I’m a huge fan of the herringbone pattern that originated with the classic weave especially on floors, walls, and in fabric patterns too (did you know it’s named after the skeleton of a herring?)  I love the modern spin with a vertical stripe running through the short diagonal stripes and colorized in two or more offset shades. 

The other day I was in one of my creative moods so I painted a modern herringbone pattern with some fabric paint and stencil tape on a flour sack then stitched it up into a fall accent pillow. 

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My friend is redoing her little girl’s room and she really loves the coastal look in her  home, so when she mentioned she was redecorating, naturally I volunteered my help. 

One of her requests in her girl’s room design was to makeover the pine dresser that one of her in-laws painted for her daughter years ago.  It was a kind gesture with a *ahem* questionable result.  This is what the dresser looked like before I got my hands on it. 

Clearly someone got a little carried away with the ‘Under the Sea’ theme and then threw in some black and white action just to keep us all mesmerized. It’s not that I have a thing against tropical fish. They’re cute on canvas or in a fish tank or floating in front of my snorkel mask while I’m vacationing in Hawaii. I’m just not a fan of them on a pine dresser.  (Which one’s your favorite by the way?)

We decided to keep with the coastal theme but I transformed the dresser from a nautical no no to a more subdued Nantucket nicety with thick gray stripes running down the front.

Super cute for a little girl’s room! 

Here’s the step by step.

AS chalk paint is one of my three favorites to paint furniture with, especially when I’m going for a weathered or distressed look, so I mixed up some Old White, Paris Grey, and a little Duck Egg Blue to arrive at a bluish grayish shade for the stripes.

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Hello everyone, I’m so excited to share today’s DIY project with you, it’s all about how to paint a kitchen table. Y’all know I’ve been painting furniture and cabinets for years, but this time I tackled the painting of a kitchen table. A kitchen table is the one surface that will get the most traffic of any piece of furniture in your home, and since it gets the most abuse it must be extremely durable.

To paint an old wood table with success you need three things working together – a primer that blocks stains and also sticks like super glue, an extremely durable paint with a hard finish that can withstand the banging of bowls and plates, and finally, a layer of protectant.

Let’s get started.

First, take a look at this pedestal table before the paint treatment – worn out oak coated with plenty of ick and yuck.  Not pretty.

Where did I find this thing?  I’ll give you four choices:  A) thrift store B) thrift store C) thrift store D) Craigslist.  If you guessed A, B or C you were right, oooh you’re smart!  It was $45 for this solid wood classically shaped pedestal.  My friend needed a table for her new home’s breakfast nook so I spotted this one and then decided to refinish it for her.

What you’ll need to paint your own wood kitchen table: orbital sander, medium grit sanding discs, foam roller, high quality angled paintbrush, medium grade sanding wedge, respirator, bonding/stain blocking primer, enamel based paint, cotton rags, clear paste wax.

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Anther great reader question this week, and one I’ve had a couple of times before.  My mantra has always been if you don’t like an old tired piece of furniture you own, then paint it!  Lots of people share that idea and want to reinvent their furniture with a coat paint but like Mina, they get stuck on deciding what color to choose. 

“I would like some advice on some pieces of furniture for my bedroom. I am new at this and really don’t know where to start.  For my bedroom I’d love some color mixed with black, grey, and white.  I want to mix in new pieces of furniture (like a headboard) with old/repainted night stands and an old chest.  What color do you think I should paint them?  Should I brush paint or spray paint? Any thoughts or ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.”  ~ Mina

The answer is completely subjective and depends on so many factors, your favorite colors, the space itself, and of course the style of the piece of furniture. I like to think of it this way.  If you’re looking for a piece that will harmonize with other players in the room then choose a classic or more neutral color, like cream, gray, or black, and then pull color into the space with your wall paint, textiles, and accessories.  But if you’re looking for a showstopper, or one that will be a focal point and be more dominant in the space, then by all means, choose a brighter color.

There’s a great source of inspiration for painted furniture and a site I absolutely love. I wrote about Somerset Bay two years ago, and I find their entire collection so inspiring, every color is spot on.  

Take a peek at a few of their classic neutrals …

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