The Original Table
This square mahogany table has a beautiful shape and fretwork sides, but someone painted it avocado green. The finish is uneven and there are visible brush marks. In short, a table in need of a paint makeover.
Applying Paint Deglosser
Begin by using a paint deglosser—sometimes referred to as liquid sandpaper—to dull the original finish. Wipe it on with a clean towel and let it do the work. A nice alternative to sandpaper when appropriate.
Hand Sanding
Depending on the finish, you may need to use a sander to remove stubborn problems (like the brush grooves and globs of paint left by the prior makeover artist on this piece). A quick turn with a hand sander should ready the piece for painting. You don't need to go down to the bare wood; just enough to create a smooth surface for painting.
First Coat
If you are just painting the piece a single color, put on a thin first coat and then (after 24 hours) apply a thin second coat. This will help prevent drips and visible brush strokes. For this table, I decided to add a hint of another color through drybrushing. What is drybrushing? Glad you asked—next.
Drybrushing
Drybrushing—basically using a brush with only traces of paint on it—is something you can do to add a hint of color to any painted piece. It may take some experimenting to master, but the key is to have only a hint of paint on the brush. After dipping the tip of the brush in the can, tap it on a dry scrap of wood to remove most of the paint. Then lighting brush the piece to create a hint of color. Sand lighting and seal with a wipe-on poly and your old table is new again. For more of my tips on paint makeovers, click here.
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