As I was writing the blog post, 5 Tips for Buying Vintage Painted Furniture, my first tip was about white. But as I kept writing, I realized this topic deserved an article of its own. White is problematic in so many ways, but if done right is gorgeous.
Almost everyone loves white. White, and all its variations, are often the best neutral for a room, especially if you want the space to appear larger. Customers and DIYers often choose white when refreshing a family heirloom as well. You want more life out of this sentimental piece and want the next generation to use it too. So it’s natural to be hesitant about color. I understand. But when painting or lacquering furniture, things get tricky with white.
However, white on the right furniture piece can accentuate its design lines, making them more prominent, especially in a well-lit area. In this scenario, shadows and highlights work to your advantage, emphasizing the shape and details more than the color. However, on the wrong piece, this becomes the issue.he wrong piece, this becomes the issue.
There are 3 major issues with the color white on lacquered or painted furniture; visible construction seams, cracks and grain, as well as yellowing.
I purchased two tall, vintage Thomasville campaign-style storage units a few years ago. Perhaps you’ve already read about my closet here, so you know I love these pieces for their excellent storage and small footprint.
I bought this set via an Instagram story from a prominent seller in this business during the pandemic. It ended up taking 9 months to get them, mainly due to shipping. But I needed something with very specific dimensions, and these fit perfectly, so I was willing to wait.
When these pieces arrived, I learned a lot, and the shipper who delivered them also gave me some great tips! I ordered these in white, with a satin finish, not high gloss. This seller added a 20% upcharge for high gloss, and I was having new bases put on, which pretty much killed my budget. I’d just have to be happy with satin.
Often, a new piece of furniture that is painted or lacquered is completely finished in pieces and then assembled. So, each piece is individually sprayed before it’s built, so the paint finish encapsulates that piece of wood entirely. With a vintage piece, we can’t deconstruct it before spraying. So essentially, when you spray or brush over those seams, there can be minor or major cracking over time. Since each part is not fully encased in new paint or lacquer, some sides are still exposed to air and subject to contract and expansion with temperature changes. No matter the color, a painted piece is not completely sealed from air pressure.
The problem is exacerbated further when a piece is moved repeatedly in its lifetime. Moving homes or moving a piece just across the room may cause it. That’s just the way of the world with furniture that is refinished after construction.
Cracking happens on most painted vintage furniture eventually. The problem with white, though, is that the crack creates a dark shadow, and the contrast of white against shadow always makes it look worse than it is. This is generally true with all light colors. Dark colors almost avoid this problem entirely.
To remedy the cracking issue, you must caulk the seams. We use a water-based caulk since our lacquer is water-based. When applied with a syringe, the needle-size caulk is just enough to fill the cracks. It doesn't require a long time to dry and eliminates bridging. Bridging is pictured in the image above, where a dollop of paint bridges the seam in just a few areas.
Visible wood grain is also part of the problem. On a white or light-colored piece, if it’s not sufficiently prepped the original grain can still peak through, creating more shadows. The pieces I mentioned above actually look more gray at a distance because there is so much visible grain. But don’t give up hope for white just yet!
PAINTER TIPS:
We almost always grain-fill so the surface is dead flat, no matter the final finish, matte, satin, or high gloss. Grain-fill does two things. It gives you a smooth and consistent surface but also fills any big dings and scratches. If the piece was originally very dinged up, then bondo and grain-fill may be required.
There are lots of types of grain-fill out there, most are produced just for painting kitchen cabinets. Some are a resin based grain-filler and others are wood-filler based and have a pancake like batter consistency. There are also very good primers that grain-fill and level out with the right number of coats.
We have recently stumbled across a great product called Solaraz. It requires a quick UV light to cure. It’s an extra step, but we like how fast it dries to keep our process moving. The wood-fill batter or resin-based fills can take many coats. The humidity and temperature of your environment will have an impact on the process, so if you're a painter, you need to find what works best for your space and climate. For us, much of the time, the primer we use will do most of the job. But each piece is unique, so to get the highest quality finish, we use it when we have to.
So, different types of materials can also cause yellowing. Oil paint or solvent-based lacquer in white will turn yellow over time, especially if part of it gets natural light and another part does not. The piece will reflect that in time, guaranteed. Some professional paint products will claim they don't yellow, but I've never met a professional painter who doesn't still warn their customers that yellowing is still highly likely with white, no matter what product they use.
Water-based products have a much lower risk of yellowing because it’s the oil or solvent that actually oxidizes, just like an apple that turns brown. The components that oxidize are not even in most water-based products, so we avoid the issue altogether just by our choice of product. One warning: " Hybrid” water-based products still have ingredients that may still cause yellowing.
So if you really want a white piece in your home, ask what product was used on that lovely refurbished white painted dresser!
Finally, let's talk about what to look for in vintage white painted furniture. And, if you're a painter yourself, there are lots of good tips here too!
We obviously still do pieces in white. It’s not impossible. But it does require an entirely different attention to detail and process.
First, we are picky about the pieces we choose to do in white. Simpler design lines and a piece that is in very good condition to start with helps a lot. Check out this Robsjohn-Gibbings dresser we did almost two years ago. It's the perfect candidate for white. So if you're looking to buy, your best bet is a piece with the least seams and decoration.
White looks best, like most colors in high gloss, when the surface is completely flat. We want all layers to be as smooth as a porcelain plate, which means our prep and sanding between coats must be impaccable. That smooth surface creates more opportunity for reflection and fewer shadows to darken the appearance of color.
So white is possible, but it takes a painter who knows the pitfalls and alters their process to make the most of a beautiful crisp white.
Just ask lots of questions before buying a white piece to make sure you're going to get what you really want!
