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Home Decorating

I want to change the color of my entertainment center

15 years ago

I posted this on the woodworking forum, but was hoping for more imput here. We have a 5 piece entertainment center that I want to paint black, but my DH disagrees. He will go for a darker stain though. The doors and moldings are solid wood, but the shelves I believe are a laminated wood. The back is a masonite type board w/ a wood grain look. Anyone attempt this before w/ success?

Would I just sand everything and restain a darker color and then varnish? Will the shelves and back even take a stain?

A little background info:

We are building a new house and I really don't care for the oak look anymore. The trim will be painted white and the other wood in the house will be painted maple and stained cherry. I'm using black accents throughout the house so that's why I wanted to paint it black. Our current house has all oak trim and other oak furniture pieces so it's fine here. Should I even bother trying to change the color or just live w/ it? Any pics of black entertainment centers that I could show my DH?

Thanks

Comments (4)

graywings123
15 years ago
With different types of materials, I would go with MinWax Polyshades.

I have used it in a couple of projects and have been happy with it. You need to apply multiple coats until you have the look you want. If you stop after the first coat, it looks terrible.

They recently came out with a black color that I want to try, but haven't been able to find it in the stores.

Here is a link that might be useful: Polyshades
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
Momof5, show your husband the photos in the link below

Girlwithaspirin in the Kitchen forum painted her oak cabinets BM Bittersweet Chocolate. They look incredible! She even gives the step by step process how to achieve the look.

Jodi-

Here is a link that might be useful: Awesome oak cabinet redo
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I can't believe this entertainment center is so awful
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OMG. It's beautiful!!! It has taken a long time because I sanded, primed (with stinky BIN), and so on, on weekends. I still have to do the doors to the bottom cabinets. But it is so pretty! In the center where most people have a TV, I have my iguana enclosure, I watch Herman more than I watch TV anyway. I bought an airless sprayer and it is the biggest pain in the behind ever, and if you don't have experience spraying you can overspray and get drips. So all further painting will be done by brush.
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I want to change the color of my entertainment center.
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Comments (1)
First thing to determine is how much of the EC is actually wood. If you have part of the EC made of a laminated board, it won't stain, but can be painted. If you build furniture and are familiar with stain, then sanding, prep, stain and top coat will be a major undertaking. If you don't build furniture, then the job will be a major undertaking and then some. I envision 5 piece EC as being large. Me personally, if you can't live with the golden oak, then paint it. If you have to stain it, let a professional do it, or consider selling the EC and buying a new one that is the color of your liking. Painting over stain is a challenge because it is hard to get paint to stick to the existing finish. That is my short answer, the long answer is to long for this forum. If you decide to paint it, go to a reputable paint store like Sherwin Williams and get instructions from them on how to paint over an existing finish. Good luck!
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Would love assistance in styling my entertainment center!
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Comments (9)
I honestly don't think it looks like it needs tons of improvements. How desperately do you want folks to be able to see what's in the cabinets? I'm sure in real life they look clearer than from the photo. The thing I think most detracts from the look are the small black speakers on top. You say they are moving, are they needed? If so, they would look better on that top shelf than on top against the light wall. If they blend into the background of the dark top shelf, so much the better. Is navy part of your color scheme? If not, I would try to find something more neutral to cover the bottom doors, maybe some type of grasscloth? Or just paint or stain the wood underneath. Can't quite figure out what is up with them.
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Help matching my coffee table/entertainment center to my sofa.
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It is a great start to a room, you have good taste. Do post to the Home Decorating Forum of Garden Web, they are truly the best.
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DLM2000-GW
15 years ago
I took my pine tv cabinet from this:

to this:

I didn't want a solid, single color paint look, but something with more depth. The end result is just what I wanted, and was easy to do. The process is multi step but each step is easy and very forgiving, nothing needs to be perfect. You could do lots of different color combos - I'm planning some dining room pieces for this winter with a brown base and green on top.

For the whole process step by step, click on the before picture above or follow this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: TV Cabinet Re-do
mommyof5
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the responses! The entertainment center is 5 pieces and is over 11' long, so this will be a huge project. With the weather getting colder I need to start now if I want it finished in time to move it to the new house in Feb or March. I have an oak sofa table that I want to change too. I think I'll start with that and see how it turns out before attempting the enter. center.

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