BUFFET RE-DO {Furniture Refinishing}

So, I wanted to show you my buffet that I refinished.  One Sunday morning we were driving to church and we saw this hug old buffet someone had put out for the trash.  We didn’t have time to stop as we were already late.  I figured it would be gone when we got back, but it was still there.  My husband and I talked about getting it, but we had no where to put it so we left it.  I was feeling bad all day thinking about that piece of furniture getting thrown in the trash.  So, the next morning we went to see if it was still there and it WAS!  It was HEAVY but somehow I summoned up some strength and helped my husband get it into the truck.  We took it home, moved it into the garage and it sat there for MONTHS!  But eventually I decided I wanted to use it up in our loft and got my butt in gear to get it refinished. Actually, my husband sanded it down one day and I removed the ugly rose glass tiles from the door fronts.  Then we put it back in the garage where it sat for months.

Here is a before picture of it.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I did anything so you can’t see the ugly glass tiles. 

There was one drawer missing inside which worked out perfectly.  My husband removed the track and we now use it as a shelf for the electronics.

Here are some more pictures of the process.  It was a big project with many steps.  If you have any questions about what I did feel free to ask.

I stained the top and then covered it so I could paint the bottom.

I used a primer in spray cans.  Can’t remember which one but I can find out if you need to know.

Used my paint sprayer for the actual paint…Two coats.

I then distressed it and did a glaze coat using some of the stain from the top mixed with glaze.  After that I finished it with a coat of Minwax paste finishing wax.

The hardware is all the original hardware.  One of the hinges and one of the pulls on the doors were bent.  I used a hammer and placed them on the concrete driveway and hammered them back in shape.  I sprayed them with a Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze finish.  I love them! 

It is absolutely perfect in my loft.  We have all our movies inside, as well as our family home evening materials, and the DVD and VCR players.  I am really happy with how it turned out!

My Mom’s Dresser

I have been wanting to do some blog posts but it just hasn’t been happening lately.  I feel like I am treading water these days and am constantly behind and trying to catch up.  My health isn’t great and I’ve been dragging lately energy-wise.  It stinks, but that is life for me, I guess.

Anyway, it is Saturday morning and I am in bed with my laptop and a headache.  So I thought maybe I could get a quick post up about my mom’s Christmas present.

You may remember THIS post where I asked for advice on what to do with this piece of antique furniture someone had put out for the trash.

Well, a few people threw some ideas out but I still didn’t really have a clue how to fix this thing.  I finally decided what I needed to do.  I wanted to leave some of that beautiful wood grain showing on the front but that door was sooooo thrashed and the top was bad too.  So, here is what I came up with:

The blue color does not read well in the photos but it was a really pretty greyish blue.  I created vinyl sticker stencils with my Silhouette for the door and the top.  I put them on and then painted over them and then removed them.  My parent’s last name starts with “E”, thus the monogram.

It took a lot of work to fix this thing.  I used regular wood filler to fill the corners on the top and all the places on the door.  On the door, the place where the hinges were attached were so worn down hinges couldn’t work there.  I tried filling those up with wood filler but when I went to sand it it all crumbled out.  SO I had to chip that out and then used an epoxy wood filler to fill those in.  After that I had to use a file to get them down to the right height for the hinges to fit in correctly.  Same with the little door pull hole. 

I sanded down the drawer fronts and top and then stained them.  After that I used a spray shellac to seal them and the inside of the dresser and drawers.  Remember, this had a very bad smell to it.  You can still smell it if you put your nose inside the drawers but the smell does not permeate the house, which is good.

I went for a chippy paint finish, done by chipping off paint with a putty knife.  Very easy was to distress.  I finished the piece with an antiquing glaze and a clear wax. 

Honestly, it think it looks AMAZING!  I wanted to keep it for me.  But my parents really like it, I think.  It looks great in their house. 

Here are some more pictures for you.

Had to cut a new shelf for this cubby. 

Lined the drawers with scrapbook paper.

What do you think?  I am amazed that something destined for the dump could look this good!

If you want to “pin” this I won’t be upset at all!

I Need Advice

MOM!!!  DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!  Its about something I am doing for you and I want it to be a surprise.  So, STOP READING AND DELETE THIS EMAIL!!!

 

Everyone else, please scroll down.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, Hi everyone!  Long time, no blog!  I have been a blogging slacker lately.  I’ve just been busy with real life lately!  Sometimes I really wonder if anyone even reads my blog.  I get very few comments, so it is hard to know.  So, if you are reading this and feel like giving me a little encouragement, I could sure use a comment.

 

Now, I need some advice.  Mostly I need advice from people who know a lot about furniture painting/refinishing.  I am going to ask some of the great furniture bloggers I know of to come and take a look at this and give me their advice.

 

I picked up this little dresser someone had put out for the trash.  It is obviously old as you can tell from the hardware and the solid wood…I think it is oak?? 

 

I want to refinish/paint this for my mother for Christmas.  Now, my mom LOVES antiques, but she is less enthused about painted antiques.  BUT, she needs to broaden her horizons a little and this dresser is too messed up to NOT be painted. 

