Here we are presented with a rather charming bar. It has two distinct problems, however: it's entirely too dark to fit the decor, and it is more than a little lacking in padding -- a dire situation indeed! We'll start by acquiring the appropriate tools for the job: Kilz (white pigment), one gallon of white semi-gloss paint, some polyurethane finish, sanding foam, wood putty, several high quality brushes, and several decidedly low quality brushes, along with some normal tools like a hammer, scissors, and stapler. Oh, and it probably wouldn't hurt to grab a drink or two before starting -- we wouldn't want to start a project in the wrong frame of mind.
It's more than a little difficult to see in this picture, but there is a glass top fitted to the inside of the bar, which will come in handy after we apply some luxurious fabric to the piece. First, we'll go ahead and reupholster the two stools, since they are small, and easy to practice on. When in doubt, experiment on the stools first, as they will be easy to sand and repair in case you do something unimaginably stupid like paint them fluorescent pink.
Kilz is designed to cover existing stain, which is what we're running into here. Someone has thoughtfully stained the hell out of this piece, and rather than strip and sand it into oblivion, it might be prudent to look into simply covering it up. That's where the Kilz comes into play: give it a good coat and you're ready to paint. The thick, heavy paint will easily drown out any existing stain, and leave behind a proper surface for applying new paint. Great stuff, although you might want to do this outside, as the fumes are rather hard on ye olde brain cells. Again, the proper application of liquor may smooth out any rough edges this experience may leave on your consciousness.
The white paint goes over the Kilz nicely, and after a single coat of paint things are already shaping up nicely. Less attention was paid to the inside of the bar, because I'm the only one who will ever actually see it. Try not to be sloppy in the application of the paint, as anything non-uniform will need to be sanded down before applying the second coat of paint, and we all know you'd rather not have any of that, right?
After two paints of white, the stools are beginning to show their true style. I've missed a few spots here and there, but there's plenty of time to touch up the gaps later. After carefully hammering in the side boards to minimize gaps, it's time to break out the wood putty and get rid of those unsightly blemishes that riddle both the bar and the stools. By the time we're finished, we'll have a smooth, uniform surface that is appropriately silky; nothing less would suit what will eventually become the very essence of a Man of Leisure.
Some oafish brutes assembled the stools without stopping to consider the dreadful damage they would be doing to the exterior of the pieces. Leaving the marks untouched would be shameful, disrespectful, and infinitely unbecoming of a Man of Leisure. In short, we'll have to do something about that -- and that's where the wood putty comes into play. It works just like spackle, and has all the same properties, but is formulated to work with wood, where things like expansion and moisture content make spackle impractical. After filling the scars with the putty, allow for a good twenty minutes to dry before sanding the excess away with sanding sponges. If you're feeling brave, you can use sand paper, but try to be mindful of the grit count -- if it's too low you could disrupt the nice, even finish we're cultivating.
Takin' it like a champ.
After applying a touch-up coat, the marks will no longer be visible to the casual observer, although keen eyes may pick up on the fact that there is some minor fluctuation between the secondary coat and the cover up work. It's a bit of a shame, but more than sufficient for our purposes, and again... inebriation will ensure that anyone partaking of our lovely bar fails to notice the work we've done.
After covering up the unsightly blemishes, we're ready to apply a final protective coat, courtesy of our good friend polyurethane. You'll need to be careful when applying the stuff, as it's quite runny compared to the thick, viscous paint we've been dealing with. It also dries clear and semi-glossy, so it can be difficult to determine whether or not you've painted a particular section until everything is dry. Pay attention to the coverage... keep your layers thin and even, as this is the last of the painting for this project. Soon, we'll be able to present the world with a monument to our unerring sense of timeless style...
Padding is an essential element to the overall sense of self-confidence the finished piece will exude, and one easy way is to cut the foam into strips and wrap it around the edges of the bar. This may be a little hard to handle unless you take it upon yourself to glue them down, which I strongly recommend, unless of course you've had a few more drinks along the way. Contact cement works wonders for this part, but there are two important caveats: the fumes are strong enough to put you under in mere minutes, and any adhesive that touches your paint will leave unsightly blemishes unless you clean it off immediately. We're talking seconds, not minutes, okay?
Once you've glued down the strips of foam, you can begin tacking the fabric to the bar. I've selected a stretch of fabric 70x35" in size, more than enough to cover the entire bar without needing to make any unsightly cuts or stitching. We want a smooth, perfectly uniform covering for the padding, and this is essential since it's one of the bar's focal points. For this task, I began tacking down the fabric to the underside of the bar with a staple gun, taking care to leave as little fabric as possible hanging out.
I had originally wanted to staple the top of the fabric, then fold it over to create a clean, neat start for the run without any staples being visible. As the hours passed, I found a way to bypass this laborious task, and instead stapled the fabric as close to the edge of the top as I could -- knowing full well that I had a trick up my sleeve that would make the staples nearly invisible. Taking a razor, I trimmed any excess fabric from the edge, and hammered the staples into place, as a few of them were floating a bit... although that resulted in the occasional bent staple.
The inside corners proved to be a real challenge since I decided to work with a continuous piece of fabric. I needed to split the corner in order to get the fabric to lie down against the inside lip of the bar top without distorting the rest of the fabric; but in doing so opened a sizeable gap. The solution was to cut out a smaller strip and tack it behind the cover, which from the back looks a little odd, but to the casual observer (and anyone in front of the bar) everything will appear totally swank. Again, this eliminated the need for stitching, which is always a good thing when you've got a few drinks in you, and it's way past anyone's bed time. The glass top we saw in the first pictures now sits atop the bar, and it conveniently covers up the staples entirely, which is good because I was rather tired and stressed out at this point, and no one wants to read about that!
And there we have it, one finished bar (kitten not included!)
Now for a final before shot to clearly illustrate the incredible transformation that has just elevated this otherwise lackluster hunk of wood into a marvelous centerpiece that absolutely reeks of divine sophistication.
And there you have it, a throne worthy of a true Man of Leisure. The future is bright for this sturdy piece; the voluptuous padding creating a sea of unspeakable sophistication, flowing from the white structure as if glistening sand from granite, or at the very least a glass of bourbon from a paper cup. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe there's a classy dame admiring the unfathomable allure of my smoking jacket from across the room, and I'll bet you my three martini lunch she'll be going home with me tonight.