Question to furniture makeover pros

litzo27

Hi Ladies,

I know there are several of you who have done amazing things with furniture make-overs so maybe you can give a girl some advice.

I'm a total newbie. Have been reading a lot of refinishing projects for years now but never got the courage to do anything. I had a chance to buy a fantastic solid oak roll-top desk very cheap so it's now do or die time. I'm ready to commit to the project but despite all the resources I've reviewed I'm hesitant how to proceed. This is what it looks like right now: Here is my plan: - Dismantle and clean - Fix what needs fixing (some drawers need to be tightened, etc.) - Remove hardware (will replace with other) - Sand the large outside plane surfaces - Paint with primer and chalk paint and finish with a wax - Put back together. Some questions: 1. I'm still confused about the need to strip vs. sand right away. How do I know if I need to strip this oak. It doesn't appear to have a heavy layer of varnish. 1a. Related - I've seen people do projects where they skip the sanding if they are working with chalk paint and just do primer+paint. Any words of wisdom on that route? 2. If I sand what's the appropriate grit to start with for this project (I have a very small electric sander, wonder if I'll need to upgrade). 3. Any advice on the chalk paint or other paints, etc. 4. Am I missing something in my plan. Any pitfalls you can foresee for me? Thanks so much for any input!!!

lindsayandjamie

If you plan to use Annie Sloan Chalk paint you don't need to sand or prime over solid wood even if its varnished. That stuff is amazing and it my go to paint for furniture make overs. It is more expensive than latex (a quart is the same price as a gallon of latex) but you use less and it requires less work. Check it out online for colours and you can mix for a custom colour