TUTORIAL: Step-by-step beautiful finish with Rustic Owl Furnishings!

Guest post by: Lindsay of Rustic Owl Furnishings
STEP 1 - It's all in the prep!
- I'll start out by saying, Prep is key! Your finish is only as good as your prep. I would say 85% of refinishing is prep work.
- The first thing I did before starting on this hutch was assessing it for damages. There were a few pieces of missing veneer on the top, the side was coming apart from the structure, and some of the trim pieces were coming loose. All purpose Bondo is my number one hole filling, gouge replacing product. I filled the holes and the missing patches of veneer with it.
- Once the Bondo is set, I sand with a 220 grit to the desired finish. I then used wood glue for the trim work and to put the side back in place, all held with clamps. I left this for about an hour to be sure the glue was dry and then removed the clamps.
- I took the shelves out that were nailed in, took off the glass doors and bottom cabinet doors and removed the drawer. I like to remove all parts to ensure a proper sanding is done and I don't miss a spot when painting.
- I used my Surfprep sander to sand the entire piece to bare wood with 120 grit sandpaper. I find the best lasting finish is done when the piece is sanded to bare wood.
- Once every thing is sanded, I use Krud Kutter degreaser and a microfiber rag to clean the entire piece. Scotch blue pre-taped painters plastic is perfect for covering the glass on the doors so I don't get any paint on the glass. It is also great for covering drawers to ensure paint doesn't splatter inside them! A must have product!
STEP 2 - This is important!
- Once everything is cleaned and dried I sprayed the piece with shellac 2 times, as this piece is mahogany, it will bleed through. I then primed it with cover stain oil based white primer.
STEP 3 - Time to paint
- Once every thing was dry, I painted the inside with The Chippy Barn Amulent Decor Paint in the color Craftsman White. I then painted the outside, the doors and drawer with The Chippy Barn in the color Lakehouse. It is a gorgeous light blue with grey undertones. The two colors compliment each other well.
STEP 4 - Interiors
- I sanded the two shelves to bare wood and stained them with white stain. I revitalized the inside of the drawer with The Chippy Barn's Wood Nectar in orange scent!! YUM!!!
STEP 5 - Seal your work
- I let everything dry overnight and then sprayed the entire piece with The Chippy Barn's Ultra-Tough Topcoat in Flat for a flawless finish!
I am in love with the finished piece! The Chippy Barn has awesome products. They always give a flawless finish, every time!
Check out Rustic Owl Furnishings for more great content!

I wear several hats in my day to day life. I'm a wife, a mother of 4 and I work full time as a pharmacy technician trainer at a major hospital. When I'm not doing any of those things, I run my business, Rustic Owl Furnishings. I started it 2 1/2 years ago and it's taken right off! I'm very thankful for that, because this is what I truly love. I love treasure hunting for antique decor or that perfect antique piece of furniture. Refinishing furniture is a lifestyle to me. I love finding antique or vintage furniture, imagining the transformation, and making it come to life!
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