Creating Color Within White Walls ~ Glossy & Green

One of my favorite ways to add color to my home is with painted furniture and to that end nothing makes me happier than a great second hand find. I’m always willing to pay for the paint and put in some work on a piece if the shape and style are what I’m looking for. I’ve got a dresser that began its life as a beat up $5 garage sale find and wound up as my nightstand in a gorgeous shade of yellow. Then there’s the tiny Adirondack rocker that was put out as trash down the street that now sits in my girls’ room in fancy shade of bright watermelon pink.

 

But of course we live in a giant white box so there’s still more color to add, so I’m always keeping my eye out for a fabulous furniture find. Just the other day I cam across a desk on Craiglist. I’d been looking for one for the study for quite a while and this one met all the requirements. It had at least three drawers but was still small enough for the kiddos and our tiny space. It was clearly well-used but nothing a hammer & nails, some wood putty and a sander couldn’t fix so for $25 I brought the beauty home.

 

I spent a few hours searching for color inspiration. I knew I wanted to go green but just wasn’t sure of the shade. It had to be a bright bold shade in order to coordinate well with the office accessories I already owned and the tea towels I was planning to hang. I still couldn’t find the perfect color so I headed to Home Depot and figured I’d just find something there. On a whim I checked out the table of “Boo Boo” paint and lo and behold a gallon of perfect glossy green paint was right there on top and at just $7 it was too good a bargain to pass by.

 

Back at home the desk got primed with some Killz spray primer in grey and then on went 2 coats of that beautiful glossy green, topped with a gloss clear coat of sealant. I put some new hardware on and I have to say I’m pretty pleased with the result. It’s the biggest piece I’ve done to date and the green really packs a punch. Now that its all set up in the study I imagine it will continue to add a fabulous amount of fun to this room where the whole family gets work done.

 

How do you feel about painting furniture bright colors? Any tips or tricks to share?