Ask Jennifer Adams: How to strip and repaint vintage furniture

Q:

What do I need to do to paint my old bedroom furniture? It's white on top of some very hard green paint - you can scratch the white paint right off the green. My husband and I really like to do little projects ourselves, so can you tell us how to revive this? I don't mind the distressed look, but perhaps that trend is going out the window.

- Patricia K
A: I love the distressed look, which is still popular. It's a little more work than just a simple painted finish, but it's worth it.

I would bet anything you paint over the white will scratch off just as easily. The green paint is probably oil-based with a smooth, semigloss finish - which makes sticking anything to it difficult.

Removing all the paint - the white and the green - by hand is going to be a tedious, messy job. The process may include a combination of heat, chemical strippers, and old-fashioned sanding. And because the green paint could be lead-based, handle this properly by wearing a respirator, having good ventilation, and disposing of the waste responsibly.

Discuss how to do this right with your local paint store or go straight to a professional furniture refinisher if you want to restore the wood finish.

If you get just the white paint off, you can lightly sand, prime, and paint over the green yourself.

If you want that classic distressed look, choose a base color to contrast with your top finish color. Once the top color is dry, sand it enough to let the base color show, especially along the edges of the top, legs, and drawer faces. Browns and black look great through a white finish coat. White, light brown, or gold under black or dark brown will give you a rich look.

Or have fun with your favorite color.

Good luck, and send me a photo of the finished piece.

Jennifer Adams is an award-winning designer, writer, and TV personality. AskJennifer@JenniferAdams.com

@JenniferAdams www.jenniferadams.com