[Berkey & Gay] Antique Buffet - Painting Over Painted Furniture • Roots & Wings Furniture LLC

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Hello there!

I have a before and after today that is the true example of the power of paint! This piece has gorgeous shape, is sturdy and solid, is made by a great furniture company, and was painted this horrible shade of brown.

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It sat and sat in a local consignment shop and no one could see past the color. It’s a great size and shape for a buffet or vanity cabinet but the color really turned everyone off. Well not me, I snatched it up and painted it in General Finishes Seagull Gray. And oh what a difference.

Let’s talk for a few minutes about painting over something that’s already painted…

Check for a few things:

How is the paint that’s there adhering?

Your new coat of paint will only stick as well as the base coat, so if there is chipping or flaking paint, you’ll have to strip it off before re-painting. That is a lot of work so just take that into consideration.

Any chipping, flaking paint?

If there is chipping or flaking paint – and it’s an old piece – be careful, it could be lead paint! There is an easy test you can do to determine if it’s lead or not. If it is lead based your best bet is to paint over it – meaning you’ll still have the chippy look under paint. You can strip lead based paint – but do so carefully and with caution!

A piece that’s already painted can’t be distressed without that color showing through. There are other ways to highlight the details (glazing, edging, etc.), but just remember any sanding done will just reveal the color underneath.

Okay, so you’ve looked the piece over and still want it… sand it down real good. Better than a normal scuff sanding so your paint has something to stick to.

Then paint like normal. 2 coats of General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint was just perfect on this.

I made a quick video for you to explain the process a little better.

I tried one other trick on the hardware I wanted to share. My usual cleaning method wasn’t working, so I pulled some ketchup out of the cupboard and squirted it all over the hardware.

Let it sit about 30 mins and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. Oh my, worked like a charm… took off all the tarnish and left the hardware just right.

I oiled the old hardware (with MMS Hemp Oil) after it’s clean just to give it a little shine.