Never underestimate the power of a tape measure. I always carry a small tape measure in my purse. Why, you may ask? That little guy has been used more times than I can count. It’s measured furniture pieces, frames, inseams of pants, and even height when filling out a health form. A few years ago that trusty tape measure secured a nice buffet and a credenza from the consignment center.

After searching a few months for some quality storage pieces for the new house, I hit the jack pot. In the back of the consignment store were two sturdy pieces with nice lines and completely made of real wood. I spotted them moments before another man noticed them. While looking at the pieces, he came up behind me and said how he was also interested so I better watch out. As I looked him in the eyes, I gave a little smirky smile and could hear The Good The Bad and The Ugly song in my head. Duh na na na na, wuh wuh wuh. (Thanks Dad for broadening my movie list.)

Too bad he was slow on the draw by not having a tape measure on hand. He walked off to go find one as I pulled mine from my purse. I was able to measure the piece and have the sales lady tag it for me before he returned with a borrowed tape measure. I’d like to say that I felt bad for him, but I didn’t. You snooze, you lose. Or maybe a kinder way of stating that would be to go with the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. I may be loosely interpreting the motto.

BUFFET PIECE

Let me just age myself about 40 years and say, “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” New furniture is EXPENSIVE! Rarely is a new wood piece made without any cheap wood and particle board. This is why I adore buying old, loved pieces from back in the day when furniture was substantial. Before we moved to Texas I built up my cache of money to spend on furniture for our new house.

original wood furniture — Buffet piece I scored from the consignment center. It looked great other than the marred finish on the top and the color was wrong for our house.

When I returned triumphant from the consignment center, I cleaned the large furniture pieces up with some orange oil. The credenza fit beautifully in the kitchen and had a great existing finish. Damage to the finish on the top of the buffet was noted once it was cleaned. I wasn’t too worried about it since the stain was a cherry color and didn’t really go with our house.

damaged wood furniture — The finish is super shiny, but you can see the striations in the varnish. No bueno.

Plans to refinish the buffet were in the works. Stripping the furniture and re-staining the entire piece was a possibility. I thought, “If I’m going to spend the time refinishing it, I might as well try to combine finishes.” The top was stained to better match the woven wood wall, and then blue furniture paint was used on the interior. Chalk paint was applied to the outside buffet base, doors and drawers. The bright white of the chalk paint was mellowed with toner. I sealed the stained top with varnish and sealed the chalk paint with wax.

This project took a few days. For sustenance, here is a recipe for Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Tacos.

Supply List

For Stripping Furniture

110 and 220 Grit Sand Paper
Palm Sander
Heat Gun
Putty Knife
Respirator
Ear Plugs
Eye Protection
Extension Cord
Rag to dust
Vacuum
Tack Cloth

For Staining and Finishing Buffet Top

Desired Stain (I used Minwax Jacobean)
Cotton rags to apply stain and some to wipe off stain
Gloves
Paint Key
Stir Stick
Varnish- Minwax Polycrylic Semi-Gloss
1.5 inch paint brush (this width fits in the small varnish can)
Tarp or Drop Cloth

For Painting the Interior of the Buffet

Deco Art Americana Decor Satin Enamel in Dark Denim
1.5 -2 inch paint brush
Tack Cloth
Cans of the same size to prop up shelves while painting

For Painting the Buffet Exterior

Valspar Chalky Finish Paint “Her Dainties”
Spray bottle with water
Country Living Caromal Colours Toner
Valspar Sealing Wax
Clean Cotton Cloth(s)
2 inch Paint brush
Masking tape
Blocks of Scrap Wood
Metallic Spray paint for hinges, pulls and screws
Piece of Cardboard

Instructions:

Step 1:

Move the furniture piece to an area with good ventilation. Due to bad weather, I kept my buffet in the garage as opposed to outside. This worked great for taking a few days to do all the stripping and sanding of the wood furniture.

Step 2:

Remove the drawers, doors, and pulls from the furniture and put all hinges, pulls and screws in a baggie so they don’t get lost.

