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Before + After: Lacquer Mid-Century Modern Credenza Makeover

I came across this mid-century modern credenza at an estate sale. It was the last day of the sale, so I bargained and paid less than $30. What really caught my attention was the brass modern round, tapered legs. The wood grain was in pretty good condition, but I knew I wanted to lacquer the outside of the frame and add brass handles to freshen it up. I have used Amy Howard at Home Lacquer spray paint before on a lamp and really liked the results, so I thought it would work perfect for this project. The piece was in overall good condition– just had some minor scratches, dried paper stuck to it and a lot of dust. Estate sales are a great place to find mid-century modern furniture pieces. I’m slightly obsessed with Worlds Away furniture and they do a lot of two-tone credenza pieces, so I knew this mid-century modern credenza makeover was a perfect project to tackle and create a copycat look.

Before picture of the mid-century credenza at the estate sale. Isn’t my baby cute in her mismatch princess shoes?!

Once I got the piece home, I pulled the sliding doors off and took the shelves out. I wanted to do a two-tone, mid-century look with a white perimeter but keep the wood-grain sliding doors the same wood stain. So I really didn’t want to take the chance of getting paint on the doors.

Using a de-greaser, like Simple Green, I cleaned the inside and outside of the furniture piece removing any dust, particles and grime.
Then I taped off the sections that I didn’t want any paint to get on.
The top was laminate, so I ripped that off and then used wood putty to fill any holes. Then sanded so the wood putty was flat. I probably didn’t have to do this since I was just spray painting the top, but I thought I would get a better result. In the end, it was a step I could of skipped and would of saved a lot of time. Make sure to remove ALL dust before going to the next step.
After, I spray painted the piece with two coats of a white furniture primer. You must prime the piece with a white primer to get the best results.

The lacquer products you will need are Amy Howard at Home White Perfection and Bright Idea lacquer spray paint. I used about two cans of the White Perfection and one of the Bright Idea. Amy’s high performance furniture lacquer is my favorite and is actual lacquer that creates a thick, rich, high-gloss finish on a piece of furniture.

5. Take the White Perfection lacquer spray paint and using horizontal swiping motions at an 8-10” distance, spray in short spurts at a time overlapping each stroke. Don’t linger too long or spray too closely. This could create drips! I spray painted back and forth, back and forth to create an even finish.

6. After it dries, lightly sand (with 400 grit sandpaper) any puddles or uneven lacquer areas on the piece. Wipe well with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

7. Apply a second coat of white perfection lacquer spray paint. Let it dry about 30 minutes. Then sand again.

8. Repeat until you get the desire finish. Once you get the desired look, you don’t have to sand. It took me about three coats of lacquer until I was satisfied.

9. To finish the project, apply Amy Howard at Home Bright Idea Clear Lacquer Spray Paint. This will give it an added protection to the lacquer and a high-gloss finish. Before I applied two coats of the Bright Idea clear spray paint, I made sure the piece was completely dried. Using the same horizontal motion, completely cover the piece of furniture. If you get any puddles, no worries! Just sand down with 400-grit paper after it dries and in between coats.

10. Before you enjoy your furniture piece or move it, make sure to let it cure about 3 days for added protection!

While the piece was curing, I cleaned the brass legs with Brasso. The brass was pretty dull and this gave it a nice polish. Then I used Goof Off pro-strength to remove any marks on the wood grain of the sliding doors. You have to be careful because this stuff is strong and will strip stain if you rub too hard. Then I went over the piece with a wood stain marker to cover any scratches.

I switched out the little finger pulls on the sliding doors with these brass hardware pulls from House of Antique Hardware , which are great for sliding cabinet doors. My only complaint about them is we had to drill a hole in the doors to make the hardware flush to the sliding doors, since the rear of the hardware is not flat but has a circular bulge for the finger pull.

I would say this mid-century modern credenza makeover was a success, and I am excited to use it and show it off! I love the Amy Howard at Home lacquer paints. They really can drastically change a piece, and give it a high-gloss finish.

