Piece by piece...

I had a friend on Facebook ask where she could find much of my decor because we share a style.

Funny…as I walk around this house I see so many pieces I have cobbled together over the years. Pieces I bought at auctions and refinished. Some at flea markets. Some I bought new and tired of over time so I gave them a little facelift. Pieces I inherited. ( I am actually kind of shocked at how many pieces there are and how little I paid for them originally!)

Every room in this house has pieces I have refinished, refurbished or rehabbed.

My bedroom….

Twenty years ago I bought an entire bedroom set…bed, dresser, highboy and two night stands. Paid a small fortune for the matchy-matchy set so I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. Over the years I finally gave up the bed and dresser and the highboy and nightstands have had little facelifts. The furniture and our master bedroom got a full makeover HERE.

Before….

After….

My office…

I bought this desk at a junk shop YEARS ago…I think I paid $25 for it.

Still love it although it could use a little refresh!

The china display cabinet in the dining room. This is a prime example of a piece that is not my professed style but I absolutely love it all the same…LOVE!

I had a vision in my mind’s eye of what I wanted and I knew this piece could be exactly what I wanted with a little time and effort….

It took a bit more time and effort than I anticipated but it really is one of my favorite pieces.

I have several pieces in the living room I have rehabbed over the years.

This AMAZING coffee table I picked up at an auction for $22!

I sometimes wish I had a round coffee table but I love this piece so much I just can’t bring myself to part with it!

Several Lane Acclaim tables I have picked up here and there and refinished.

My grandmother’s little mid century chair has had two little makeovers. The teal chair is one I bought off Marketplace years ago and reupholstered….

My breakfast nook has several pieces as well.

The table….

The little china cabinet was a fun and relatively easy project….

They seem to work well together after their little facelifts….

There are so many more pieces I have curated and rehabbed over the years. Side tables, benches, chairs, dressers…every room has pieces I have refinished, painted or reupholstered.

It took years for me to collect all these pieces, bring them back to life and create a home I love with pieces that have purpose and meaning.

Most of the links are to the original rehabs where I share what I did…unfortunately I am NOT a good teacher so often I direct you to search the internet for good tutorials on how to repair, refinish and paint pieces. Find a tutorial that makes sense to you and begin curating your home one piece at a time.

It doesn’t happen over night! And it seems to be never ending…

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Home office makeover reveal...

Last week I shared the need to give my home office a little “character and design appeal.” (You can go to the link to see the “before.”)

This week I will share a few changes I made…not huge changes but enough to give it a little be more appeal.

It wasn’t until I was working on my “Bogey Home Tour” page that I realized I had done absolutely nothing to this room. Not a huge deal but, as I mentioned, you can see this room from the main living area and it is right off the entry…so it really needed a little something.

The first step was to purge and organize. The closet is great for storing my small seasonal decor (Valentine’s, Easter, the 4th, etc.) and office supplies but it could stand a little purge and organization.

It had a mismash of boxes and baskets and binders so this is one of the few things I splurged on…matching boxes for receipts and such and new binders. Then it was just a matter of organizing everything else…mostly the small seasonal stuff. I even organized all the decorative candles I switch out for every season on my dining table….

After purging I painted the walls and trim. Three of the walls and all the trim were painted white…just plain ole’ white. The wall I decided to do an accent feature on was painted pink. Yep, pink.

This mess of a wall and credenza had become a dumping ground. I removed all the “unnecessaries,” changed up the pictures on the wall and organized the laptops in THIS little gem.

Eventually I will get another piece to put here but for now, this works.

I also have some leftover walnut and may make some floating shelves or a picture ledge for this wall…maybe…we’ll see.

I still like this shelving/cabinet….

…it just desperately needed to be purged and organized. I debated putting the printer inside the cabinet, but we really do use it a lot. All the paper, business checks and cartridges are stored in the bottom. I may eventually add a little more greenery (aka fake plants) but for now this will suffice.

I really wanted to put a glass top desk in front of the window, but as you can see, this is Cleo’s lookout chair…she spends most of her day in this chair guarding the house. Okay, she spends most of the day SLEEPING…but still…

The only real change in this little window space (besides paint) was the removal of the blinds. The window had blinds when we moved in that have never been closed…so I just took them down. I rehung the curtains…they never get closed but they “dress” the window.

