Guest Post: Kala #1 {My Breezy Room}

Yep... Still in the midst of being a "world" traveling type of person.

Take it away Kala!

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Hi Patterned Love people! I'm back AGAIN and super stoked to be sharing even more tips for making over furniture. Have you ever found a great used piece of furniture at a garage sale or thrift store, but you passed it up because it was already painted and you weren't sure what to do with it? That's okay - I've been there, too. But today I'm gonna lay out a couple of your most promising options. There is, of course, an easy way. But like with all easy ways, it has limitations. If the original coat of paint/stain/finish is even and in good condition, you can use chalk paint, no sanding required. For this piece (my first so please forgive the awful photos), I was able to start painting right away with no issues.

This is definitely the easiest approach. If you're not up for a ton of prep work, this type of project is your best option.

But sometimes you stumble upon a great dresser with chippy paint like this one that you just can't pass up!

Unfortunately, when paint is chippy, or old/in bad condition, it's best to go back to the old fashion method of sanding, even when using chalk paint.

In my experience, if you don't sand the paint off of these types of pieces, the imperfections in the texture will show through your new coat of paint.

I also like to take precautions with super dark stains as well, because they tend to bleed through the new coat of paint. Oftentimes you can use primer or a sealant like Zinsser Shellac to seal in the stain so it doesn't leak through.

So those are two basic ways I handle furniture that are already painted/stained. For more painting tips and before and afters, head on over to my blog.

Thanks again Naomi for having me back! I've really been enjoying my time in your space. :)