{Bungalow Bee} DIY: Refinishing Furniture

 

 As my due date quickly approaches my need to nest vastly increases! Thus, my husband and I have taken on many projects to prepare for the arrival of my little baby girl. First up was refinishing the dresser that was given to us by my aunt and uncle. The dresser that was given to us wasn't necessarily an unattractive piece of furniture, but the color just didn't go with the rest of our decor. Thus, we had to refinish it... and by we, I of course mean my husband, since I cannot work with the fumes that come with paint and oil-based primers. But both men and women alike can easily do this. The steps to refinishing a wood dresser are so very easy, all you need is a little time.

You will need:
Wood dresser/piece of wood furniture
100 grit sandpaper
Oil-based primer
Flat latex paint in the color of your choice
Water-based polycrylic protective finish in a clear gloss
Decorative hardware- if you plan on changing out the knobs or handles.

Start with finding a dresser at a thrift store, garage sale, or perhaps you have an existing dresser you want to refinish. My personal preference when determining a good piece of furniture to refinish is looking at the lines of the piece. I typically like clean and sleek lines that appear nice and modern. That is unless I want to do something more shabby chic.

Step 1: Take out all drawers and set on a painting cloth or newspaper, etc. Remove all knobs, handles from drawers. If the knobs or handles do not come off, tape them off with painters tape (that is only if you want to reuse the knobs or handles, if not, give them away).

Step 2: Determine what kind of surface with which you are working. Is it actually wood? Is it varnished wood or is it unfinished, etc? If you aren't working with real wood, these steps will not work. If the surface is shiny/glossy or varnished, you will need to give it a light sand using 100 grit sandpaper. If it is unfinished or has a flat paint you can skip the sanding process.

Step 3: Wipe the wood clean with a damp cloth. Let dry.

Step 4: Apply one coat of an oil-based primer to ensure that the paint sticks and no stains come through and ruin your finished product. Make sure you use a good quality brush. You don't want to have long hairs stuck in your paint from a cheap brush nor do you want to use a roller as they are known to leave little bubbles. This coat of primer doesn't have to have a perfectly even application, but just as long as the entire piece is covered then it is ready for step five.

Step 5: Using a good quality paint brush, apply two coats of a flat latex paint. Be sure to use long brush strokes going in the same direction. This will help the surface appear smoother and any visible strokes will appear more like wood grain lines as opposed to choppy brush strokes. Make sure that your first coat is completely dry before applying the second to help create a smoother finish.

Step 6: After the paint is completely dry. Apply two coats of a water-based polycrylic finish. The exact brand we used was Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish in Clear Gloss. You will notice that the finish goes on kind of milky, but don't worry it dries completely clear. Again, make sure the first coat is dry before applying the second.

Finally, after at least 48 hours when it is completely dry, add your decorative hardware and put your drawers back into the dresser. Now you can place your beautifully refinished piece of furniture in your home and enjoy! Just think...with a little bit of work you can take an inexpensive piece of furniture and make it look like you spent a fortune at the store.

Happy Decorating!

{Bungalow Bee} Living Room and Dining Room Inspiration Board

Some may call my decorating style a hodgepodge of objects or maybe think I have multiple design personality disorder, however I like to think of it as "ecletic design"...or at least that is what I keep telling myself. Yes, it is true that I can't seem to choose between traditional, global, modern, and shabby chic decor; but I think I have found a way to incorporate elements of each into my own design style to create a unique and cozy living area that adds charm and warmth to a space...perhaps I will call it the Sugar Bee Bungalow style.

In this inspiration board for my living room and dining room, I have put together objects and colors that I want to include in my design for my new house. I love using contrasting and complimentary colors, therefore a muted green with red accents will be the room's main colors along with black and white elements. You will notice the juxtaposition of modern and traditional objects with a dash of shabby chic and global decor.

I am excited to see how it all comes together! Stay tuned!

{Bungalow Bee} Office Room Inspiration Board

Since my husband and I just recently put an offer on a house, we are so excited and anxious to decorate our new home. I have been anticipating this moment for days now and although they say not to get your hopes up and stay calm but hopeful, that is just not me and I have already started to decorate this place in my mind! Because my head is just full of so many things that I want to do with this place, I figured out a game plan and organized my thoughts and ideas by creating an inspiration board. First room up to bat...our office!

The color palette will consist mainly of orange with accents of aqua/teal. Black, gray and white will also be added in the room with the inclusion of furniture, wall color, and other decorative accents. I want to have one accent wall by wallpapering it with a nice bold pattern for interest, such as this paper I found from Home Depot. The rest of the walls will be a calm and muted gray so that the bright and bold patterned wallpaper won't overwhelm the space.

The curtains will be a solid orange, so they won't compete with the wallpaper. They will hang on a gray colored wall so that the wallpaper side won't be so heavy with pattern and color...again keeping with balancing the room.

The gray Murphy sleeper sofa from Cost Plus World Market will be positioned against the wallpaper. Above the sofa will hang a nice work of art, created by me of course, that will contain accents of aqua/teal. Beside the sofa I want a chair with a slightly more subtle pattern that will coordinate with the room but won't clash with the wallpaper- I especially liked this chair from Cost Plus.

Lastly, I will casually place aqua/teal decorative accent pieces around the room for an extra splash of color.

I absolutely love the combination of these two colors...they were meant to be just like peanut butter and jelly or like peas and carrots...they are complementary colors of course!

Now that my inspiration board is complete and I am ready to decorate, we just have to get an acceptance....and the keys!