieces I know I can transform and choosing the right paints.
Would you like to learn more about how to choose and refinish furniture?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products I use myself.
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