Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Painting Ikea Furniture


A few weeks ago when I went to Ikea, I bought some little stools as a solution to an issue I'd been having with clothes being left all over our bedroom floor. Paul and I need a 'resting spot' each and while not the round vintage stools I was picturing, I thought these would be fine for now.

I'd like to give them a coat of paint in a fresh mint/aqua colour but need some advice from all you expert DIY ladies. Do I need to sand back slightly and prime these stools first? They seem to have a thin lacquer-type layer of some sort on them. Your advice is much appreciated so I can stop procrastinating and actually complete a project from my to-do list!

Hope you are all having a lovely start to the week. I'm in cooking mode at the moment, preparing goodies for Grace's morning tea party.

18 comments:

  1. Oh we have the same problem...a chair helped for a while..but hubby is still hopeless as using anything as his dumping ground..lol

    The stool is super cute...I would say if its genuine wood a light sand always helps..if its veneer wood..I would most probably think about spray painting it instead...honestly I never bother with primer..I always buy the paint that is kind of an all in one. It will looks ace in a fresh mint or aqua...go for it darling...cant wait to see the finished product!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Amanda,

    You can get a primer that can be painted directly onto shiny/laquered/pre-painted surfaces (I've seen it in the paint section at Bunnings), but I've never tried it out, so I'm not sure how well it works. I would sand it back, just enough to take the sheen off and so the paint has something to stick to, and then prime and paint.

    Can't wait to see how they turn out!
    Abby

    ReplyDelete
  3. The stool will look so cute in that colour! Great idea!
    I haven't done much furniture painting myself so I would take someone elses advice over mine but I would give it a light sand then just paint two coats but I could be completely wrong! :)
    Can't wait to see the finished product.
    I hope the cooking is going well I'm sure you've got it more than undercontrol super Mum!

    Jxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree with Abby - just a light sand to give the paint something to stick to, a boring layer of primer, and then on with the paint. They'll look great. I'm so envious that you have Ikea. Apparently NZ will never have one because we don't have the population base they require to set up here. How lucky you are, especially when inexpensive 'fillers' like these are just the thing!
    Amanda xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. I so know what you mean about a 'resting spot' although I'm more likely to be heard saying 'dumping ground'!

    Our bedroom looks like we've been burgled on all too regular basis, clothes and sporting gear strewn everywhere, lol!

    I love the stools you chose, very classic. I agree with the above advice, I'm doing the same to a Victorian style side table I picked up on Gumtree - got to love that website! :-)

    Looking forward to pics of Grace's party!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh I can't wait to see your stools in that colour Amanda! I love the stools. I may have to make the 6hr trek to IKEA and the 6 hr trek back someday soon:) Zinsser BIN 123 Primer can be painted onto ANYTHING without sanding first, you can get it from nearly all hardware shops. But I would think a light sand then a coat of primer or as Anna suggests a self-priming paint would be fine. Enjoy!! Hope the baking is going well:) Hugs to you ~ Tina xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Might I suggest you ask Kerri at Driftwood Interiors? She is very helpful with this sort of thing! Rachaelxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi mate... it must be a 'man thing', the floor is apparently a magnet for clothes!
    I have seen those cute stools at Ikea, and they do have a coat of varnish. If you are planning on spraying them, get yourself some sand paper, and give them a light sand, as you are not trying to remove layers of paint,that will be fine. Then one coat of primer is a good idea, as those stools are very smooth, it will help the paint adhere better, then just see how your top coat goes... sometimes one coat is enough. Spray primer and paint dries really quickly, so that is a positive! Other wise, regular paint is the same system, but you will need to use an enamel (stinky) paint, and leave 24 hours between coats for best results!
    Hope the baking is going well for the party...
    :) Flick

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great colour choice!
    I'm with Abby and Amanda and would sand it first just enough for the paint to grip, then prime and sand again with a finer sand paper and then main colour. I do quite a bit of painting and although you can cut corners by not priming the paint is more likely to flake off or chip. If they are only temporary though you could take a few shortcuts but if you think you may keep them a while I would take the time and effort to do a good job as you may well end up loving them!
    ~Sam

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Amanda, I am one of the men when it comes to mess in the bedroom - my side of the bed is a shocker - not helped by having no wardrobe yet! Piles of clothes everywhere -just like a bomb has hit it!!
    These will look great painted. I'm not a fan of priming, maybe I'm too lazy, but a light sanding sounds good.
    I am so jealous about you having an IKEA in WA! I'm off to Melbourne for a day trip in a few months and can't wait to go to IKEA though I'll only be able to by small things.
    Enjoy your cooking, sounds lke fun!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good luck with that chairs! I would prime them first if they have a lacquer coat to them?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Amanda!

    Thanks so much for remembering me after all this time and leaving a lovely message on my blog. It's funny - you were one of the bloggers that I used to think about while I was away.. wondering how everything was going. Isn't blog world funny! I love how personal and authentic your blog is - looking forward to checking in much more!!

    Hope everything is really great!

    xx
    c

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Amanda, I love the stools, I am so jealous you can go to ikea and actuaaly buy big stuff! Like Sarah I have to go to melb and only get little things. As you know I've painted a bit of furniture in my time, I'd definitely sand and then do a white primer/undercoat and the one or two cots of colour. I'm looking forward to seeing them! Hope your cooking is going well xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. I agree with the majority above - a light sand to get the shine off, then prime and paint away!

    And your cake question - you can get them out just before you do the crumb coat. Just make sure you allow enough time for them to fully defrost (the last cake I iced was on a 40+ degree day so it defrosted quickly!).

    Are you going to need to cut them/sculpt them? That's easiest done while they are still fairly firm from the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's a great idea to keep your clothes up off the floor and when you've got them painted they will look cute too. I look forward to seeing them. Enjoy your cooking. xo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi, Don't you just love Ikea for a low cost aesthetically pleasing solution! A light sand and yes, unfortunately, I would also prime so the paint lasts longer. Can't wait to hear if you have managed to keep the clothes off the floor. Very pleased I stumbled across your blog. Looking forward to your next post. Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like a fun project! I love those little stools + the idea of having a resting spot for things each night.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looking forward to seeing some 'after' photos.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment - it really makes my day!!