Hi guys! Open House with the boys went very well yesterday! I think I may have a slight problem with Nick only because he tends to stay off to himself when he does not know you. But we’ll see. I have until Monday to get him excited about school!
Today I’m going to show how not to paint furniture. Why, you ask? Because I completely messed up this desk for my sons room a few weeks back and that’s why it didn’t make into the room!
I started with this desk found on Craigslist for $20
Before I start, I must say that this piece is laminate (meaning that its not wood) and therefore it needed a special kind of primer. With that in mind, I decided to use Glidden “GRIPPER” primer that is recommended for this type of furniture.
It’s basically for anything that will make regular paint hard to stick to plus its grey which is good for using under dark paint colors.
Everything went well with the application of the primer. I forgot to mention that it also fills in any “hair line cracks in the wood”. This piece did have three going up the side and the primer sealed them. I didn’t think to take a picture, but I’ll try to show you on my next post on “HOW TO PAINT A CAMPAIGN DESK”!
Okay so it’s primed! Looking good right? Here comes the horror. The application of the navy blue paint (I chose navy before I found the orange)
This is a really nice blue! And it’s gloss so its gonna shine. Here is where I screwed up
Do you see how the paint looks on the top of the desk? I couldn’t get a good shot of it, but it’s caked on. Why, you ask? Because I used a regular paint roller that you would use on your walls
That paint caked on the desk like icing on a cake. And I’m not talking about fondant! Oh it was a mess. The more I rolled the messier things got
And then the worst possible thing happened…..The paint started peeling….
I was so frustrated that I wanted to take a hammer and beat the desk to pieces and toss it out! Don’t believe me? Ask Dayka! See, I know better. I was trying to take the cheap way out and use what I had on hand. In some cases that work, but when you’re painting a piece of furniture and you want it to look nice DO NOT SKIMP ON THE RIGHT TOOLS. So now I have to start over on a desk that is in worse shape than it was when I brought it home. But no worries. At least I know how to fix this problem. In my next post on this desk, I will give you a step by step break down on how to update furniture with paint and get great results. Well, I’ll show you how I fixed my mess;-)
Have you ever ruined a simple DIY project? Did you go back and correct it? Or do you not know how to correct it? If you have pictures I’d love to feature them or give you advice that you may need! Email me at lakeitha_duncan(at)yahoo(dot)com
Have a great weekend!
19 comments:
I'm headed to Home Depot to get some of that primer
Oh I hate when that happens! You get all excited to use what's on hand and then you get ahead of yourself and mess it up! I have had a few of those projects! Can't wait to see the redo :)
Girl! That is not a simple project... I have yet to attempt painting furniture because it seems like it is more complicated that it appears. Glad you asked Dayka for advice because she is a PRO! ;)
What?! What a mess, I would have been crying...the last time a DIY went really bad was when I was making Roman Shades for my kitchen. I could not get the strings to work right to move the shade up and down easily AND hang evenly. I started crying, Isabella felt soooooo bad for me!! Then it turned into a sweet moment and I finally figured it out.
Looking forward to how you fixed this desk!! Janell
Yikes! I had something similar when I was restaining a dining room table and applied rub-on poly while the stain was not completely dry. What a mess! Luckily I got it worked out, and I was so angry and flustered I did not think to take photos! I know your project will turn out great - can't wait to see it!
Oh no! How annoying! I guess we all live and learn!
Have a fab weekend!
Will
is that navy latex paint?? i think we may have discussed this, but i think the problem is the 2 you used together, because it generally only bubbles and peels if the 2 products are not compatible. hmmmmm . . . . anyhow, i'm glad you got it worked out, and can't wait to see the final product!
THanks so much for stopping by to see my new office nook & for the great comments. I'm really pleased with it!
Oh, my! I hate that you had such a problem with this desk, but glad you are getting it fixed. I've never had a really bad time with furniture painting so far.
Yikes!! I just started using oil based primer when painting laminate - I did this with my sons desk (the every top) and it came out perfect. I also use sponge roller brushes, and nice brush to finish the application.
When ever I use stock paints, like the one you bought, I have the paint department shake the paint can for me.
My last diy project gone wrong was, our diy trellis I made last year. The concept was could but our attempt was bad!! lol
OH no - so so sorry. Hopefully it isn't too much of a pain to get it on the right road again!
I'm a new reader here & I love the blog!
I haven't tried to paint any of my furniture yet, mainly because a lot of my bookshelves and things are laminate...I look forward to hearing about doing it the right way though! :)
xo
Sorry to hear about your tragic experience with this desk :(
I'm having my own DIY issues. While taping and prepping my living area for painting I realize I have no putty to fill the holes. I decide to use the bathroom caulk that I have on hand..WRONG. WRONG. WRONG! A one day project will now be a two day project UGH!!
That can be such a pain, but, i know you'll fix it:-). I am an avid painter of furniture and walls(i feel sorry for my house sometimes because it never gets a rest from my painting hands). I've learned through trial and error that having the right tools definitely helps to give the desired finish and cuts down on unwanted outcomes:-). First time to your blog too. Happy weekend!
I got a good giggle out of your wanting to beat the desk to pieces. LOL! I know that feeling well.
Can't wait to see the next post.
Projects gone bad? Don't get me started and crying goes along with it. My family wonders why I take on some of the crazy things that I do. Guys, they never understand :)
-Rene
You must be so frustrated. I'm curious though because I have a similar piece of furniture in my basement that could use a coat of paint, should I use a roller suited for painting cabinets or doors?
If it makes you feel any better, we've all been there. It is still frustrating when you put in time and money and your project doesn't come out as intended.
Just wanted to tell you how cute your blog is...and the new big boy bedroom! You did a great job.
Oh Man, that sucks. I know how frustrating it can be when things don;t work out like you planned, if it were me I'd postpone the project for oh a year or so b/c I'd be so angry. Let's hope you have more patience with yourself than I do. Can't wait to see you get the look you want.
On a side note, I'm painting a thrifted bed that blue color for the kids rooms :)
I promise, I'm the worst painter ever! This is how half of my projects turn out... but little by little I'm learning how to do better. By the time I'm 85, I'm sure I'll have all of this diy stuff down :).
Post a Comment