Painted Basset Buffet with Fusion Mineral Paint Algonquin

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Today I want to share with you a true furniture rescue . . .

A gentleman found this old Basset buffet left in a rental house he managed, and it was really nasty. Like, layers of dirt and I’m not sure what that is inside the drawers nasty.

But it was still a solid-wood, well-made Basset piece of furniture, and a buffet at that! Let’s be real, these pieces are getting hard to find!

I forgot to snap a before photo (or maybe I thought I would spare you the nastiness), but it looked exactly like this one:

except not nearly as clean and nice!

The homeowner really didn’t know what to do with it, so I willingly took it off of his hands.

These pieces are exactly what I love doing with Lost & Found–making over the pieces that still have so much potential underneath the neglect and wear.

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Makeover Steps

First: Clean with TSP

The first thing to do was to give this piece a thorough cleaning with TSP, in fact I cleaned it twice! Once cleaned, the top needed a good sanding to smooth out lots of chipped places in the finish. 

The base got a light sanding too, just for good measure.

Second: Prime It.

And then I did something I never do . . . I used a base coat of primer–this one, to be exact.

When using Fusion or Milk Paint, I rarely find a primer necessary. With proper prep, both of those paints adhere just fine to wood and I don’t really want to add in an extra step that I don’t need!

But with this piece, it was necessary, mainly because the original finish was mostly off and the wood was bleeding through terribly.

It also had some smelly spots that were still a bit stinky after I cleaned it, and this would seal up the odor and help prevent any more bleeding through the wood tannins. 

Paint with Fusion’s Algonquin and White SFO

Once the primer was dry, I sanded it smooth with a fine-grit sandpaper, then painted on 2 coats of Fusion’s Algonquin.

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to use this color–I love it! It’s a perfect mix between a gray and a taupe, an excellent pick for a neutral.

Since the finish underneath was not in the best shape, I didn’t want to distress the piece at all. So, I added some depth another way–with Fusion’s Stain & Finishing Oil in White.

So these little cans really are amazing! They can work both as a stain on raw wood, and also as an oil-based topcoat over your paint. 

It’s as simple as brushing it on, allowing to sit for just a minute or two, then wiping back the excess with a cloth. I allowed some of the white stain to settle in the corners or along the trim, just to help accent those spaces a bit more. 

The result was a really cool, white-washed taupe!

Here’s a bit closer, so you can see the detail of that whitewash.

It’s subtle . . . Just enough to help this finish not feel so flat.  And, bonus! The SFO also adds another layer of durability!

I’m really digging this brick wall in my Studio–makes a great backdrop!

This finish really is very easy, and really customizable as well! You can use one of the darker SFO colors (Ebony or Cappuccino), and get a totally different look. Or try the Driftwood over a white color–so many different combinations!

I hope you enjoyed this makeover! It was a lot of work, but I feel very satisfied knowing that I was able to bring this forgotten and unloved piece back to life!

As always, you can find all of the products I used here in my online shop!