I may eventually change out the big ugly brown leather chair for something a little more sleek and modern, but for now Cleo seems perfectly comfortable and content.

I will also eventually change out the rug but for now it matches the chair. This is one of those times when I would love to do a whole room makeover…new chair, new rug, new credenza…but I am doing what needs to be done with as little expense as possible…baby steps!

As I have said time and again, sometimes our design “wants” are dictated by pets and kids…and of course finances. You may WANT a white couch but that’s probably not a good idea if you have a toddler running around with a sippy cup of juice or a large black dog that likes to run around in the mud. (BTW, if you think you will finally be able to get that beautiful white couch after the toddler becomes a kid or the kid becomes an adult, forget it. )

Now, the desk and accent wall….

The top of the desk needed a good purge. There really was nothing on there that couldn’t be put in a drawer or filed away…out of sight. I did buy one acrylic organizer for the top just to put bills and such in. The rest got cleared off and stored away. (Remember, I open my mail by the trash can…trash goes in the trash, mail for the kids goes in the mail holder by the front door and anything that needs my attention goes on my desk. No piles of mail laying around screaming for my attention…I take a few minutes EVERY day to deal with the mail as it comes in. )

I recovered the seat of the office chair with some pink velvet I had on hand.

Now, the pièce de résistance. The accent wall. HERE I talked about “finding my inspiration” for this room. After weeks of cruising the internet, I finally decided that this was the look I love.

And I do love it!

Next week I will share a full tutorial on this wall. Tutorials are usually not my forte’ but hopefully I can make sense out of how I created this “visual interest.”

As with all DIY projects, I firmly believe it all comes down to confidence. No, I had never created a wall like this…but I had no doubt I could give it the old college try. Succeed or fail, I would learn something. I think I succeeded although I will admit there are a few things I might do differently if I did it again (which I probably won’t!) But that is the great thing about sharing what I do…you can learn from my challenges (never say mistakes!)

Until then….

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Another family heirloom...a desk makeover.

As I have mentioned a bazillion times I am all about family heirlooms.

So when my mother offered me “dad’s desk” I didn’t hesitate…even though I have absolutely no use or room for it.

If I remember the story right my dad built this desk when he was 12…he would have been 79 this year…that makes the desk 67 years old…something my dad made when he was a boy….yes, I want it!

Fortunately my son Matt loves family heirlooms as well and since he just moved into a larger home, he has the space and need.

The desk was sporting green. I THINK it is green because at some point I did have it and I painted it green for Matt’s room. When the boys were younger everything in Mitchell’s room was blue and everything in Matt’s was green!

I guess at some point I gave it back to Mom.

Originally the desk would probably have been stained. I remember a time in the 70s when it was red. Then there was the “mauve” phase in the 80s. In other words, I knew there were at LEAST four layers of finish on it!

My original plan was to strip it down to bare wood and stain it.

What is the old saying about “best laid plans….” Yeah…that wasn’t happening.

There was the green…then the mauve…something white I suspect is a primer that was painted over the red…the red was painted over the original finish…whatever that may have been

I used every trick in my arsenal and still could NOT get all the paint off. Industrial stripper, my 1/2 and 1/2 mixture and even sanding.

One thing I will say about both my dad and I…when we do something, we do it to last!

After a few days of stripping and sanding I was able to get all the paint off the top but finally gave up on the rest of it…it wasn’t happening without doing serious damage to the wood itself.

I decided to stain the top and paint the base.

I sanded everything as smoothly as possible, primed it, sanded again, rubbed it down with tack cloth then painted it with a white enamel.

I stained the top with a java stain and sealed it with poly.

It is not exactly what I wanted but Matt and I both love the way it turned out. Right now he is using it as a tv stand in his den.

I was only able to snap a quick picture with my phone but as you can see, it turned out pretty cute.

We are in the process of making some major changes in his new house…new flooring, paint, shelving, etc.

Our plan is to eventually makes some major changes to his kitchen and den and when we do, hopefully I can get some good, staged pictures!

Until then I just wanted to share what one can do with older pieces…and also show that even we “old pros” get stumped occasionally…and when we do, we just drop back and punt!

