DIY: Outdoor Patio Furniture Makeover
I'm excited to share my FIRST EVER furniture DIY makeover! After years of HGTV shows popping up on my watchlist, I was finally ready to tackle my outdoor patio set just in time for spring.
Our apartment in Galveston, Texas, is close to the beach and has an amazing balcony overlooking a bayou. However, there was just one problem...our bleak patio set with deflated cushions that our butts no longer wanted to sit in.
Look at it now! WOWZA!
Before
We originally bought our three-piece acacia wood set online from Wayfair 3 1/2 years ago. The table and chairs were easy to put together and the cushions held up nicely (even in the wash). The natural stain finish was beautiful, but started to show weathering after a year.
Enough was enough!
I decided to paint the patio set yellow after finding some colorful tufted pineapple cushions online at The Home Depot. SO CUTE! Yellow was a bold move, but I thought it would be fitting for island life.
Cue the trip to The Home Depot!
Supplies
Initially I planned on renting a hand-held sander at The Home Depot, but after checking the prices of new sanders it made more sense to buy my own Milwaukee 3 amp 1/4 sheet corded palm sander. I was pretty stoked to get my first power tool. I guess this means I have more DIY projects in my future. HA!
I needed some additional palm sander sheets and purchased two types by Diablo; a 100 grit to take off the stain and a 150 grit to finish the wood prior to painting.
I chose a yellow by BEHR in the color Buzz-In P300-6. A helpful associate picked out one quart of BEHR Premium waterproofing exterior wood stain and sealer to mix the color.
Trying to pick the ideal paint brush wasn't a quick decision, but I chose a 2" firm angled brush by Wooster that would work with all paints. I needed a firm brush to get in between the wood slats and allow control.
Sanding
Who knew a small palm sander could provide an intense workout for your upper body?! I was sore after spending a full day sanding all three pieces of the patio set.
A N95 mask and eye protection helped minimize my exposure to wood dust. I was covered in the stuff for two days straight!
Some hard to reach areas needed to be sanded by hand. Talk about tedious! Maybe I went a little overboard, but I wanted to make sure the paint would adhere properly.
The sander worked extremely well and I was pleased with the results. Hopefully my neighbors didn't mind my mayhem too much. Please forgive me!
Painting
Before I applied the first coat of paint, I wiped down the patio set with a dry rag and brush to remove the wood dust. There was no going back after opening the paint can!
The chairs didn't prove to be difficult to paint, but the table top was time consuming. I had to use a tiny paint brush to meticulously coat every nook and cranny.
It took me a few days to finish painting. Two coats were sufficient, but if I had just a tad more paint left I would’ve done a third coat. I didn't want to risk running out of paint or buy another quart. Now I have some extra for touch ups.
After
Hello beach vibes! I am truly happy with how the patio set turned out after a week of TLC. Our balcony has never looked better. Now all the patio set needs is a couple of delicious drinks!
