The Trouble with White Furniture
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Over the past few months ~ OK, it's been more than half a year ~ we've been decorating the dining room. There is actually one item on the dining room to do list that is completed, but it's not actually crossed off the list. Can you guess which item it is?
I've actually shown it in pictures before.
I've actually shown it in pictures before.
It's the buffet. It's been on my list to pick out a color and paint it. I got it at a thrift store just after we closed on the house and was anxious to use it in the dining room.
So why haven't I crossed it off the list?
Things seemed all fine and good. I even rub n buffed the hardware silver and we were moving ahead right?
Oh no. I made the largest of furniture painting mistakes with this piece ever. I mean, ever.
I painted over the white with clear poly. Big mistake HUGE. So guess what happened to my pure white buffet?
It yellowed.
Oh yes, it yellowed. Not all over the dresser, only in parts where the poly was collected more than others. Like on the rounded parts of the doors. You can see a tiny bit here where I've already tried to sand it away.
*UPDATE* I checked and I did use Polycrylic on this piece, not Polyurethane. The polycrylic is not supposed to yellow or at least it hasn't for some people. Maybe I have bad poly juju :-(
I painted over the white with clear poly. Big mistake HUGE. So guess what happened to my pure white buffet?
It yellowed.
Oh yes, it yellowed. Not all over the dresser, only in parts where the poly was collected more than others. Like on the rounded parts of the doors. You can see a tiny bit here where I've already tried to sand it away.
*UPDATE* I checked and I did use Polycrylic on this piece, not Polyurethane. The polycrylic is not supposed to yellow or at least it hasn't for some people. Maybe I have bad poly juju :-(
So what exactly do I do now? I have to sand off the poly and paint it again, that's what I have to do. A fun time right?
I've sanded all of it, but not 100%. I'm debating if I use a deglosser on it. I've already bought some. The thought of sanding this piece in my dining room makes me cringe. We've already installed the wallpaper and I don't intend to get the room messy because of this thorn-in-my-side buffet.
Sigh.
So I have to figure out a plan. Wait until the weather is warmer so I can take it outside? Try the deglosser (which I've already bought), try something else? Just paint over it all? The poly is water based.
I did go get new paint already. I'm hoping that Ben can help me out. I haven't tried this paint before but apparently you don't have to seal/poly over it. I was hoping for a semi gloss but this kind doesn't come in semi gloss, so I might test this out on a drawer and see how it goes.
So now I'd like to ask some advice. Tell me what do you do with your white furniture? What kind of paint do you use on it? Do you poly it? Do you leave it alone? Do you wax it? I've considered that too. Not sure what to do yet. Help a girl out. Me and my dining room will be forever grateful :-)
Here is the dining room list.
Make curtains (if I buy fabric) and roman shades and hang them all
Buy frames (or find some) for other wall art I have planned
Decide which color to paint buffet and then paint it <-- Will be doing this one again!
Find new hardware for the buffet
Decide on/find other wall art?
Pick out and buy a rug
Throw a dinner party to enjoy our new room!
P.S. This post nor my blog are not sponsored by Benjamin Moore Paints. I'm just hoping I've found the right product!
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6 comments:
Oh no.....you have me worried now! I just put two coats of poly on my white bathroom vanity! I specifically chose water based poly because I read that it wouldn't yellow. I sure hope it doesn't or I will be one sad panda.
I'll be checking back to read the comments from your readers!
Michelle from www.the236.net
Hmm... We poly'd our dining room table legs, and the clear poly dried slightly yellowed, but I kind of liked it... it matched our 'distressed' dining room chairs nicely with the slight look of age the yellowing provides.
If it were me? I'd probably do a light sanding to sand it smooth and then just paint over it all and start over. Not sure if the yellow of the poly would end up showing through the white paint though?
I did my research when I painted furniture white and the pros recommend to use Minwax Polycrylic, which is different from Minwax Polyurethane. I did and it did not yellow. I use it mostly on things that will have a lot of use like table tops or dresser tops. All white furniture with light use I use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax, which does not yellow either, as for my own experience.
This link was my starting point to painting my first piece of white furniture:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/02/how-to-paint-furniture/
Sorry, Jessica. I can't help you out here, but will be seeing what your other readers have to say. I also bookmarked that YHL link a while ago that JMK shared, but haven't had the opportunity to try the Minwax Polycrylic yet. But her feedback is noted :-)
Good luck!
EEK! This is why I haven't used poly, I did use Polycrylic by Minwax and only applied one very very thin thin coat of poly to our buffet in our dining room.
Since then I only use high gloss or semi gloss paint and just apply layer after layer and let the paint cure for 24-48hrs after the final coat to harden
Good luck wit the new paint you bought
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