In this case, teak furniture that had been written off as trash was reimagined in four simple steps.
SANDING
I started by sanding the furniture in its entirety. I realized rather late in the game that starting with a quick hose-down would have been a good idea, as the number of panicked spiders I encountered could have been seriously mitigated. Nonetheless, the furniture looked so good after sanding that I seriously considered stopping there.
I wasn't quite done having fun yet, so...
PAINTING
I started playing with paint. I found that light brush strokes with minimal paint made a neat aged effect, so I applied it to each of the slated areas of the furniture. I trimmed each piece off with a full coat of paint (two really) along the borders for a more polished look. The paint color I selected is one of Kelly Moore's called "Nature's Gate."
PROTECTING After lots of experimenting and when I was happy with the results of my creative efforts, I opted in favor of sprayable UV-protection. I was surprised at how nicely the matte finish went on from a spray can, and it dried as though nothing had been added at all.
CUSHIONS
The cushions were a roller coaster ride of their own. I was naive enough to think I could paint them, but there were plenty of red flags indicating that it wouldn't work every step of the way. When I tried to clean the cushions, they fell apart from the gentle polishing friction. Fabric paint made them look blotchy and spray paint, well... it didn't work. Even after scouring the internet for the perfect touch, the answer to my cushion dilemma came in the form of purchases from three different local retailers.
The end result was well worth the effort!
