In this blog post, we’ll take you through the process of painting a little black desk in Coal Black, using Fusion™ Mineral Paint. We’ll cover everything from cleaning and prepping the desk to loading your brush and roller and applying the paint. If you have an old tired piece in your home this Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Anything Beautiful
If you haven’t tried a furniture makeover before this is your sign! This small desk took less than an hour and anyone can do it… Don’t believe us? Just see this post where our favourite 8-year-old updated this coffee table … not kidding! Everyone can achieve beautiful results using Fusion Mineral Paint.
Before: This piece had been in the garage covered in dust for many years. Time to bring it back to life!
Materials for a Little Black Desk:
- Fusion™ Mineral Paint in Coal Black
- Staalmeester spalter brush
- Staalmeester roller
- Paint tray
- TSP Alternative
- Lint-free cloths
- Sandpaper (optional depending on the sheen)
Preparation for using Fusion Mineral Paint
First things first, a good painting job starts with a clean surface. Why do we clean first even before sanding? The answer is simple! You want all contaminants removed from the surface before you sand and push them deeper into the finish or wood. Using our TSP Alternative which is a concentrated no rinse, bio-degradable eco-friendly formula. Thoroughly wipe down the entire surface of the desk to remove dust, dirt, and oils. Do this as many times as needed for the cloth to be clean. A little goes a long way just add 2 caps in a litre of water to wash your piece clean.
Do I need to sand the surface?
The short answer is .. usually no! The only time you need to sand or scuff sand is to bring down the sheen. The optimum painting surface is matte and clean. So if your surface is shiny, scuff sand it to knock the sheen down to matte. Once cleaned, this desk didn’t need any sanding. To see how much sanded is needed watch this video.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our prep guide, choose your surface and follow the instructions!
Choosing Your Painting Tools
As always you want to choose a brush that is the optimum size for your project. You are aiming to cover the surface in as few brushstrokes as possible. You will need to take into consideration the size of your project. For this desk, a 2’ spalter from our Staalmeester range was the perfect size to cover the sides and legs of this cute desk. For the top we opted for a roller, this covered the surface in a few strokes and gave us a smooth pro finish.
Loading your brush and roller for best results
Fusion is known for its modern sleek smooth look, and it is easy to achieve! With the right tools and a few tips you can get that look quickly. Loading your brush and roller for best results is simple. Less is more. You want to dip your brush in and wipe off the excess paint. For the roller, you want to do the same. Load it up well with the paint and then off-load it on the roller tray for even distribution. This will give you even coverage and help eliminate any orange peel dimpled look you can often get when using a roller.
Another great tip is not to paint your first coat for full coverage. Many of the colours will achieve that, but it is not the aim. The second coat is where you will get a beautiful even full-coverage coat. A few of the vibrant colours in our collection have been made on a clear base. Those colours typically need up to 3 coats for full coverage.
Little Black Desk
This afternoon project has brought life back to a forgotten desk, that will get years more use! This project cost under $80 so what are you waiting for grab a pot of Fusion™ Mineral Paint today and paint something beautiful!
