Sunday, June 16, 2013

To Paint or Not to Paint?!?! The $25 Buffet Steal

     Happy Father's Day everyone! I hope you're giving thanks and appreciation for all the Dads today. My dad passed away many years ago, but he's in my thoughts often. I loved him for so many reasons and I always felt loved by him. I'm grateful for having had a wonderful Father. 


  So onto my question.. About the paint.
 A few weeks ago I was walking the dogs one morning and around the corner a neighbor was having a garage sale. Most of it was clothing and little household items. BUT.. In the back of all the stuff, was this piece of furniture. This buffet was really nice! I loved the style, the turned legs and design.
The finish was a little rough but not bad, a few spots of dripped paint. I could easily make this into something gorgeous. Did I need it? No... But, I'll ask  how much. 

"How much is the buffet?"
"Twenty five dollars."
(I thought hard for about 3 seconds.)
"I'll buy it!!!"
The neighbor let me return later to pay for it and haul it home. 
She later told me how many people wanted to buy it and they couldn't believe she sold it for that low price. I scored!

So after wrestling it out of the van, I got some help getting it into the living room. I made the perfect spot for it. Right under my beloved Dorothy Spangler  oil painting depicting a french flower cart.

Now I need to decide. Should I paint it? What color? 
It could easily be spiffed up with a little 'Restore-a-Finish'. Have you tried that stuff? It's great for adding a little stain and shining up furniture. It covers scratches and a whole world of mishaps. 

OR.. I could paint it!  In my mind it's been gold, red, green, coral and even lavender. Lavender? Well, maybe not.
Turquoise would look great, but that doesn't fit in my house and besides, I may decide to use it as a tv stand eventually. Too many ideas! And tmi...
But under that painting it could be so many colors! I could even paint it with big flowers all over.
Paint the top only? Leave the top wood? What to do?!

I'm in no hurry to decide on a final finish, but it doesn't look that great.. but then it's not that bad either. 
If I give it the 'Restore a Finish' and then decide to paint it later, I have to deal with the oily finish first.
So there it is. To paint or not to paint, that is the question. 
Do you have the answer?

Thanks for dropping by the Sunset Coast today!
Have a great Father's Day! 

15 comments:

  1. Good Evening Cindy, You must be thrilled to pieces to have bought this sideboard at such a wonderful price.
    To paint or not to paint, mmm, I have seen some lovely pieces of furniture which have been enhanced by paint, but there is a huge part of me which loves wood, so I am in the middle and probably the worst person you could ask. I love the shape of this piece, so it will be exciting to see what you decide to do. Maybe live with it for a while before you decide.
    I adore your Dorothy Spangler painting, it is full of bright colours.... it is really lovely.
    Have a lovely day,
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

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  2. Daphne, I am thrilled to have found this buffet! But I don't think you helped me decide what to do! I guess you understand where I'm at with making a decision. Thanks for dropping by the Sunset Coast and your thoughtful comments today.
    Cheers!
    Cindy

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  3. I cannot believe you found this BEAUTIFUL buffet for $25!!! I love all the painted furniture out these days, but I could not paint such a nice piece. That's just me. :)

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  4. Paint...the color should be whatever goes with the rest of your house, not just the painting it is sitting under. That way you can move to another spot if you want to change things around.

    Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment. I am following you in return. :)

    Judith

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  5. I love this! What a steal! Thanks for linking up to the "Go Get Your Garage Sale On" Linky Party! -Jess

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  6. Hi,

    I am new to this blog (5 minutes). We met in sewing class today. I am looking for a sideboard like this or similar. DO NOT PAINT!!!!!! I am having a hard time finding. Suggestions on where to go, look, etc? $25.00????????????? You are lucky! And I say, supposed to have this piece. Rozanne

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  7. Cindy I love the buffet!! So sorry....I can't help you with your decision though. But I do agree with Daphne in that I think I would live with it for a while and give it some thought. Wish I could find some a great deal like that! $25!! Following you!

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  8. This is gorgeous and what a steal at $25. I agree, live with it for awhile before deciding to paint it. Thanks for sharing with us at TTF this week!

    Linda

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  9. Great deal! Lovely piece. One thing about painting-- unless go you go for a distressed look, you'll be touching it up forever. And also will want to change the color in a few years... If you leave it alone, it's "done." But that being said, it would look great painted!

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  11. Whoops, made a type so I deleted it.

    You got a really beautiful piece! The price was really terrific. Love it. I'd definitely paint it. I'd go with a very light yellow or very light blue to coordinate with the painting.

    Of course, I love white, too, to brighten it up a bit. Yah. Definitely I'd paint it right away. But that's me! You have to decide what you'd like to do. Susan

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  12. Great thrifty find Cindy. I vote to paint it white... but then again, I paint everything white!! Thank you for sharing this at Shabbilicious Friday.

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  13. It is beautiful as is, but I'm such a sucker for white! What a lucky duck you are to find that piece at that price! :)
    Therena @ littlebitofpaint.blogspot.com

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  14. Painting a piece that is in such good condition is always a challenge for me. But since you'll be keeping it, do you love it in its natural state? West Furniture Revival had a great post with a ton of different paint treatments for similar style buffets. It helped me develop a vision for a few of the buffets I've done. Hopefully it will help you decide!
    http://westfurniturerevival.blogspot.com/2013/04/35-beaut-ious-buffets.html

    Good luck with your decision!
    Robin

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  15. I featured your find for the June "Go Get Your Garage Sale On" Linky Party! Great find! http://www.brightgreendoor.com/2013/07/garage-sale-party-features-finds-and.html

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Thank you for visiting the Sunset Coast! I really, really love your comments!