Jules Jewels- Repurposed Goods and DIY Ideas: Black and White Buffet

Found this beautiful buffet on craigslist. It was in excellent condition, just had a horrible faux wood paint job. I love the classic black and white look so that was my inspiration. Here is what I did!

Before picture. If has beautiful detail and lines.

I had to strip off the faux paint on the top. I put paint stripper on that I got from Lowe's in the paint department and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then using a putty knife I scrapped it off. I then used a palm sander and sanded with 60 grit sandpaper. There were so many layers of paint that I had to add stripper again and then sand once more. The whole process took a while! Once all the paint was off, I went over the top with 220 grit sandpaper by hand to create a smooth finish. I highly recommend you do that every time!!!!

I cleaned the piece well with TSP and made sure before I stained the top to wipe it down with water to open up the wood pores. DIY Tip- Use water or wood conditioner on wood before you stain it!
I stained the top with ebony wood stain (which is black). I put 2 layers of ebony on. Letting it dry for 2 hours between layers. I painted the body with Annie Sloan Pure White. The hardware was spray painted black. I let it dry overnight.

DIY Tip- Make sure the stain is completely dry before moving on. Dry times can vary depending on weather, ventilation in the space you are working and freshness of the can of stain you are using. You should not be staining or painting in 55 degrees or colder weather. Take the piece inside if needed. Nor should you be using an old can of stain. Buy smaller cans of stain if you don't paint often!

The piece was dry so I lightly sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper. I didn't want a heavy distressed look so I took it easy on the sanding! I put two coats of with Annie Sloan clear wax on the base. It is best to put on a layer of wax with a rag or a cheap brush and then lightly wipe it off. Let it sit for 5 to 6 hours or even overnight. Then put another coat on and lightly wiping off excess wax. Buff it with a microfiber rag the next day. I put two coats of polyurethane on the top to protect the ebony finish. For poly I use a Wooster 3 inch brush. Read the directions before using poly. DIY Tip for poly- Once you brush the poly on, don't go back and mess with it!!! You will ruin your piece. Poly will level itself out!

Here is the final pictures!