Going for Gold - How to Paint a Vintage Typewriter Table

I'm sharing a furniture makeover today, and it's NOT aqua!  In fact, it's not any of my safe and favored colours - it's gold.  Gold and I have a weird friendship.  I love to wear gold jewellery (my gold charm bracelet is a staple).  I have mooned over many a gold-filled DIY project.  An art exhibit featuring white plaster and gold had me totally mesmerized.  When I came back from my second visit to Hungay, I was totally obsessed.  But I just don't love gold in my house.  I've tried: my framed agates have a delicate edge of gold.  That's okay.  But remember when I had a cute vintage print framed in a pretty, brushed gold frame?  Well, that ended up at my Mom's place, where the frame will look great with her original 1950s antique brass hardware (she doesn't like the print, but I think a photograph from our travels will look great - maybe in black and white).  I was sad to see it go - especially because the frame wasn't cheap - but it was just too much gold for me!!  Even though I appreciate gold, and love seeing it in other homes, in my own home I love the coolness of brushed nickel.  It complements the watery palette that makes me happiest, and just feels refreshing.

With all that said, I wanted to try a little gold spray paint.  I can sense you sighing, "she's so stubborn".

I had thrifted this vintage metal typewriter table for $2.50 and decided it might look cute in the computer shop I've been slowly helping gussy up.  Two chairs in their waiting area + a fancy coffee maker necessitated a side table.  I don't know why, but I decided this would be my chance to try gold spray paint.  Here it is before (I had already popped the wheelie feet off):

I actually liked the patina, but it was bordering on shabby.  And the computer shop owner detests shabby (remember the cute antique chair that was vetoed?).   

I scrubbed the table with Mr. Clean, then rinsed it and let it dry.  I used a fine grit sandpaper and lightly sanded the entire surface and then wiped it down again.  I removed the wheels (they just pop off) and carefully wrapped them in painter's tape.

Then I got to spraying, using Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic in Pure Gold.  This Rust-Oleum spray paint bonds well with metal and has a built-in primer so painting the table was easy.  This was another spray painting job I tackled in my Father-in-law's spray painting booth.  I am so ecstatic about the potential for cold-weather spray painting!!  Paint ALL the things...

I flipped the table over and did the underside first.  I let it dry about half an hour and then gingerly flipped it back to spray paint the top and sides.  The spray in any direction nozzles are so fabulous - how did we spray paint without them?  Also, these new formulas dry fast - I love that.

I have been doing my best to be a patient spray-painter: applying super thin, sheer coats and waiting a few minutes in between.  When we were out at my in-laws', chopping wood and painting, we brought Szuka and added her to my father-in-law's existing three dogs (one of whom won't play nice with anyone, and two that do hang out but can't be let outside together).  I was on puppy-patrol and was kept pretty busy letting them out individually for pee breaks and breaking up fights.  Paint a little, let a dog out for a pee, paint another coat, try to find that dog and lure it back inside, spray on another thin coat, let out another dog.  It worked well for me!  Being distracted is great for spray painting projects because it keeps me from sitting there, with a twitchy spray painting finger, globbing on heavy coat coat after coat.

Once done, I let it cure for a few hours while we had dinner.  Hubby's Dad said the finish looked so perfect, it's like it came from the factory like that!  He said it didn't look spray painted, which is a high compliment from a woodworker who knows his finishes.  Hubby and his Dad actually both like the colour, which was surprising because it's gold, which I thought they'd deem to be too "feminine".  This gold is pretty - it's not glam and glitzy, it's a subtle gold with the tiniest amount of gleam.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I reluctantly delivered it to the computer shop last week, but not before I snapped a few photos.

The finished product is not as yellow-gold as the lid, and I suspect that's because it was applied to a green-ish colour to begin with.  Had I primed with white, I suspect the gold would have been truer. 

This winter I'll be recovering the computer store's counter with Rustoleum's counter top refinishing kit (I'm so curious and just have to try it out) and then maybe I'll show you the shop.