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Another new dining room table and the greatest Mother's Day gift....

ANOTHER dining room table…obviously I have a soft spot for chairs and tables. When I saw this pathetic trestle table at a barn auction a few weeks ago, I just knew she had some serious potential….

The top was in pieces and the finish was crud…but oh the potential. And it wasn’t until I got her home that I discovered her little hidden secret…

She has this super nifty fold out “leaf.”

Just too fricking cool!

In spite of the fact that I have been up to my earballs in work at the apartments, I couldn’t wait to start working on her. The first thing I did was strip all the old finish…HERE is the process I used. This is a tried and true process that makes quick work of a daunting task!

After all the old finish was stripped off I had to glue and clamp the table top back together….

I always make my repairs AFTER I strip but before paint or finish…and I always make sure I make all the necessary repairs. No sense in making it pretty if it is just going to fall apart…glue and clamps!!!

The top was solid (vs. veneers) so the pieces were a tad warped…no biggy…I clamped it as well as I could and then I sanded the joints smooth…starting with the finer grit (220) and working my way down to a rougher grit (150) and then back up to a finer grit, before applying a tung oil finish.

Tung oil finish is my “go to” finish for many reasons…it is super easy to apply, it is super durable and it is super easy to reapply when the finish gets scratched or begins to dull!

So, when all was said and done, this little table will now take her place in the dining room….at least for the time being….it is no secret I swap out tables on a regular bases….here are just a few I have featured over the years…

A Duncan Phyfe….I gave it a little makeover HERE before selling it….

An antique trestle I featured here…

An oak farmhouse table featured here…..

The most recent…an antique draw leaf table…

All these tables have one thing in common…they are relatively “compact” but can be expanded to handle Thanksgiving dinner. Basically once a year I need a large table…and these all fit the bill.

The newest little trestle table is compact, expands, and beautiful!

So get ready for a few pictures…..

I just LOVE the new light fixture from Wayfair I featured here….

I love how it can easily be expanded. No more having to find a place to store leaves or hauling them out for one dinner…just slide open the top and fold out the insert…simple (especially after a little WD40)

One huge problem….I REALLY dislike the Duncan Phyfe chairs with it…they just don’t look right…and sadly I know exactly what chairs I want for it and I have had them and sold them a few times over. The good news is I will eventually find what I want….

Until then I bought this little piano bench at the same auction. Again, pretty cruddy…

…but I stripped and oiled the top, scrubbed up the brass feeties and painted the base with my new favorite blue…the same one I used on the buffet (here)…

Meh….not really “swooning” over it, but it will serve the purpose for now…until I can find the chairs I want or another pathetic little table catches my eye. I wouldn’t take bets on which happens first!

THE GREATEST MOTHER’S DAY GIFT

This year I received the absolute best Mother’s Day gift!!! Another college graduate.

My youngest daughter, Katie, graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Bio-Engineering.

She is beautiful, smart, and talented…and I could not be prouder.

She, as well as her brother Matt (Masters 2015), are fourth generation Arkansas graduates….my great grandmother graduated in 1920, my grandfather graduated in 1943, and I graduated in 1987.

Brian and I are now 5/5….five kids, five college graduates. And the fact that all five were here for Katie’s big day, which happen to be Mother’s Day weekend, made my day extra special!

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A special birthday celebration!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know my dog has become my "fifth child." Yep...that is what happens when you become an "empty nester." You take and post waaaay too many pictures of your animals and, of course, you celebrate their birthdays!

Wednesday we celebrated Cleo's 2nd birthday! If you go by "dog years," I officially have another teenager!

Our grandpuppy, Zoey, came to celebrate with us!

They LOVED the pup treats...the hats, not so much! Zoey wouldn't even wear one for a picture....party pooper!

And of course I have a TON of projects in the pipeline....three chairs to reupholster, five little dressers to repair and rehab and who knows how many other little projects piled in the back of the garage!

I did get a few pieces finished and ready to take to 410 Vintage...this shelf/desk is only one of many...but as usual I either forget to take before OR after pictures...in this case, the before.

Imagine honey oak...eeeck! A little KSTP treatment, and again, another lifetime of awesomeness!

I know I harp on it, but it bears repeating. The ugliest piece of furniture can be dolled up with a little paint!

