Who Needs a Bookcase When you Can Have a Unique Painted Etagere

• Electric sander
• Electric sander
• Sandpaper

Preparing to Paint an Extra Tall Etagere

The etagere is very tall, as I mentioned which may not be as noticeable in the before photo. But to get an idea of how tall this is, it actually stuck out the back of the bed of my truck it’s so tall!

Also, not so noticeable in the photo is the wear and tear that this giant beauty has endured over time. There were small rings of some sort on a few of the shelves.

I felt my best bet was to lay the etagere down on the ground to properly sand and prep since I didn’t plan to bring a step stool outside. Could you imagine how ridiculous it would look to see me outside standing on a step stool to sand the top shelf? I confess I’m laughing at myself a little right now. Here is my full process on How to Prep Painted Furniture.

Lucky for me a neighbor was outside washing his car while I was sanding and prepping the etagere and he offered to help me get it inside when done. Along with being awkwardly tall, the etagere is also quite heavy, heavier than it looks for sure. Thank you, neighbor.

Painting a Unique Etagere

The chunky spindles and abundance of shelves make this piece so cool. I remembered that my customer had been looking for a bookcase, so I reached out to her and suggested this instead. Because who needs a bookcase when you can have a unique painted etagere? She bounced around on colors and decided on a classic black finish. My favorite! You can find great quality furniture paint and stain online HERE. An added bonus, when painting furniture, you want to make sure to use a quality non-toxic furniture paint.

The entire etagere was hand painted black. And yep, I had to break out the step stool to get to the tippy top of the etagere. 

In between coats of paint, I lightly sanded to ensure a super smooth finish, especially on the shelving areas. 

Instead of sealing the piece with a clear sealer I decided to seal with a black tinted sealer. I pretty much always seal my black painted pieces with a tinted black sealer, this just makes more sense to me. You can add a bit of black paint to your clear sealer to do this too. (I do the same with white)

The Result – Classic Black Painted Etagere

A step stool, electric sander, and helpful neighbor helped transform this chunky dusty piece into a gorgeous painted etagere. Having a friend who’s familiar with fancy words doesn’t hurt either.

Wait! Don’t Go!  It’s that time of the month again for:

Crafty Girls and Furniture Friends

A few of my creative and talented blogger friends and I have joined together in our monthly Crafty Girls and Furniture Friends share.  We get together on the second Tuesday of each month 😉 Let’s see what my friends are up to! Make sure to click the links below the image to check out all the amazing projects that my bloggy girls are working on this month.

1. 58 Water Street – New Twist on a Traditional Desk
2. J. Burns Design – Creating a RH Weathered Wood Finish
3. Thirty-Eighth Street – Painting Furniture with General Finishes Milk Paint
4. That Sweet Tea Life – Awesome Way to Make a Basic Table More Beautiful
5. Lynn Fern – Santa Fe Turquoise Desk Makeover
6. Just the Woods – Unique Painted Etagere

Don’t Forget – Follow Just the Woods:

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