I love painted furniture. Chalk paint is one of my favorite mediums, as you can see from my 10 Fabulous Chalk Paint Makeovers post. Although I don’t need to bring any more furniture into my home, I just can’t help it when I find a piece that only needs a little TLC to be beautiful again. Some people rescue stray kittens, I rescue furniture, what can I say.
Thus is the case with this wood trunk.
When I found it last weekend at a yard sale, it was in fact in a much worse state than you see here. Don’t believe me?
Check it out…
Yes friends, that’s wood grain printed contact paper and masking tape. Cringeworthy.
Yeahhhhh.
A quick peek inside told me that it had potential. And for only a few dollars, I knew a rescue was necessary.
First order of business was to peel away the contact paper. Thankfully it came off easily and only left stickiness behind in a few small spots.
I removed the lid and gave the hinges a bath in white vinegar (which cleaned them like a champ).
I also gave the entire trunk a good scrub with a water-vinegar solution to clean it and take away a bit of the “old wood” smell that seemed to linger after I pulled off the paper.
What I discovered is a lovely old trunk, but the original wood was never in great shape. It doesn’t have a maker marking that I see, which leads me to believe that it’s originally a homemade piece.
So here’s my dilemma. I love the cherry color under the 700 coats of varnish or poly or whatever is sealing this piece. But, because there are places the wood and the varnish is just not in good shape, I’m not sure if it’s even worth the process of stripping it, sanding it, restaining it, and resealing it OR if I should just give it a sweet coat of chalk paint to enhance the already quite distressed wood.
Or is there a solution that I’ve overlooked?
Let’s hear it. I’d love your opinion.
Like what you’ve seen? Follow along
Oooo – toughie – but I think I'd go with "not to paint". Some rustic wood is a good thing! 🙂 And if after stripping, etc. it's uneven looking, well I think it adds to the character. But that's just my measly opinion and WHATEVER you do with it is sure to make me say "WOW"! I know that for sure!
Love your other painted pieces. I say give the poor trunk a new lease on life with paint!
If you are unsure, you can always paint the base chippy and leave the top. That way it looks worn on both parts and you get the best of both worlds, paint and wood.
What a beautiful trunk! I'd give it a light sand to remove any rough edges and places where the stain may peel off then apply a fresh coat of poly and leave the beautiful worn rustic look. But, that is my style versus a painted piece. Your house may be different.
No means no! Don't paint it! 🙂
Painting this trunk would be travesty. I'm with Audrey on what to do.
DO NOT PAINT! Use the Formby's furniture stripper…it will melt the old varnish/finish right off. If you do not see the finish "melting" right away, you may have to use a stronger finish stripper.
If you use the Formby's, I pour a little bit at a time in a plastic container (old coffee tubs work great) then scrub the piece with the remover and steel wool. After you have gotten as much as you can off, then do a clean "wash" with the stripper and shop rags. Then "wash" the entire piece with mineral spirits. I use the Formby's tung oil finish…2-3 coats…still wool and tack cloth between coats. AMAZING…here is an old cedar chest I did a while back….http://beckwithstreasures.com/journal/2013/7/18/cedar-trunk-before-and-after. I've done several pieces with this process…just use the search function. Painting has a time and place, but this piece could really be beautiful if you take a little time with it!
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