If you have an entertainment center that is just no longer doing it for you in terms of style, there is an easy remedy for that! A little paint, a little time, and you can replace that tired look with a tv stand that really pops! This “wood veneer” piece of furniture was easy to paint, and it only took a couple of coats. So if you have a free afternoon and some good paint(and by that I mean the best paint for this type of project – more on what I used soon), you can breathe life into that old piece of furniture!
I really like how it pops now and matches my living room decor. My inspiration was really something between Pottery Barn and the Pottery-Barn-Like Realistic Hopes and Dreams I have for my busy and hectic lifestyle. I also needed a durable finish that would stand up to a kid playing basketball in the house and a dog running past it 100x a day!
Fusion Mineral Paint was up for the job! So one day I took the whole thing outside (probably not necessary but it was nice out and I got the bonus of enjoying the weather and using the bright sun to my advantage so I could see any hidden dirt and grime). A couple of days later I brought it back into the living room for a fresh new look!
The fireplace entertainment center unit I had to work with was the Style Selections 78-Inch Wide Toasted Almond Infrared Quartz Electric Fireplace from Lowes. They no longer sell this particular model, but if you like it there are many similar models on the market today. I chose it because it was large, featured the electric fireplace, had plenty of storage behind the glass doors, and was surprisingly solid and sturdy for the low price.
With this type of project, you will find it will go more quickly if there are not any glass doors with intricate wood lines on them. My project took a little bit longer than expected, because I had to remove the doors and take a small brush to work around the wood and avoid painting over the glass. I also chose to use a subtle metallic gold accent color in just a few places to add just some slight shimmer.
The other thing to remember is that when you have an entertainment center that features an electric fireplace, be sure to keep safety in mind and avoid doing anything that would compromise its proper functioning! Mine slid out from the back, so I left it out while painting, and then I was able to replace it easily in the exact same place it came from. I did not get any paint on the fireplace insert unit.
What I used:
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Fusion Mineral Paint in Cathedral Taupe for base
- Fusion Mineral Paint in Champagne Gold (Metallic) for accents
- Variety of paintbrushes from medium to small for detail work
The Side-by-Side:
When you do improvements like this, be sure to take photos! This is your chance to enjoy your hard work before your family messes it up!
I did not switch out any hardware – I just used what was already there. I actually did not even remove the door handles, as the doors were time-consuming enough so I chose to just carefully paint around them with a small brush.
I chose Fusion Mineral Paint because it is my favorite paint to use! It is a brand I feel good about, especially as I always try to avoid harsh chemicals or fumes in my home. I also like to avoid unnecessary hard work when it comes to my painting projects! Fusion is easy because it requires little to no prep on most surfaces, does not need primer and features a built-in topcoat. It also goes on beautifully (super smooth!) and is highly durable. Clean up with water is a breeze!
I simply cleaned the piece really well to make sure there was nothing on it that would stop the paint from adhering or make it look messy. We had been using this entertainment center, so there was no doubt various food items or pet debris! Everything got a good cleaning, and then I gave a slight scuff to the top section with some fine-grit sandpaper just to ensure the best adhesion. This only took a quick minute.
From picture perfect to the reality of my life shown here, this was a great project that I was happy I tackled!
OK so what’s next? It is so fun to have a project, and even better to enjoy the rewards of your hard work! Go back to Home and see some other fun ideas!
