mariob_1998's Profile

I have #13. I got it for $180 on Craigslist. I like it overall, but it doesn't extend as far as I'd like it to. It doesn't reach to the middle of the room, but it can't be used as a reading light either, so it just hangs somewhere in between. Overall, great look and very sturdy.

Awesome job. I agree with enmnm's post to stain the legs dark but just a bit of gold thrown in. I think all-gold legs would be a bit garish...

I bought a Klippan sofa off Craigslist for $25. It was very stained and would not get cleaned. I started doing some research and decided to paint it.

I went to Michael's and bought 3 cans of spray fabric paint (and later realized they weren't upholstery grade). I sprayed 1 can in the back of the couch to try it out anyway; the results were less than desirable. The paint was dripping, and I realized that I would need way, way more than 3 cans of spray paint.

Then I did a little more research and came across an article on HGTV of a woman who had painted her two wingback chairs with regular latex paint (the kind with which you paint your walls). I headed to Lowe's and bought a quart of interior satin latex paint (orange) and bought a couple tubes of textile medium from Wal-Mart since I read that would keep the fabric soft.

I started painting thinking to myself that the couch couldn't get any worse than it already was. I got a brush, mixed the textile medium into the fabric and went to work. I went through the whole quart and ran out of paint, so I bought a gallon this time and didn't bother to buy textile medium.

The couch required two coats of long even strokes to keep the sheen even throughout the cushions. I applied the two coats (without sanding in between) and when I was done I used 220 grit sandpaper to get the burrs out VERY CAREFULLY just to achieve a smooth finish. I dusted the couch off and used a tack cloth to pick up any loose debris and finished off going through the entire surface with a damp cloth to pick up any remaining dust.

The couch now looks like vinyl, and I could not be happier. I've sat on it many times and the paint does not come off on my clothes. I'm going to put it in my office when I'm done painting it. Here are a few pictures (forgive the quality; I couldn't find my camera, so I used my cell phone).

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j163/mariob_1998/c.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j163/mariob_1998/b.jpg