BEFORE and AFTER: A Vintage Buffet Makeover
I like the look of this vintage buffet makeover with a stripped top and a painted body.
This buffet threw me for a loop, though.
What seemed like an obvious decision to paint the entire buffet quickly became an idea to strip the whole thing and re-stain it.
It was in good condition but needed some help.
BEFORE – Vintage Buffet
Because of what I had found in the buffet, I thought preserving the wood would be the best option to honor the buffet.
It was an old arithmetic test from 1951! How cool is that, right??
In fact, I was so convinced that I was going to strip and re-stain this vintage buffet that I took all day off work and got down and dirty and stripped the whole thing. I’m talking hours of scraping gunky stuff into a nasty little “junk box.” ICK!
But then I started to question how stylish the piece would be with just stain…….
I originally planned to sell this piece and wanted to make sure that it was relevant and eye-catching instead of just a classic piece sitting there waiting for a person with classic taste to come and scoop it up. I was worried it wouldn’t sell.
Finally, I decided that indeed a paint job with a re-stained top would be more time-efficient and hip. And this is what resulted:
AFTER – Vintage Buffet
Addicted to Duck Egg
For this vintage buffet I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Blue (I also painted a “dumpster desk” this same shade. Love it!).
It’s such a soft, soothing color. I wanted the drawers to stand out, so I mixed in a little Pure White to create a lighter shade. I used Old White on the arches.
Related: What’s the Best Paint for Furniture?
I Hated It….
I love how it turned out, but I have to admit, I didn’t always feel so affectionate for this vintage buffet.
In fact, I hated it.
When I first painted it, I regretted painting it. It had no “umphf” to it.
I tried to re-use the old knobs after wiping them with some gold Rub n’ Buff, which can easily change the color of old knobs and pulls (especially if they’re tarnished), but these old knobs ended up looking like a nipple. HA!
And the color of the knobs was all wrong.
The Right Hardware
It’s true what they say that hardware makes all the difference! I had found these vintage knobs at a barn sale. I never knew what piece of furniture I would use them on, but somehow the stars aligned and this vintage buffet was PERFECT!
It as if these knobs were made for this buffet, down to the circles!
After trying to strip the gunk off of these detailed legs, I declared this was a project I was no longer interested in committing hours to stripping. 🙂 Instead, I decided I would clean them off and paint the body instead.
Related: How to Strip Furniture and Stain Wood: A Complete Guide to Getting Started
It’s a shame I ended up wasting so much time stripping the whole thing and then ending up painting it. However, it was some good experience, right?
Stripping Is a Messy Job
I can tell you that each stripping job I start, I always end up feeling desperate about half-way through.
“WHY the heck am I doing this again, instead of not painting???”
Especially when you start removing the old finish in a gunk box like this……..with splatters that look like a collection of discarded blood clots or something.
Gag me.
But stained tops with painted bodies are soooooo gorgeous. They’re really worth the effort.
And this buffet really needed improvement, too. You can see here the finish on top started to crack and chip.
And there was some chipping on the front. Those were easily fixed with stainable wood filler.
WARNING: For this project, done in 2014, I used a chemical stripper called Klean Strip, but as of November 2018, it has been discovered that Klean Strip and other chemical strippers that contain methylene chloride has killed two young men in the fall of 2017! PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS CHEMICAL STRIPPER. I am only keeping this picture in the blog post so that you can recognize this product and know what NOT to buy.
Instead, I recommend using a chemical stripper called Blue Bear stripping gel because it’s soy based and does NOT contain methylene chloride, so it’s safe for you to use. Blue Bear is the main paint stripper that I’ve been using for the past couple of years because it is safe and has a very low odor.
You have to scrap through layers and layers.
Even when all the finish is off, you’ve only just gotten started.
After getting as much of the finish off as possible, I used Odorless Mineral Spirits to help remove the leftover stripper.
Then I sanded it out.
I used Miniwax Espresso stain for the top and did some very light distressing of the wood with super fine sandpaper around the edges to give it a little character and to match the “vintage-y” feel of the knobs. Plus, the dark stain was sooooo dark, the sanding actually helped to lighten it up a little.
You can really see the wood grain on this top, which I love! It’s now as smooth as a baby’s butt :).
As an artist, I can’t walk away from a piece without painting the back. I know many people do leave the back unfinished and consider it a waste of paint, but seriously, without painting it, it would make a piece look very unfinished.
Do yourself a favor. Paint the back 🙂 It just makes them look finished, you know?
A Final Look
Checking out these pics as I complete this post, I’m so glad I painted this vintage buffet. It feels more fresh, prettier, and it’s been given another opportunity at life. Not that stain wouldn’t have given new life. But I just love this look so much better! 🙂
AFTER
So the next piece of furniture you’re planning on making over, including a vintage buffet, remember that they look super cool with stripped and stained tops with painted bodies!
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Serena,
I love it! I understand the purist point of view, as I’ve stripped and refinished many wood pieces over the years. However, this last year, I’ve started painting pieces that really aren’t “fine” wood that is worth saving, and I find, just as this piece, it gives them a whole new appearance and life. I agree with you, that no matter how lovely the refinished wood might have been, many would have passed it by, as not everyone likes stained wood. I think there’s room for both, and some pieces just are much nicer when painted like this one!
Serena have you tried using Dad’s stripper? It is awesome and takes no time to remove paint and stains. Comes out clean…..
That dresser looksssssssssssss gooooooooooooooood Perfection
Serena, you did a beautiful job on the “twin” to my grandmother’s buffet. (http://mariedeemuses.blogspot.com/2014/01/serendipity.html)
Selfishly, I wish you had been willing to sell it to me instead, but I’m sure someone will love it and find it useful for many years to come!
Hi Serena! I somehow missed this post in my email – I just went back to look and yup, it was there, but for some reason I didn’t see it. I’m glad I came to your site to poke around just in case. I think your reasons for painting this piece are good and solid and you made the right choice. It is beautiful and I love the new knobs. I’m sure you kept the old ones, to be used on another piece down the road. I agree with Buzz – I personally wouldn’t consider this to be an antique. However, being Depression Era has some standing, too, in as much as the furniture was well built. I don’t have any internal “oh no!s” going on, as I might with an antique. I don’t know, maybe not even with an antique – people have been painting furniture since there was furniture to be painted. I remember, back in the 70s, people wanting to strip the old painted furniture and stain it in some light oak-like stain and people were *horrified*! “You’ll ruin it!” “The paint is what gives it its value – stop!” Ha! What goes around, comes around, and this is the proof. Enjoy what you do, Serena, because you have a gift and you do it well.
Thank you, Lisa!!
I think it’s beautiful!! Love the stained top and the fun color you chose.
Nancy
I began by viewing your fireplace renewal which was impressive, then went on the buffet. Although I wouldn’t be able to use it this way, it was a very good job and lovely in the right setting. I have tried stripping myself and I am handing it to you on how smooth and lovely the top came out. I have not been able to do that good a job but I do agree my Ryobi sander is the bomb! Keep on rescuing and renewing pieces. It is so much more rewarding that Nebraska Furniture Mart!
Hi Shirley! So glad you found my latest stuff, in addition to the fireplace painting makeover! Yes, creating your own piece of furniture from a beat up piece is so much more rewarding, indeed! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!!!
wow fabulous job it looks stunning and the top amazing
Love the stained top and painted body. The color is beautiful! I think I would have left the drawers the same color. The new knobs really make the piece. Great work!
This piece turned out beautifully! Great color and hardware choice.
Thank you, Charity! 🙂