What do you all think of this painted farmhouse buffet sideboard? I am completely smitten. This piece was a dining set that my new client “Melissa” from St. George sent over this summer for painting and refinishing. I think it is one of those unique pieces that you just can’t find anymore. I completed the dining set and hutch as well.
I started by chemically stripping and hand sanding the top surface. I find this safest and most effective if you have a veneered surface. After prepping the surface I applied three coats of Minwax Deep Penetrating Stain in a colour called Classic Gray. I allowed to dry at least 6 hours between coats and gauged the colour to achieve this farmhouse/barnboard finish. Once the stain had completed dried I applied two coats of Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane for protection and durability.
Quick Tip: If you don’t like power tools (like me) light sanding by hand can be less stress and work just as well. I typically chemically strip all of my surfaces (with all the right gear) and then using a rubber sanding block, lightly sand with a 120 grit sandpaper first and then move to a 150 grit or 220 grit to finish the sanding process. Alway sanding in the direction of the grain.
Before I could start with the painting I had to repair a couple of the cupboard doors to align and function again. I actually started this first before the stripping commenced day one. So now on to the prepping of the surface of this oak. Because the oak is very porous it tends to bleed through so I applied a coat of Shellac to all the surfaces that were going to be painted. This sealed in the wood to allow for a good surface for the paint to adhere to.
Also, please note that unless my clients want a more shabby look I always remove all the drawers and hardware to clean them, spray them and replace after painting.
Using my favourite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint I applied three coats by hand to all the exterior surfaces. Always good coverage and easy to apply. After the first coat dries (usually about 30-40 minutes) the next two coats took no time at all. My favourite way to seal all these surfaces is to use the recommended Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax. After cure time (about 30 days) it dries to a nice hard surface.
As a last step I distressed all those lovely ornate carved shapes and edges on this piece to get that shabby chic look.
I hope you enjoy your finished dining set “Melissa” for many years to come!!
Before and After: