Repainting Armoire
#1
08-13-13, 09:55 PM
Repainting Armoire
I have a very yellow armoire with some stenciled flowers and vines. I don't know what kind of paint was used or how it was finished, but it was a very expensive piece if that makes any difference. I'm wondering if I could lightly sand it around the stenciling and then paint it with a semi-translucent, pearlescent paint or glaze, and wipe most of the paint off of the stenciled areas so they show through. I don't know if this could technically work or if it would even look good. What I am picturing in my head could be way off what I could create. Any thoughts?
#2
08-14-13, 04:09 AM
Welcome to the forums!
What is your intended end result? is the paint and stenciling original to the piece or was it added at some point? Besides making sure whatever coating you use is compatible with what's on there now, the biggest problem with your proposal is wiping of the excess coating off of the stenciled area. Unless you neatly wiped ONLY the stenciling - it will look bad
What is your intended end result? is the paint and stenciling original to the piece or was it added at some point? Besides making sure whatever coating you use is compatible with what's on there now, the biggest problem with your proposal is wiping of the excess coating off of the stenciled area. Unless you neatly wiped ONLY the stenciling - it will look bad
#3
08-14-13, 10:25 AM
Hi Mark, thanks for responding. The stenciling was done by the makers at the same time as the paint. I suspect there is no way that I can do this, but I am imagining a white pearl wash to tone down the yellow and add some shine and have the stenciling show through a bit more than the yellow. It is darker than the yellow. The armoire was my mother's who passed away recently. I don't like the yellow and was planning to do antique silver with mirrors but I've just been wondering if I could somehow keep the stenciling so it still reminds me of how it looked when it was hers. I've been looking at other people antique things by putting on paint or glaze and then rubbing it off, but it seems I would need to sand it pretty well, which would then remove the stenciling. If I can't keep the stencil, I would rather use a bonding primer than sand it, and start fresh.
#4
08-14-13, 02:09 PM
Would it be feasible to tape off just what has been stenciled?
If you post a pic or two, maybe we can come up with a solution - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
If you post a pic or two, maybe we can come up with a solution - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
#5
08-15-13, 09:42 AM
Ok, here is the link-
TWnomad's Library | Photobucket
The pics make the yellow look lighter than it actually is. I think that the only way taping might work is if I tape the stencil and glaze it, then remove the tape and go back over the stenciling with the same glaze, but more translucent. Not sure if that would blend together though to look like a natural lightening and shading. I don't want definite lines.
TWnomad's Library | Photobucket
The pics make the yellow look lighter than it actually is. I think that the only way taping might work is if I tape the stencil and glaze it, then remove the tape and go back over the stenciling with the same glaze, but more translucent. Not sure if that would blend together though to look like a natural lightening and shading. I don't want definite lines.
#6
08-15-13, 01:34 PM
I was thinking maybe you could tape off just the stencils with the help of an exacto knife but that would be more tedious work than anyone could be expected to do About the only option left [other than strip or paint] would be to coat the entire piece with a tinted poly or glaze. I don't know how much light sanding [if any] the stencils could take. Liquid deglosser could be used instead of sanding but it's possible it might remove the stencils in the process - you'd have to test it in one of the harder to notice areas.
About the only option left [other than strip or paint] would be to coat the entire piece with a tinted poly or glaze. I don't know how much light sanding [if any] the stencils could take. Liquid deglosser could be used instead of sanding but it's possible it might remove the stencils in the process - you'd have to test it in one of the harder to notice areas.
#7
08-15-13, 02:07 PM
Yes, I'm thinking that I was being far too optimistic about the possibilities 
I didn't know you could tint poly and I thought that just applying a glaze would result in the glaze peeling. I don't know what it was painted or finished with, do you have a suggestion on how to find out, or what I can use that will work on anything? Thanks so much for all of your time!
I didn't know you could tint poly and I thought that just applying a glaze would result in the glaze peeling. I don't know what it was painted or finished with, do you have a suggestion on how to find out, or what I can use that will work on anything? Thanks so much for all of your time!
#8
08-15-13, 02:18 PM
While I usually tint poly myself, the most widely known/used tinted poly is Minwax's PolyShades. Tinted polys can be tricky to apply because any runs, drips, lap marks, etc will have extra color and thin or missed spots will be lighter. It's not a coating that can be touched up very easy either. I haven't used glazes very often.
Generally you are safe applying an oil base coating/poly to factory finishes but it's always best to apply a small amount to a test area first.
Generally you are safe applying an oil base coating/poly to factory finishes but it's always best to apply a small amount to a test area first.
#9
08-15-13, 02:25 PM
Sounds like testing a spot will be the best way to go. Thanks again for your time. I think I would feel bad if I just painted over it without trying to save the stencil, so I really appreciate your help.