I have four dressers lined up in the driveway ready to strip and paint IF the weather will cooperate. I think that is one of the biggest problems this time of the year. One day it is 70, the next we have a freeze warning. So I shuffle stuff around and work on what I can depending on the weather. Some days it is too cold or windy to paint, so I use those days to do repairs or work inside on upholstery projects. Then when it warms up a bit, I paint, but if it is too windy I can't spray paint. Curses!

Not going to complain because in few short months I will be gripping about the heat! And honestly, this is what I love about Arkansas...four seasons! I just wish it would make up it's mind from one day to the next!

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Simple makeovers for the worst offenders...the KSTP treatment!

There is NO excuse for ugly furniture. With warmer weather just around the corner, it is time to start looking at your furniture with a critical eye and making a list of pieces that CAN be changed with just a little bit of work!

We all have it...those "cheapo" pieces of furniture that are, at the very least, offensive! Maybe they were given to you, maybe you bought them at a "discount" store...maybe you bought it at the thrift store to fill space in a room.

Pressed board construction, laminate tops, dated finishes, pieces you put together with a little allen wrench thingy that came with the worthless little "screws" that promptly strip out and leave the piece wobbly and worthless!

It's ugly and cheap, but seriously who has the money to buy "real wood" furniture when you are struggling from pay check to pay check and having to buy shoes for a kid whose feet seem to grow a size every month.

I get it...I've been there. Fortunately I have learned to shop resale and auctions for "quality" pieces...and even if they need a little TLC, I have the tools, knowledge and time. But not everyone has that...or the money to buy and refinish high quality pieces.

That is why I advocate the KSTP treatment. Let me explain....

First, before you even get to the KSTP treatment, ALWAYS give the piece a good cleaning. On the nastiest, I use ammonia water but some can just be wiped down with a little water and mild detergent. Whatever you need to do to get the gunk off the piece! If it is "stuck" on just scrape it off with a razor! No matter if you scratch the finish...you are going to paint it!

Second, make any and all repairs that need to be made...and if you don't know how to repair it properly, google it!

Okay, now the KSTP treatment....

K- Kilz (my favorite primer but any QUALITY PRIMER will do! That is why this is the KSTP treatment and not the PSTP treatment!)

For smaller pieces I use a spray can only because it is easy and gives me a nice smooth finish. On larger pieces I use a brush and 4" foam roller! TIP! Always shake the can longer than the directions recommend. Kilz will spray on with a "grainy texture" if you don't shake the can well! No biggy since you are going to sand anyway, but just makes it a little easier! Also, pay attention to the temperature recommendations...it matters!

Many paints SAY they are a "primer and paint in one." Sorry, I am old school....I ALWAYS prime and I personally recommend it. If you want a superior finish that will hold up to use and abuse, prime!

S-Sand. A 220 grit paper will usually smooth out the piece after it is primed. I wrap a piece around a sanding sponge block!

If you have "ornate" legs or detailing, use 000-0000 steel wool.

USE YOUR HANDS, not your eyes. Feel the piece.

Trust me, if it isn't smooth, it WILL show after you paint it! Sand it until it is smooth to the touch! If you cleaned the piece well, scraped off all the gunk, this step really should only take a few minutes.

T- Tack cloth. A MUST after you sand but before you paint (or apply any finish). Blow or brush off as much as you can, then use a tack cloth!

You can purchase it at your favorite home improvement store...usually in packages of 2 and relatively inexpensive (around $2)! You can wipe a piece down all day with a clean cloth, but you WILL leave "stuff" on the piece if you don't tack cloth it. Tack cloth will remove EVERYTHING. If you still feel "stuff," hit it with the sand paper again and then tack cloth again!

P-Paint. This is where people usually freak out. My favorite for wood or laminate furniture is oil-based but it can be a tricky paint to work with for a novice and difficult to clean up. Fortunately latex paints have come a long way and are much more durable these days! QUALITY spray paint is probably your best bet for smaller pieces. I say quality because you can buy spray paint a tad cheaper at discount stores, but I am not a huge fan of cheap paint for ANY project! I usually buy Valspar or Rust-oleum from Lowe's.

