Ok people listen up! Stop paying full price for household items! I am a craigslist junkie and am always on the hunt for the best deals on items I can use in my home. I look at anything as a project and how I can refurbish them to make them to fit our needs perfectly in our humble abode. Also, don't be affraid to take something you already have and change it up a little with a nice coat of paint.
First things first, search for the really cheap stuff and also the FREE stuff they have listed. I've found a lot of hot ticket items in the free section that people just need to get rid of as soon as possible. You've got to act quickly though because they go fast. My most recent gem was this full size, solid wood, subtly detailed dresser for $25!!! It took some convincing for my boyfriend to get on board because he didn't think we needed something so large in the living room for the TV but once it was all said and done...he's totally on board and loves it! (typical man)
Another quick but super smart tip for saving some cash is don't buy paint at full price! Shop around while at the hardware stores and only look at the Oops section. They sell mess ups for $10 and under in a special section (usually on an end cap or close to one). Sometimes it's a miss but don't give up because you'll find somethings great! I got a total hit last time we went. I refinished THREE separate items with this paint color so it's paid for itself over again. The first was a bookcases we found on Craigslist for $20. The second was this small 3 drawer dresser that was in our guest room (that I used for the tv but was WAY too small and drove me insane). So that's 3 for 1 can of paint at the price of $7!! How can you beat that??
Now here's the trick to getting that soft Pottery Barn finish to your furniture. I don't believe in sanding because well lets face it it takes forever, I live in MN and its cold and I refuse to sit outside in the cold to sand a piece of furniture. So I SWEAR by the Klean-Strip Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser. It's less than $10 and lasts forever! Super easy to use and cuts your time in half. I've used it on all 3 pieces so it's also paid for itself over again as well. I had this bad boy (most recent dresser) "sanded" and primed in about an 1/2 an hour.
Ok so now for the fun stuff! Pictures and steps! I will have links at the bottom to where you can purchase all of the items I used.
What you need/What I used:
Small foam roller set
Small/Medium paint brush
Klean-Strip Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser
1-2-3 Water Base Interior/Exterior Primer for All Surfaces
Your paint
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| The before... (the ad photo) |
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Remove the door handles, CLEAN the surface (look at that nasty dust), apply liquid sandpaper, then prime.
Sit back and admire your finished project!!
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| The small dresser I painted that was in our guest room (with the same paint) |
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| The large bookcase we found on Craigslist painted with the same paint. |
Primer: This is a 2pack and I only bought a 1Quart can so you don't need both. Just reference this for the brand and type to buy.
http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Primers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbt0t/R-202016529/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Liquid Sanpaper:
http://www.homedepot.com/Klean-Strip/h_d1/N-5yc1vZug/R-100112667/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Foam Roller: (gives you a smooth surface on wood)
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100158549/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