LAMP | RUG | BASKET | PRINT (similar) | BOOKS

This post was sponsored by Amy Howard at Home; however the opinions are all mine.

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DIY Painted White and Gold Furniture: Amy Howard at Home One Step Paint

We have had this Chinese cabinet since we first got married. It’s one of those furniture pieces that I’ve wanted to replace, but my husband is so attach to it (why does that happen to men??). We placed it in this corner off the kitchen because it’s quite functional–hiding our mail, random papers, keys and even a laptop. But it has been this dark, neglected piece that doesn’t really go with the rest of the kitchen decor and really looked misplaced. My kitchen is white and has a lot of windows, so I really want to lighten up the cabinet and glamorize it by painting it a white and gold furniture piece. I am in love with Worlds Away furniture like this cabinet and this so I felt like I could repaint my Chinese cabinet to achieve the look similar to a Worlds Away piece. After attending Amy Howard at Home paint workshop, I knew the One-Step Paint would be perfect for this DIY painted white and gold furniture project.

Here is the before:

I separated the top portion from the bottom portion by unscrewing a hinge on the back of the piece that held the two together. I wanted to paint the top portion of the cabinet white, so I chose the One Step Paint Bauhaus Buff. With the One Step, you don’t have to sand or put a primer on it. Prior to painting the top portion of the cabinet, I made sure to clean the piece with a degreaser cleaning spray , wiping down dust and grime. Then I painted the top portion with two coats of the One Step paint, allowing to dry approx 30 minutes between each coat. Make sure to apply an even coat. Do not apply too thick or leave puddles, as it could crack when drying.

Helpful Tip: Make sure to paint your piece in a room with reasonable temperatures. If it’s cold outside, don’t paint in the garage! Temperature has an affect on any kind of paint.
Helpful Tip: Make sure to shake and stir the One Step Paint. Leave it open for 15-20 minutes before using for a thicker paint.

With the bottom portion, I spray painted two coats of a gold metallic spray paint. The circle brass plate on the top portion was pretty worn and was loosing its luster. I wanted it to pop out more, so I covered the top portion and just spray painted the plate with the gold metallic.

Once the top and bottom pieces dried, I assembled them back together. Since the cabinet is used everyday, I wanted to seal the paint, and applied Amy Howard at Home Clear Wax. I decided to go with the clear wax because I didn’t want to change the color of the white and gold. I started by swirling a clean brush into the wax to load it up. Then using a scrap of cardboard, I off-loaded some of the wax from the brush by brushing it on the cardboard. This also helps to distribute the wax evenly throughout the brush bristles.

HELPFUL TIP: Never go straight from the tin of wax to your piece. Always remove excess by swiping your brush across a piece of cardboard a few times.

I applied the clear wax on the One Step Paint and the gold metallic spray paint. Putting a wax over spray paint will help seal the spray paint from chipping and wearing off over time especially on furniture pieces. I applied the wax all over the piece by using gentle, whisking brushstrokes in a cross-hatch pattern. Allow to dry 45 minutes to an hour. After use a clean rag and gently buff the wax until there is a sheen on the surface.

I could of stopped there, but I felt like the gold metallic paint was looking flat.

So, to create depth and give it a rich gold metallic look, I used the dark antique wax. Using a bristle brush, I swirled wax to cover the tips of the bristles. You only want to add the dark antique wax to the areas on the piece that would show age—edges and places that would have been touched and worn more often. Using a small amount of wax, I applied lightly in a cross-hatched pattern. Allow to dry for 1 hour, then gently buff until there is a sheen on the surface.

Doesn’t the gold look so much better with the dark antique wax applied to it? What a difference! I’m so happy with the way my piece turned out! I added new acrylic knobs, and it is now ready to be used. The white brightens up that use-to-be dark corner. I’m so impressed with the waxes and how it makes the paint so much stronger and durable. And the One Step made this painting project so much easier since there was no sanding or priming. I’d say this DIY painted white and gold furniture project was a success!