Step 3:

While wearing protective gear and with good ventilation, use the heat gun per instruction booklet to heat the varnish and then scrape it off with the putty knife. Do not gouge the wood.

stripping varnish off — Use the heat gun to warm the varnish and scrape it off with the putty knife in the direction of the wood grain.

hazards of stripping varnish — Casualty of working around molten varnish. Next time, I plan to wear leather work gloves for protection.

There are chemicals that can be painted on the varnish that will soften it and then you can scrape it off. I prefer to not mess with strong chemicals if at all possible. Sanding the entire piece is another option. Lacking copious amounts of sandpaper, but owning a heat gun, I went with the method that was easiest for me.

Ready to sand off remaining varnish — Once varnish is scraped off, there is a light coat remaining that can be removed with a sander.

Step 4.

Once all of the varnish is scraped off from the base, cabinet doors, shelves, and drawer fronts, sand with 100 grit sandpaper and a palm sander. Once complete, sand again but with 220 grit sandpaper to leave a smoother finish. Take note that the inside of the cabinet is not sanded completely down to the bare wood. I just took the sheen off the varnish since it was being painted with furniture paint. Deco Art Americana Decor Satin Enamel has a primer in it and claimed to adhere without the need for sanding. I put it to the test. The buffet top that was to be re-stained took more attention to expose the bare wood.

sand buffet — Sand the entire piece of furniture along with the doors and drawers to remove any varnish that remains.

sanded buffet — Pay particular attention to any surface that is to be stained.

prepped for painting — The base of the buffet was sanded but due to plans to have it painted, all traces of previous stain need not be removed.

Step 5:

Vacuum off all of the pieces before moving them back into the house. Clean up the sawdust in the work space.

Lay down a tarp or drop cloth. Next, place the buffet base on wood blocks on the tarp and move all other furniture pieces inside.

refinishing wood furntiture — Staining and painting indoors means that I didn’t have to worry about moving the piece after it is refinished.

Step 6:

Wipe off buffet with tack cloth to eliminate any dust particles.

Put on gloves, stir the stain and apply stain in the direction of the wood grain with a clean cotton cloth. With a different clean cotton cloth, wipe off additional stain. Two coats of stain can be applied to get a deeper saturation of color. Or make a custom color by applying two different colored stains.

test out stain color — Use the underside of a drawer to test out the color of the stain.

stained wood — Comparison of the stain color before (on left) and after (on right).

TIP: Test the stain color on the underside of a drawer to verify that is the color that you are happy with. An inconspicuous test area eliminates any need for additional sanding.

Step 7:

Once the stain has dried, use a paintbrush to apply varnish. Again, apply with the grain. Do multiple thin coats for better coverage. Let each coat completely dry before applying the next coat. Application and clean up directions are on the can.

Varnish furniture — Apply varnish to provide a protective surface for your furniture piece.

varnish top of buffet — Varnish is applied and drying! Now to move on to the interior painting of the buffet.

Step 8:

While the varnish dries, paint the interior of the buffet with the blue furniture paint. I started with the back panel, then did the inside top, followed with the sides and base panel. Paint all of the more difficult sections first to eliminate bumping wet paint. Wash out brush.

blue interior refinished buffet — The interior surface was lightly sanded prior to applying furniture paint. Begin with the back wall, then the top, followed by the sides and base. Pay particular attention to the edges. Paint right up to the edge and wipe off any paint that gets on an exterior surface.

paint interior first — While the interior dries, paint the shelves starting with the underside first.

use cans to prop up doors — Prop up the shelves with canned goods to easily reach surfaces for painting.

TIP: Place the shelves on canned goods of equal height so that you can paint the sides and top of the shelves without getting paint all over the tarp or drips drying on the underside of the shelf. When dry, flip over the shelf and paint the reverse side.

Step 9:

Apply two even coats of chalk paint to the buffet base, allow each coat to thoroughly dry. Pay particular attention to the face frame. Attempt to keep the blue and white from creeping over the edges onto the other color. It just takes a steady hand…and perhaps a trusty sidekick. Ahhh, Percy.

two coats of paint — The first coat of paint will have inconsistent coverage. The second coat of chalk paint gives a nice, solid colored finish. Carefully paint along the edges that meet the blue interior.

refinishing buffet — Wipe any stray paint off with a damp cloth prior to it drying. Percy is examining my work.

