How To & FAQ's

PREPARATION:

 PAINTING:

Shake well. For a thinner consistency just add a bit of water. If you prefer a thicker consistency leave the lid off for a few minutes. To create a wash just add more water. Colours can be mixed and layered.

Drying times are short so you can apply a second coat or colour after 1 hour. For best adhesion on glass and laminate a spray primer is recommended. If you are painting vintage kitchen cabinets be sure to prep them with TSP or Mineral Spirits. For any older wood pieces, including kitchen cabinets, you may find tannins bleeding through the paint. Just give it one coat of spray shellac to seal it (we like Zinsser brand) let dry, and continue painting with Vintage Paint.

Step 1:   Find a great piece of furniture to transform. Look past the grunge or boring colour in favour of good bones. Is it well built? Does it feel solid and is it built with quality materials? Garage sales, relatives basements and second hand stores are full of great opportunities. 

Step 2: Get your tools together. You’ll need: a brush or roller and paint tray for larger projects, cloth and 240 grit sandpaper. Always be sure to protect your surroundings with a floor covering and wear clothes you don’t mind spilling on. There will always be a few drops of paint that escape! Most supplies can be found at a dollar store and can be used as disposables. 

Step 3: Vintage Paint is formulated to stick to pretty much any surface and will save you hours of prep time but always be sure to start your project with a clean surface. Any wax, oil or dust must be removed before you begin. If there are blemishes that you’d like to hide you must deal with those before you begin. 

Step 4: Apply one coat of paint. Be generous with the paint, not so much that it sags or drips, but more than you would be with ordinary paint.  Allow to dry.  Vintage Paint is thicker than regular paint but will dry quickly. 

Step 5: Apply second coat of paint if necessary. Consider using a different colour than the first coat to add interest to your piece.

Step 6:   Distress your piece. You could be finished at this point and finish your project with a coat of  Wax or Insurance Coat, but if you’d like to create a shabby chic or French Provence look it’s time to mess up your paint job. 

There are two ways to do this. One is to use sandpaper to remove the paint from all of the naturally wearing edges and corners. Sanding makes quick work of the distressing but creates dust to clean up and may take off more paint than you wanted. If that happens you can add paint back over those spots and try agin once it has dried. Sanding is great for pieces that are using one colour or have a beautiful wood base underneath.  The second way to distress is to use a wet cloth or kitchen scrubby.  This should be done within one hour of painting, before the paint has finished curing. Soak your cloth in water and go back over the painted areas that you want to distress. This will make a slurry of paint in those areas and you’ll be able to wipe the paint away. This is the best technique for showing a second colour underneath. To reveal a base coat colour you must go slowly. It will also smooth out any little brush marks or imperfections that may have happened while painting. Wipe off the piece with a damp cloth to check your work.  When you’re satisfied just let it air dry.

Step 7: You can leave your piece as it is once painted and it will continue to get marked and distressed with use. If you’re happy with it just the way it is you can preserve it with Wax or Varathane. Dirty Wax helps the distressing process by simulating years of wear, abuse and dirt. Wax can be applied two ways as well. One is to use a natural bristle brush which is very helpful if you’ve got lots of corners, texture or intricate work on your project. Rub the brush into the wax and then push the brush into those spots on your piece. The wax needs to be absorbed into the paint to make it wear and waterproof.  Wipe off excess with a clean lint free cloth. The second way to apply wax is to use a cloth. Take a chunk of wax and wrap it in the cloth to make a ball that you’ll squeeze to cause liquid to seep through. Wipe this liquid onto your painted piece, wait a few minutes to let it soak in and then buff it with a clean edge of the cloth to remove any excess. Work in sections and move on to the next one when you’re satisfied with the look. If you feel it’s too dark you can use Clean Wax to ‘erase’ Dirty Wax. This process takes bit of practice so always go lightly because you can apply second and third coats of wax as desired. 

To achieve a glossier finish on your furniture you may want to use Insurance Coat to protect your work.

 Our favourite ways to use reloved Vintage Paint:

Using 2 colours: One as a ‘peek a boo’ base coat, the other as the main colour for the top coat.

Mixing colours: For lighter shades add small parts Cotton to any colour. For tonal changes add small parts Midnight, Storm or Cashmere.

Stripes: Vintage Paint makes great stripes because it doesn’t bleed under tape.

Washes: Adding small amounts of paint to water to create a wash effect that you wipe on with a cloth. Subtle and very vintage.

Mixing Wax: Create coloured wax by adding small amounts of paint to Clean Wax. Warmer wax works better for this. Use it on gorgeous wood or to add dimension to a solid colour paint job.

You do NOT have to do a lot of prep.  That is the beauty of Reloved Vintage Paint.  If you’re reloving a piece of furniture make sure it is clean, free of any oils or grease, and then you are good to go!  If there is chipping paint remove the chips unless you would like it to chip again. Then just wipe it down afterwards.  This is our magic paint and for most pieces a good wash is all you need. 

 

If you are reloving a really old piece of wood you may have some wood tannins that soak through the first coat of paint…don’t worry it’s an easy thing to fix.  Just apply a thin coat to any dis-coloured spots with Reloved Insurance Coat to seal them in and keep on painting.

