I decided to leap out of my comfort zone and use Barn Red on this project. See more of my projects here!

I’ve never painted a piece of furniture red before, so this was going to be a new experience for me. For some reason, this piece just kept screaming at me, “Paint Me Red!”

So that is exactly what I decided to do. I have a step by step tutorial video link below, if you are a visual learner and would rather watch the entire process jump right to the link and watch as many times as you like.

Step One

I started off by cleaning this piece with White Lightning cleaner (I premix mine and put it into a spray bottle for quick access).

Step Two

After cleaning, I primed with the BOSS in clear. It goes on white and then dries clear, so it works with any color paint you plan on using. It blocks orders, stains and bleed thru.

I let that dry until it was all clear and not visible anymore before painting. If you are painting a piece that has a lot of red tones in the wood, then put on a second coat of the primer just to be safe. (Better to prep properly to save you from having to correct mishaps later in the project).

Step Three

I then painted two coats of the Barn Red, which is a beautiful rich color.

Step Four

After the paint is completely dry, I put 1 coat of Clear Coat in Satin, because I knew I was going to be playing with their No Pain Gel Stain.

Step Five

I applied the No Pain Gel Stain on the top (lid) of the chest, using a sock (with a rubber glove under it to prevent staining my fingers). The sock gave me more control than using a brush and the stain went on smooth as butter!

Step Six

Then I wanted to get a little artsy with the front. The square piece looked like a picture frame that needed hold some type of art, so I decided to create a little art piece with the No Pain Gel Stain.
I taped off my design and used the gel stain bring my vision to life.

By using the gel stain in each triangle and then wiping it off (for a lighter look) in every other section, it gave the design dimension. All done!