For now, you'll have to take my word that it's such a cute piece of furniture for an otherwise modern computer store.   These typewriter tables seem to be a dime a dozen.  If you stumble across one for cheap, you might one to give it a little makeover.  If not gold, then perhaps one of these gorgeous colours? 

Visual Heart, Our Secondhand House, Design Dining Diapers

Thanks to Rustoleum for providing the product for this project.  I've been really lucky to be able to work with a great brand (a longtime favorite), who gives me total freedom concerning what projects I tackle, what products I use, when (or if) I blog about them, and how I write my posts. 

(Cerulean Blue!) File Cabinet Makeover

I mentioned last week that the computer shop makeover I've been a part of hit a snag.  With the decorating budget sunk into the other rental space, pretty much everything - wall colour, flooring, blinds, lighting - have to stay the same in the new rental space.  I have, however, painted some tables as well as the counter you see immediately when you enter the shop.  All of these disparate pieces were painted a rich, glossy brown to blend in with the existing espresso brown furniture.  I was itching to paint at least the tables a chipper colour, but I think that with office furniture, "sets" (or faux sets, in this case) look sleeker than the eclectic hodge podge of furniture that can look so chic in a private dwelling.  In this setting, there isn't the opportunity for the drapes, accessories, and lighting that can help tie a room together.  I'm happy with my decision to buy a gallon of glossy brown paint, but it hurt my soul a little to play it so safe.  I had to, just had to, add a little colour so I grabbed a small, two-drawer file cabinet and went to town.

Let's get right to the after:

The before is likely very familiar:

The folks at the computer shop wanted a spot for kids to play, and the mini file cabinet will be perfect for a set of magnetic letters, plus the drawers can be filled with colouring books, etc.  The spray paint was on major clearance (75% off), so the project fit the miniscule budget quite well.  I skipped sanding but gave the file cabinet a good scrub and then, once it was dry, applied multiple thin coats of Tremclad metal primer in white.  When the primer was dry, I applied very thin coats of Liquitex spray paint.  I've used this paint before and have found that it goes on differently than other brands.  If you're curious, here's a post I wrote about what makes this paint so special.  I used a can of primer and a can and a half of paint for full, even coverage.  Because the key is long gone, I just sprayed right over the lock.



It took me the better part of an afternoon to make this file cabinet less dreary, but it was a hit!

It's so cheery and -  ta da! - it's not turquoise, it's cerulean blue (I'm branching out).  I actually pulled the colour from the only art currently adorning the walls, and now I can't wait to get started on some large abstracts to liven up the space and introduce a little more colour.  I had scooped the cutest little chair (for free!) to go in the kiddie corner but it was vetoed.  It was originally a dark wood stain, but had been painted a vintage sky blue blue and then cream over the years.  I'm not normally a fan of shabby chic, but this was just so perfectly aged and so perfectly petite.  It was suggested I slap on some more dark brown paint, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  Now I'm on the hunt for some pint-sized chairs.  This sounds an awful lot like thrifting for work, which sounds an awful lot like my dream job. 

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DIY Painted Particle Board Floor (Mmmm, Teal)

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have caught a peek of a project that's been keeping me busy.  A local computer shop is moving from their current retail and tech space to a smaller spot in need of some TLC.  It's downtown, with excellent parking (a rare combination!), so things like missing baseboards and particle board floors were overlooked.

At first I was a little intimidated by the amount of work to do, especially because the budget is miniscule and I'm being paid in tacos (that's not a euphemism for cash).  But I'm always up for a DIY challenge!  The first step was to fill in the hundreds of wall holes with putty, and then sand and prime them in preparation for painting the walls a warm grey (PPG's Aria).  I wanted as light a colour as possible to make the space feel bright and clean, but I knew white would quickly become covered in grubby fingerprints.  Just painting the walls one neutral colour (and not painting around the furniture like the last tenants) improved the space. 