 

 Please do. Reloved Vintage Paint is water based and will easily wash off hands and most things if you are painting inside, but we recommend you put a piece of plastic down under your piece.  There is virtually no odour with Reloved Vintage Paint and Glazes, but if you are using the Wax we recommend doing that in a well-ventilated room or outside. 

 

 There should be no stress when you are ready to distress.  If you let your paint dry to the touch just use a wet cotton cloth to rub away paint in the areas you want to distress.  It will allow the wood, or other paint colour underneath to show through.  If you’ve let your paint sit for more than 24 hours before getting to distressing just use a 240 grit sand paper and rub gently in areas you want to distress.  There is no wrong way to distress, think of the natural places a piece gets banged or bumped and that’s where to distress. And if you don’t like what you are creating a simple coat of paint will easily cover it so you can try again.   

 

 There is no wrong choice. Reloved Vintage Paint comes in many incredible colours so you can pick whatever you love best. If you want to lighten any colour just add a bit of Reloved Vintage Paint in Cotton, or use Midnight to deepen the shade. Colours are completely mixable. Be sure to mix enough to finish your entire project because you will not be able to match it with a second try. 

 

 Anything!

Kitchen cabinets
Make sure to clean them really well with TSP or another cleaner to remove all grease or kitchen spills.
Cement

You will want to seal with Reloved Insurance Coat so it doesn’t fade, but if that is the look you are going for just paint and enjoy.
Plastic
Make sure it’s clean and you are ready to paint.
Ikea Furniture
Reloved Vintage Paint can help you transform your Ikea furniture to make it uniquely your own. This will take two coats and we would recommend sealing with Reloved Glaze or Insurance Coat.
Vinyl
Clean you surface and paint. It’s really that easy.  If you want to see a sample of a vinyl bench that was Reloved head over to our gallery.
Fabric

You can use Reloved Vintage Paint on fabric in various ways.
For pillowcases you can stencil on words or sayings. Just let it dry and give it a light sand. For Fabric chairs you will want to water it down at least 50%. Spray your piece of furniture prior to painting and throughout to keep it moist.  After the first coat sand the piece gently to work the paint in and then vacuum any dust.  Do the same with your second coat of paint and you can leave it as is or seal it with Reloved Wax to give it a leather texture.  WARNING: sample this on a small piece before starting to make sure you have the right amount of water in your paint and to make sure it will be the finish you are hoping to achieve.
Metal
You can use Reloved Vintage Paint on metal, just dust off and paint. Plus, Reloved Vintage Paint will slow down rust.
Brick
You can easily paint all types of brick surfaces with Reloved Vintage Paint. You can apply the paint as is for complete coverage, but you can water down the paint to create a wash.  Go to the gallery to see sample pictures of this.

 

If you are wondering about any other materials you are hoping to paint please

e-mail us relovedpaints@gmail.com

 and we will make sure and give you great instructions on how to best achieve the results you are looking for.

 

*YOU CANNOT USE WAX AND INSURANCE COAT.  IT’S ONE OR THE OTHER*

 

Reloved Wax comes in two choices, Clean or Dirty.  Clean is a clear wax that will seal your furniture with a clear coat.   Dirty Wax helps you “antique” or “age” your piece.  To use the wax you can apply in a rotating motion with the Reloved Wax Brush or you can use a piece of cotton. Just put some wax in the middle of a piece of cotton cloth or wax cloth and wrap the cloth around it.  Squeeze the wax through the cloth as you are rubbing it on your piece.  After the wax has set, in about 1 hour, go along with another cloth to buff your piece.  Then it’s ready to go, but remember with wax you will have to re-apply if the piece is washed regularily.

 

Glazes come in Dirty (brown), Grey, White and Black. They can be used over any of the Reloved Vintage Paint colours to create awesome finishes.  Apply it with a brush, cloth or foam brush over your paint and wipe it away until you get the look you want.  All of the glazes can also be used on bare wood as a stain.  Head over to our gallery to see samples of the glaze finishes. 

Available in Satin or Gloss. This is topcoat like no other topcoat.  It goes on white and dries clear to make sure your piece is as durable as you need it to be.  We recommend anyone reloving a dining room table always use Insurance Coat so that your work stays beautiful.  To use just apply with a brush or lint-free roller to cover all surfaces and let it dry.

 Finishing your piece is an important part of the process and if you have any questions on how to create a certain look please e-mail us at relovedpaints@gmail.com

 

 HELP I HAVE A PROBLEM

 You have to make sure you surface is clean. Be sure to clean your surface with a degreaser and let it dry.  Then test a small area to see if the paint will now stick.  You may have to sand that specific area lightly before re-applying.  If you’re paint will still not stick just apply a small layer of Insurance Coat.  Let that dry and then continue painting.

 

 Don’t worry this can happen, especially with really old furniture. The natural wood tannins are showing through and can cause yellow blotches to appear.  This is an easy fix.  Just apply a layer of Insurance Coat to the blotchy areas, let it dry and continue painting.