Our Hopeful Home: How To Paint Mahogany Furniture

ironstone pitcher purple flower bouquet cathedral arch

Some people cringe at the thought of painting mahogany furniture. I'm not one of them. While I love my parents' antique mahogany bedroom furniture and would never dream of painting it, it's not beneath me to go ahead and paint a vintage thrift store mahogany end table.

This post contains affiliate links. A purchase of any one of these items helps to support this blog and its creative efforts at no cost to you. To read more, please see my disclosure page.

The Rules

Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.

There's no monthly theme.

There's no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

I'm sharing this as part of my monthly Thrift Store Challenge. So be sure to read all the way to the end to see my blogger friends' repurposed projects as well.

I've already shared three college furniture transformations -- a painted farmhouse coffee table, a painted thrift store pine dresser, and a vintage seed chest turned farmhouse tv cabinet -- all for our oldest daughter's college house. Today I'm sharing yet another thrift store furniture transformation. This time we're painting it for daughter number two's college apartment.

Georgian style vintage mahogany tea table

It was just the right height and width to match her sectional sofa.

It also has two side trays, or shelves, that can be pulled out or pushed in as needed.

I mean, how cute is this? Just perfect for holding that cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa (all of which my daughter drinks regularly).

The top of the table left much to be desired -- it was super scratched up. It also had a crack on one of the corners. But I wasn't worried, because it's damaged furniture just like this that I have no problem painting over.

Dixie Belle Slick Stick jar Folk Art Home Decor clear wax jar chip brush

I started off with Dixie Belle Slick Stick followed by Folk Art Home Decor chalk paint in Sheepskin and an angled paint brush from the Dollar Tree.

Slick Stick creates a textured surface for the paint to cling to. Finished mahogany wood is quite slick, and most paints will need a primer such as Slick Stick before it will accept a coat of paint.

More good news: it also acts a s a primer for dark paint or wood. Here are the legs with one coat of Slick Stick. I fell in love with the curvy, dainty legs and did a little research. Turns out this table is a classic Georgian style vintage mahogany tea table.

My last step was to apply a coat of Folk Art Home Decor Clear Wax on both the table top and the pull-out shelves. As much as I have a love-hate relationship with furniture wax, I knew that due to the light paint color, as well as the heavy use this table was going to get, it was important that I give it a coat of protective wax. This wax is nice in that it's not sticky or thick -- it's liquidy and thin. So all you need is a regular paint brush to apply it. I had fun styling the table, especially knowing that it would soon be making its way to my daughter's apartment.

vintage ironstone pitcher cathesdral arch frosted wreath

I set up the farmhouse vignette with my Be Still And Know DIY book bundle, ironstone pitcher with lavender bouquet and cathedral window pane laced with a leafy garland, frosted wreath and fairy lights.

vintage painted mahogany Georgian tea table book bundle wall art

I found a few of these tables for sale on various websites. In perfect condition they brought in about $40. Ours cost $35. While not perfect, its imperfections are small enough to pretty much go unnoticed, once it was painted.

farmhouse cathedral arch wall art leaf garland pitcher

How To Paint Mahogany Furniture

Materials:

1. paint

2. primer

3. clear wax

4. paint brush (es)

5. drop cloth or Dollar Tree shower curtain liner

6. Magic Erasers or TSP
7. liquid Barkeeper's Friend (optional for hardware)
8. cotton lint-free cloth (for wax) -- I use old white T-shirts
9. medium grit sandpaper (optional for sanding wood filler or distressing))
10. hand vacuum
11. wood filler (optional) *NOTE: Be sure to buy the appropriate color of wood filler, depending on what color the wood is and what color you plan on painting it.
12. painter's tape (optional)
13. zip-lock baggies (optional for hardware)

Step-by-Step Painting Guide

1. Clean the piece thoroughly with Magic Erasers or TSP, lint-free cloth and a hand vacuum.

2. Inspect the piece for any gouges and/or nicks in the wood.

3. Fill gouges and nicks with wood filler. Once dry (or following the brand's instructions), sand the filled areas smooth and vacuum away any dust before painting.

4. Remove all hardware and clean it well with TSP or liquid Barkeeper's Friend then place in well-marked zip-locked bags. If you are going to refinish or paint them, now would be a good time.

5. Tape off any areas you want protected from paint with painter's tape.

9. Prime with either one or two coats as needed.

10. Paint the piece, most likely with two coats, even if using chalk paint.

11. Once it's completely dry, apply wax and buff (per wax instructions) as desired.

I'm super happy with how this turned out! Kinda wish I was keeping it for myself:) Have you ever tried to paint mahogany, or any kind of dark furniture? How'd it go for you?

Well, that's it until next time, friends!

I hope you enjoyed reading

How To Paint Mahogany Furniture

and that I've inspired you in some way.

Don't Forget To Pin It!