Stripes For Days
I found this baby on Facebook Marketplace for $5 and planned on giving it a Mid Century Modern vibe. After finishing a few other flips I already had in the queue and when I came back to this I just thought no, I want to make this piece shout! I think it’s safe to say this piece is a loud one!!
How to get crisp stripes. Every time.
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Step 1:
Choose your two stripe colors and paint your surface completely with the lighter one first. Paint as many coats as you need until you are absolutely sure you don’t need to touch up any areas. Once the surface is completely dry, map out your stripes using painter’s tape.
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Step 2:
Before painting your second color, paint over top all the painter’s tape seams with the color you originally painted the surface. This activates the tape, creating a seal, so your second color doesn’t bleed underneath it. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!
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Step 3:
Once dry, paint your surface with your second color. Paint as many coats as you need until you are sure you don’t need to touch up any areas. While your final coat is still wet, slowly remove the painter’s tape- make sure to hold the removed tape as you go so it does not accidently touch the wet surface!
Linked Supplies
Whenever possible, I like to hide the construction hardware of furniture because helps elevate the look of a piece. I typically use a countersink drill bit to create an indent for the head of the screw to nest in below the surface and then apply this wood filler over it. After it dries I sand the area using an 80 grit sanding block. Using a block is key because you want the surface completely flush. If you just hold sand paper in your hand, you won’t apply even pressure when sanding and will end up seeing the indentation of the hardware. After sanding, I usually apply one more, thinner layer of filler and then sand with a 120 grit sanding block to feather it out so it is completely flush.
Painter’s tape - a must if you want those crisp stripes!
Paint Brushes: I am partial to Purdy. They are very affordable and great quality. most of my brushes are 2 inches wide, but I always have at least one of each of these on hand:
- Short brush - you’ll need a short brush to work on a piece like this because those with a longer handle will get in the way constantly in all these tiny spaces on the sides
- Top Coat Brush - you definitely want a separate brush that you only use for poly coating. this prevents you from getting any paint in your poly, or poly in your paint…. you also want to make sure the brush you use for poly is made of synthetic bristles so it holds up. I’ve had the same one for months now, used it on numerous flips and DIYs, and the bristles are as if I bought it yesterday.
Paint Colors:
- White - Linen White by Rust-Oleum, 1 Quart- Ultra Matte Interior Chalked Paint
- Yellow - Marigold By Rethunk Junk, 1 Quart
I added BB Frösch to my paint, per usual. It 100% makes a difference
Top Coat: Varathane Clear Satin Water-Based Interior Polyurethane