BUT, my mom adores burl wood.  And the drawer fronts of this are burl wood.  So, what I am thinking of doing is trying to leave some of this piece wood, while painting the rest of it.  I was considering doing some sort of reverse stencil on the drawers.  I am still not sure what I can get away with doing.  The finish is pretty messed up.

SO, I need help knowing how to go about this.

Here are my questions:

1. What is the best way to restore the natural wood finish to parts that aren’t damaged that I may want to leave wood, rather than painted?

(this is the top)

2. What’s the best way to repair the parts that are totally damaged?

3. Is there any resource I can use to try to replace this handle that is lost?  Because I love these antique handles and I know my mom does too.

4. If this were your piece, what would you do with it?

(here is the side)

(some close ups of the drawer faces)

5.  What am I going to do about this door????  It is thrashed.  I am not sure how to fix it.  They had it hot glued in!!

6. I am thinking of ASCP for this in a blue color.  What do you think of that?  What blue do you love??  I want it to look old.

7. I almost forgot!  THIS THING STINKS!!!  What can I do about the smell?  I know there are primers to block it, but if I want to leave some of it wood is there some type of clear coat that will block the smell?

 

THANK YOU sooooo much for taking the time to give me your ideas and help me get going on this.  I know my mom will love it.

GOOD FINDS @ GOODWILL {Thrifting}

My son had a birthday party to go to on Friday at a rock climbing place about 20 minutes from my house.  So, instead of wasting the gas to drive home and back again to pick him up, I used the time to go thrifting at Goodwill all ALONE!  I don’t get much time to be alone, so this was fun for me.  After I walked around Goodwill like a million times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything wonderful, I checked out and then went to get myself a bite to eat.  Most people think eating alone is lonely, but for a mom of 5 kids it is actually wonderful!  You can actually sit and enjoy your meal without having to get up even one time! 

I thought you might like to see what I got.  These items will all be transformed into something spectacular and then posted on this blog for you all to see!

First thing I found was this little thingamabobber.  I guess maybe it was for a candle or something?  Who knows.  I know just what I’m going to use it for!!  It was marked at $.50 but was half price so it was a quarter!

Then I found this lamp.  It works.  I really wanted to get a lamp but was being a bit gun shy when I thought the price was $15.  Then I found out it was half price so at $7.50 I decided to go for it!  The harp was bent a bit but I straightened it out with ease.  It will be getting a makeover and going in my living room.  I need to find a shade for it still.  I am debating on what color to paint it…safe white or fun blue???  hmmmmm

Up next are two of these super tall candlesticks!  I first picked them up thinking they were going to be a steep $12.99 each.  While I shopped I kept debating on whether I should buy them or not.  Then I found out it was half price on white stickers so they would only by $6.50 each.  That sealed the deal.  But, much to my delight I found out the price was for BOTH of them, so they were only $6.50 for both!  Aren’t they ugly now?  But they are going to be fabulous!  These will probably end up for sale once I am finished with them!

The last fun thing I picked up are these big wooden blocks.  I know you can make your own from a 4x4 but that sounds like a lot more work than buying them from Goodwill!  They will be getting a makeover asap!  They were $1.99!

There were some furniture pieces I wanted to get but I have vowed not to buy anything till I get my big buffet done and out of the garage.  LUCKILY, my husband gave me a coupon to get a really good paint sprayer for mother’s day!  I am  SUPER excited!!! So hopefully I will be able to bring home more furniture finds soon!

Do you thrift?  What have you found lately? 

Good Trash

Tuesdays and Fridays are trash days around here.  My kids always know its trash day when we start driving all around the neighborhood.  They usually go, "Are we looking for good trash again?  NOooOO.  Take us home first, pleeeeease!"

Yes, its true.  I drive around my neighborhood either in the morning on trash days or the night before.  I have found some really great stuff that people have put out for the trash men to take!  Last year I picked up a couple saddle stools that were pretty thrashed. They looked like this with totally thrashed paint and all wobbly.

 My husband and little boys sanded them down.  Then my teenager took them to his woodshop at school and took them apart.  He rubbed his fingers pretty raw sanding all the little posts that fit into the holes of a connecting piece.  THe shop teacher said the stools were falling apart because they were painted before they were glued, and that is not thep proper way to do it.  I am sure they were from Target or Walmart.  Anyway, we bought some wood epoxy and my son got them all glued back together properly so they were sturdy.  Then I painted them a bright apple green, distressed them and glazed them.  We gave them to my parents for one of their Christmas gifts.  They are to be used up at our family cabin.

I also got a HUGE buffet in really good condition.  I will be posting about it once I get it refinished.

I have gotten some other smaller things, including a rug that I sold on Craigslist for $50!  FREE money!!

Here is the first thing I picked up. 

Someone got it from a model home.  It was in perfect condition except one of the mirrors were broken.  There were three mirrors, not just one.  I looked at it and could see that the back could be easily removed to replace the mirror so into my minivan it went.

It took me awhile to get to it  (ok, months actually) but I finally took out the mirror and put in the sheet metal for a magnet board.  I covered the other mirror with chalkboard vinyl.  I got my hubby to hang it sturdily on the wall so we could use it to hang coats and hats and keys.  I love the little shelf for setting my cell phone on when I come in the door.  I didn't even have to repaint it...the color fit into my house perfectly!

SCORE!!

What's the best Good Trash you've ever come across?