The former tenants had put down what looks like some kind of oriented strand board (or engineered wood particle board), which had become badly stained from water damage and general foot traffic.

Putting something cheap over the particle board, like a peel and stick tile or even click laminate, wasn't an option because it's not 100% level (it's an older building, which exacerbates the wonky installation).  I decided paint would be an easy and inexpensive fix.  A local paint shop suggested a simple primer + floor enamel combo because professional-grade epoxy finishes would crack given the uneven floor.  Plus, without a top coat, a floor enamel can easily be re-touched, and it's not very slippery during wet or snowy months.

I started by giving the floor a good clean: multiple sweepings and then a deep clean with a shop vac.  Next came the primer coat.  I used Kilz Max primer, which is now my favorite primer.

A large brush was used to apply primer along edge of the room (I didn't want to touch the freshly painted walls with my roller), and then the primer was rolled on.  A handle extender was very handy.  I started at one end and painted my way out of the room, making sure everything I needed (car keys!) was accessible at my exit point.  It was dry to the touch in 1/2 and hour and ready for re-coating in one hour, but I let it dry overnight.

The primer was fabulous: it covered nicely and, as promised, dried very quickly.  Not all primers are created equal - and not all are suitable for floors - but this one did an excellent job of concealing water damage and stains and provided a very good base for the floor enamel.  I had the primer tinted as dark a green as they could manage, which helped get the floor to a deep teal.  This process is very similar to what we did for our painted laundry room floor, except we skipped primer then. 



The next morning, I applied the paint in the same fashion: starting with the edges and then using a roller and working my way out of the room.  Like with painting walls, I painted "W"'s to ensure I got paint into the uneven surface.  I took my time and often checked to make sure there were no bare spots.  I worked slowly, with a very saturated roller to ensure full coverage.  The manufacturer's instructions indicated that the floor could be walked on in 24 hours but I let it dry for 48 hours.  The gentleman who helped me at the paint store informed me that paint doesn't actually cure until about the one month mark, but that a couple of days should be fine.

This photo is the most accurate representation of the colour

This is the porch and floor enamel I used:

The enamel had great coverage, but I think the primer did the heavy lifting.  So little of this paint soaked into the floor thanks to the excellent primer.  I needed about a quart or two less of paint than primer.  

The floor turned out lovely.  After I was done I quickly snapped some photos with my phone from outside, and the door wasn't open but a minute before a passerby complimented the colour choice.  With freshly painted walls and floor, the space looks much more attractive.

You can still see the seams a bit, but they are more pronounced in these photos than in real life, thanks to the texture of the particle board and the slight sheen of the paint.   Given the muted teal colour and texture, the floor has a vintage feel, like 1950s laminate counters. 

All of the photos above were taken with my camera phone, which captured the colour somewhat true to life - but a bit more vibrant and green.  My regular camera, on the other hand, refuses to capture teal or turquoise - no matter what I do - and so it photographed the floor more blue.  The truth lies somewhere in the middle.  Ultimately, the colour (PPG's "Time for Teal") is a pretty, silvery, muted teal - much like the colour of blue spruce.  I had a few criteria for choosing the colour: I wanted something cheery because there will be little colour elsewhere, but I also wanted something that would hide dirt.  I also needed to be a colour that wouldn't disguise rogue screws, and that would pair well with the espresso brown furniture that will be moving in.  Plus I like teal; teal is always the answer.

Unfortunately, when I went to help deliver some furniture yesterday (after the floor had been given two days to dry), we found it was still tacky in some places.  I think that 24 hours is quite an optimistic time frame, especially if the conditions aren't ideal (like too much humidity), so in the future I would wait longer - maybe even wait a week.  After the furniture is all in, I will give the space a good sweep and touch up the floors.  Luckily, this system lends itself to easy re-coating.

The shop owner is thrilled so far and, as the makeover continues, we are getting compliments from folks passing by and peering in the windows.  I'll keep posting updates on instagram (like this sneak peek of some of the furniture) as we inch toward a finished space.

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