Getting Started
As the 2020 COVID shutdown was in full swing, I, like many others, found I had a lot more time on my hands and I was fast running out of new Netflix shows to binge. I started looking at things to fill this time up that would be both productive and relaxing for me as I was lucky to be able to work from home.
After a few weeks of looking into different options and ruling them out for various reasons, I finally settled on refinishing furniture.I decided on this because I may or may not be addicted to both Facebook marketplace and getting a good deal. I had stumbled upon a free dresser that just needed a little TLC as they say and I could not pass up this opportunity to try something new. After settling on a day/time to pick it up, I became a fiend for any and all info I could get on how to refurbish furniture. I joined a Facebook group on it, watched many many YouTube videos, and most importantly I had to do a little trial and error on the piece itself.
Today and in future posts, I will attempt to walk you through some of the beginner’s knowledge I have picked up in the past year or so redoing pieces of furniture. I will attempt to break it down into digestible sections and be forewarned that I will be linking a number of articles, videos, and other resources to help as much as possible while you get started.
In an effort to inspire you, below is a side by side of one of my early pieces. I picked up the dresser for free through Facebook marketplace. After some much needed changes the dresser was ready for a new home
What You’ll Need
We will go ahead and jump right into some of the first things you will want to do when planning to refinish furniture. I would highly recommend taking a look at some of the basic things you will need to start. While refurbishing furniture is not super expensive with some of the saving tricks I use, I have spent a lot on it over the past almost 2 years. It can really add up with the number of items you need to get for a single piece especially if it is a larger piece that will take more materials! I have included a short list below of the things I have found absolutely necessary for this type of project. I have put rough price estimates for doing a medium-sized piece so you can get a good picture of the costs you would be seeing.
Things you will definitely need will be:
- Sandpaper (sanding sponges work too) = $12
- Rags from old T-shirts (I have found these are best for cleaning the furniture) = FREEEEEEE
- Paintbrushes (invest in nicer ones that will not shed as much if you can) = $10
- Foam paint rollers = $12
- Plastic paint holder = $3
- Foam brushes = $5
- Paint sheet or shower curtain to keep paint off the ground as much as possible = $2
- Basic Screw Drivers for removing hardware = $15
- Shellac Primer = $20
- Paint (I have found some great colors from the “Oops” section in stores like Lowes) = between $8 and $30+
- Stain if you prefer to go that route with your piece = $15
- Water-based Polyurethane = $12
As you can see, those items add up to about $115. Depending on the brands and sizes you decide to go with that could be even more. This is why I recommend making sure you have enough money to cover the basics at least. You do not want to be midway through a project to find out you can’t finish it! Also, please understand that not everything will be used up during this first project so you will likely have some leftover materials to put toward your next project.
Now that we have that bit out of the way, there are a few things I recommend getting that are not necessary to complete the piece, but it really does make it easier on you and will save a good amount of time.
The first was an electric sander as sanding everything by hand without a little help was quite daunting. I find it was worth the investment to get through sanding faster and with a little less elbow grease. Sanding is my least favorite part of the whole process which also may contribute to this opinion.
Plastic gloves are also awesome to have around for painting and staining. These simply protect your hands so that you don’t have to spend 15 to 30 minutes scrubbing off your hands after finishing work on the piece for the day. Stain is especially bad and I will never stain anything without wearing these because it was so hard trying to get it off of my hands at the end of the day.
And that’s it! That’s the budget and recommended shopping list you need to get started. Keep an eye out for my next post around selecting and preparing your first piece. Feel free to ask any questions below or share learnings that have worked for you!
About the Author
Emma currently works in software sales for a company located in Dallas, TX. She has always loved tapping into her creative side and enjoys spending free time thrift shopping hoping find her next project. Outside of her full time job and creative hobbies, Emma also loves spending time outdoors with her husband, Roman
About CouchCycled
CouchCycled offers free in-home couch and furniture removal in an effort to reduce furniture waste in Dallas/Fort Worth while giving back to the community. All removed couches are renewed and resold at an affordable price. A percentage of all sales are donated.
