before and after :: red and faux bamboo

The vintage Bali Hai dresser is finally finished!  Bad weather, and more bad weather and a contaminated can of paint made this project stretch on for much too long.  But in the end, it was well worth it.

Here it is before...

Red paint can be quite tricky.  Especially trying to get a deep, deep red.  I've tested many colors and have tried to have this exact color matched.
No go.
To get coverage (not sheer), white needs to be added to the formula, but to get this deep, deep red, white can't be added.  It becomes muted and loses it's umph.

So, Rustoleum's premixed Sunrise Red is the one I turn to over and over (even though it's intended for auto painting).  The color is amazing.  You can find it in the paint section of any big hardware store.  The paint is formulated for brushing and because of that, it's self levels like a dream.  

Not all oil based paints are created equal in that department.  Some don't self level well at all and the result is serious brush marks.

You will still see some brush marks, but nothing major.  I recommend thinning it a little for easier application.  Definitely not necessary though for those who don't want to deal with the mess.  It goes on plenty well straight out of the can. 

Because it's oil based, you might be tempted to pull out a throw-away foam brush or roller to apply to avoid cleaning your brush with mineral spirits.  But it's sooo not a good idea.  Foam brushes have a tendency to incorporate air into the paint which creates small bubbles and we all know those are never good.