Step 10:

Paint the doors and drawers with two coats of chalk paint. First, I paint the backside of the doors. Next, once they are dry, I paint the front of the doors. Paint in the grooves or details first, then the center panel and then the outer frame (rails and stiles) of the doors. Finally, paint the faces of the drawers. Let dry completely, perhaps even over night. Wash out brush.

paint backside first — Paint the center panel and then the rails and stiles. I paint the backside, or inside, of the door first and then when it is dry I paint the outer side. This way, if there are any imperfections, it is not on the most visible side.

chalk painting cabinet doors — Paint the door fronts once the backs are painted and dried.

chalk painting buffet — Paint the drawer fronts, be sure to mask off the drawer box to keep the painted edges clean.

Percy, the worker buddy — The most important part of painting is to be well supervised. Check!

TIP: Use masking tape around the drawer box to maintain a clean edge when painting the drawer face.

masking tape for professional look — Masking off the drawer box leaves clean edges and a more professional look.

Step 11:

Toner applied over the white chalk paint will leave a mild, slightly darker glazed finish. The toner brings out any woodwork details and can give the furniture a more aged appearance. The intensity of the toner is determined by how much is applied and removed. I wanted most of the toner to be removed. Once the toner is applied to an area, quickly mist it with water from a spray bottle to maintain a workable surface. Wipe the toner off with a clean cotton rag with no loops. Continue the process for all chalk painted surfaces.

DO NOT stop mid application. Complete all of one panel before stopping to do something. If the wet edge dries, it will not be easy to blend another wet edge into it.

Let dry completely. Wash brush and dry.

apply antiquing gel — Apply toner to a small area in the direction of the wood grain.

spritz with water — Mist applied toner with water to keep it workable.

wipe off toner — A clean cotton cloth is used to wipe down the toner.

Step 12:

Once the toner is completely dry, apply the sealing wax and wipe off excess. This will seal the paint and give it a more durable finish. Chalk paint can also be finished with a varnish. I just like the subtle sheen of the wax. Not to mention, I already had all of these paints and varnish from other projects so it is nice to use what is in the cupboard. Again, wash the brush and let dry.

after wash is applied, remove tape — Once toner is applied and wiped down over entire piece, remove masking tape.

Step 13:

Before reattaching doors or pulls, spray paint the finish on all metal pieces. Use a metallic spray paint to paint the hinges, pulls, and screws so they all coordinate. I went with Rustoleum Flat Soft Iron which is a metallic spray paint and primer in one. The original brassy finish wasn’t doing it for me, so I chose a metallic that still gave an aged feel but with an updated vibe.

spray paint hardware — I sprayed the aged brass knobs to a flat soft iron so better match with the home interior.

Spray paint knobs — Nice fresh finish leaves the knobs looking new.

Hack to spray paint screws — Best way to paint a bunch of screws all at once. Poke the ends into cardboard to stand them up. It looks best when the screws match the color of the hinges. This only takes a few minutes.

TIP: Push the pointed ends of the screws into a piece of cardboard so the screw heads are facing up and free standing. With a few easy swipes of the spray paint, you get complete coverage.

Step 14:

Remove the tarps and wood blocks, reassemble the buffet and sit back to enjoy your project.

refinished buffet — What a difference some time and paint can make.

I love the look! Now to work on the buffet lights.

Color surprise inside the cabinet — I absolutely adore that there is a little pop of color.

To keep with the western theme: I’m off to go ride my horse into the sunset with my trusty tape measure at my side. The Good is the way this buffet turned out and the tips you’ll get from this post. The Bad is that you have to find your own piece. The Ugly is the blister I received from the hot varnish. (No worries, the scouts were able to treat it for first aid practice that night. Silver lining!)

There is nothing quite like the feeling of making an old piece new. I am in love with the pop of color when the cabinet door is opened. The paints were some that I had from previous projects so the cost of this refurnished piece was minimal. It mostly just took time and elbow grease. This old Drexel Heritage buffet is getting a new lease on life and I’m making a house a home. 💙

DIY Furniture Makeover: Dining Room Buffet