The Process of Painting a Piece of Furniture

Hey Y’all,

The road to perfection isn’t a road I like to travel. I can count on one finger the number of times I’ve painted something and thought in my mind “oh that’s perfect”. I enjoy the process, and sometimes the journey to a finished product can be overwhelming if I get too caught up in the details. I get an idea in my head and can’t quite make it happen more often than I’d like to admit, but that’s when my brain runs crazy and I get to do my most favorite thing, BE CREATIVE!

This secretary desk I recently painted is a perfect example of how an idea mixed with a few crafty paint techniques, and an open mind can become something beautiful. THE BIGGEST mistake I make (most people make) when painting or being crafty, is getting caught up in the imperfections. IMPERFECTIONS are what make a piece unique, and ultimately beautiful.

Here’s a little bit of the process this less than exciting secretary endured to get to an amazing end result.

I started with layering red and blue paint, accidentally making areas of purple throughout, OOPS. My initial thought was to try a more bohemian look for the desk. Bohemian isn’t something I have much experience in when it comes to painting furniture but it was something new and different I was excited to try! Listen y’all, when I got the red and blue paint on there not one person including myself had any clue as to what in the heck I was thinking. Lizzy and I had a good laugh when I face-timed her to show her where I was at on this project.

First lesson in the process, Don’t be afraid to try something different! EVERYTHING IS FIXABLE, and the red and blue mess started to transform right before my eyes when I took the sander to it.

I have used Elmer’s glue on a small scale before but was dying to try the crackle paint technique on a large piece of furniture for quite some time. This guy turned out to be the perfect guinea pig for my peek-a-boo paint idea!

I took Elmer’s glue and lightly brushed it in areas along the piece in one single brushing motion. I showed this technique on a facebook live recently and you can watch that video here if you are interested in seeing how the process works!

After it was completely dry I took my sander to it again chipping away some of the extra paint for a more dramatic finish. The transformation was undeniably amazing.

The process was far from perfect but the end result was everything I wanted it to be and more. It wasn’t the “bohemian” masterpiece I envisioned in my mind, it was better! I finished it out with wax and the original hardware.

I had to say goodbye to this beauty as it went to The Plunder Box in Midway, GA to find a new home!! If only I had an extra 50,000 square feet to keep all of the furniture I fall in love with :(! A girl can DREAM!!!

Your “mistakes” are your art waiting to be discovered!!!

xoxo~ Erin

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