lizzee's Profile

Well, I did end up making this with my bureau!

We used butcher block from IKEA and replaced the old bureau top. The old top was in fine condition, but it really said "bureau," not "island," and was a bit thin. The butcher block is thicker and overhangs on all sides the same amount that our counter tops overhang our lower kitchen cabinets... more of an overhang than the old top had. It also brings the bureau height up to just about exactly the same height as our counters... just the height an island would be.

We replaced the old back with finish plywood, trimmed in some plain stock trim. I spray painted the whole thing outside before the top was attached (which sounds like it would look bad but it looks great - very even - and it is very durable.) The blue against the warm butcher block looks great and the butcher block ties in with our wood cabinets and wood floors. Because of the configuration of our kitchen, we didn't really have the option to have the butcher block extend any further to allow for bar seating, but that would have been cool, too. And I had grand plans for towel racks, etc., but in the end I liked the simplicity of bureau and butcher block with nothing else attached. I did replace the knobs, which had been wooden... I added decorative pewter-look knobs which match our cabinet knobs.

I really think that whether colors turn buyers off has almost everything to do with the particular colors. Remember, most buyers aren't going to want to live with all white or beige walls, either. So, even if you go with a very neutral palette, they are likely to think they will need to repaint. That's not really the issue. The question becomes what they can live with for a time without going crazy, so they don't have to repaint immediately.

My husband bought a new house before I met him, and it had all white walls. And it STILL had all white walls 5 years later when I met him, because he didn't feel equipped to decorate and choose colors. It didn't look good - it looked unfinished, and it made all of our furniture look bad. After seeing this, I would never in a million years show a house with all white walls unless it was, say Scandinavian design, balanced by natural wood and bright colors. But, that's not what we're talking about here.

So, I painted the walls real colors, but relatively muted shades. The kitchen is a warm buttery yellow - not too saturated and not too lemony/pastel-y. It really makes the wood cabinets look better and goes really well with our wood floors. A hallway and one wall in an open concept area is sort of an olive green. Another hallway and a bathroom are kind of a "greige" but with a bit more of a green tone. I have brought in brighter colors with accessories, which makes the whole area look more colorful, but in the absence of our items, the wall colors would read almost as neutrals. They're not beige or white, but they are not offensive or overly taste-specific and they set off our furniture well. And (and this is key) all of the colors go well with each other. Though one room may be one color and another may be another, there is no abrupt clashing transition.

I think the keys are picking colors which are muted... not too saturated. Saturated colors are much more taste-specific, and they also almost invariably will require new primer and/or multiple coats of paint to cover. That's a lot of work. In contrast, muted lighter tones are easier to cover. And either way, paint WELL. Bright/dark/saturated colors can be hard for the DIY-er to apply. I've seen so many messy paint jobs with those colors, and that might be even worse than the color itself. The poor application combined with the "questionable" color makes me wonder what else the homeowners might have done poorly.

I know this is a very old question, but I'll add my two cents since someone else may happen upon this post, just as I did. Yes, you can paint over a powder coat finish, in many cases. I have done it several times, with excellent results. I've spray painted metal patio furniture as well as several exterior light fixtures and gotten results indistinguishable from professional results. The determining factor seems to be whether the existing powder coat is in good condition or not. If so, select the color spray paint you want (I like to use good old Rustoleum for metal) in the finish you want. Everything I have painted has been done using a satin finish, which seems to best mimic the sheen of the powder coat. Use your judgment. Then, just make sure the surface is clean and free of dust and grease, and start painting with light, short passes of the can. The texture of the existing powder coat will show through (and surprisingly, the texture will be maintained - it isn't "dulled" in any way by the paint as long as you use light coats.)

If the existing powder coat is in terrible shape, with lots of chips, you might want to consider professional sandblasting and a new powder coat. But, powder coat finish spray paint is now available. I have not tried it, but you might want to test an inconspicuous area of your chairs, or another piece of metal, to see what the results are like. You might be able to use steel wool to remove any lose paint and then paint with the powder coat paint. I want to stress, though, that if the underlying coat is in good shape, and you're just looking to change the color, just use regular spray paint (and satin is probably your best choice unless you have a very flat finish item.) You want the finish to be as thin as possible, so if you can avoid painting a powder coat on top of a powder coat (as would be the case when using powder coat spray paint) you should do so.

As for the space issue - I have spray painted inside my own apartment by placing drop cloths all over the place, and opening my windows. It worked fine... I was just very careful.