I want to stain (ideally) or paint (less good) my ikea wood veneer desk. How can I best do this? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... on Dec 19, 2009 - 11 answers

I have recently put up some wooden shelves (pine shelves on hardwood brackets) in my living room that I will use to hold records and books. I have a new can of white satin-finish latex paint. Can I use the paint on the shelves. (i.e. Will it look decent and not stick to the books and records?) What would be the reasons not to use this paint and instead get some other more appropriate paint? What might that more appropriate paint be? [more inside]
posted by OmieWise on Apr 30, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm going to be making this Parsons side table of poplar and MDF soon (Popular Mechanics link). How can I get the painted finish like the one in the picture? [more inside]
posted by jroybal on Apr 24, 2009 - 10 answers

What is the best way to seal a repainted coffee table? [more inside]
posted by silkygreenbelly on Apr 17, 2008 - 4 answers

I'm a fan of mid-century modern design. We've just bought an apartment in a building from that era (1961), and want to furnish it appropriately. We've got some vintage stuff we've collected over the years, and have bought some new stuff from Ikea and elsewhere that fits the bill. I'm also planning to build or modify some simple items (shelves, an entertainment center) in mid-century style -- and here's where I've run into a major problem: I can't seem to find paint in that very dark, almost-black brown that is so characteristic of the period. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by Artifice_Eternity on Mar 14, 2008 - 9 answers

It there any way to stain or paint laminate/particle board furniture without it looking horrible? [more inside]
posted by Optimus Chyme on Jan 31, 2006 - 17 answers