On smaller pieces of furniture the difference will only be a few dollars but will be worth it in the long run.

Each of the brands come in LOTS of great colors...just find the color you love! I have found very little difference between the two brands...the Valspar tends to dry a tad quicker....but both are quality paints! ALWAYS shake the cans well and follow the directions on the can!!!

I have followed every tip in the book to get rid of the occasional "striping" on large, flat surfaces...like dresser tops or table tops. It doesn't seem to matter how I spray, what the temperature is or how hard the wind is blowing...sometimes I get stripes.

My solution has been to purchase the little "sample pots" of paint custom mixed to match the spray paint I am using and roll it on the large flat surfaces with a 4" foam roller!

Penetrol and Floetrol are a MUST any time you roll or brush on paint...oil or latex!

Use it. It will eliminate the brush and roller marks and give you a MUCH smoother finish!

These are just a VERY few projects using the KSTP treatment (I have done hundreds!)....world of difference for a little bit of work! I am working on a piece right now that is in the S stage...primed and sanded but now I need to figure out what color I want to paint it...soon!

Even light fixtures and paddle fans can be spray painted!!! On metal pieces and furniture hardware, I use metal primer primarily for the "rust retardant" factor!

One last important TIP when using ANY technique to paint anything....ALWAYS give the piece time to cure before you put it to work!

I was always skeptical of those "two day" makeovers they did on tv where they would paint something and then "stage" the pieces with all kinds of stuff within hours of putting a final coat on. (Kind of like getting your nails painted at the salon...even though you dry them for 10 minutes, you are still going to ding them if you dig in your purse for your keys! Unless you get gel polish...awesome stuff!) Trust me, that is the fasted way to ruin a finish! Don't do it...be patient and give the paint time to harden (cure) before you set a lamp on it or try to hang the fixture (trust me...I have had to repaint many pieces because of impatience!)

One dated, nasty, cheapo piece of furniture can ruin an entire room. Toss it or paint it! YOU CAN DO IT!

*I have not been compensated for pimping these products! These are the products I use and work for me!!!*

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Display hutch...before and after!

Brian has long since stopped questioning my purchases at auctions. I think he has developed a little bit of faith in my ability to make something out of nothing. But occasionally I do question myself. I must have subconscious flashes of inspiration that, in the stark light of day, are forgotten because occasionally I will look at a piece I brought home and think "WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!"

This would be one of those pieces....

It's not a horrible piece...it's just very "ho-hum." Not an antique or even remotely interesting. Just...well...boring.... for lack of a better word.

Basically just a "pine and particle board" piece that is pretty dated...seriously, hunter green?

The upside to this piece is it did not need any major repairs...just a few nuts and bolts tightened here and there. The stained top, shelves and crown where in good shape and didn't need to be refinished.

Honestly, it just needed a little "facelift." A brighter color to update it a bit! I taped and papered off the stained areas, removed the ugly wooden knobs and gave it a little KSTP treatment (Kilz, sand, tack cloth and paint!)

My favorite teal spray paint and simple little black knobs and we are good to go!!!

I even "displayed" a few of my auction finds just so the pictures would have a tiny bit more interest! This piece would be an awesome addition to a kid's room, an office, or even in a kitchen!

Again, this is one of those "boring" or "dated" pieces you probably have floating around your house. Whether it be bedroom furniture, a little table, an old dresser, or even a dated light fixture, a couple of hours and a few cans of spray paint can make all the difference. You don't have to be even remotely creative...just find your inspiration and go for it!!!

I have a garage full of projects I have been working on since the weather warmed a bit! I can't wait to share...something for everyone!

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Finding inspiration for a ladder shelf!!! And my master bedroom update!

One of the awesome things about the "blogisphere" is all the great inspiration and instruction you can find for just about anything you want to do!

A few weeks ago, my inspiration came from Kristi at "Making it in the Mountains." She built a ladder shelf for her back deck and it is awesome!!!

Someday I plan on making one exactly like this! I bought a few ladder shelves at an auction recently and when I priced them to see how much I should sell them for they were going for around $150! Craziness! And they aren't even fit for outdoor use like Kristi's!

Anywho, MONTHS ago I ended up with a beat up old desk from an auction...the auctioneers know us now so when no one bid on the poor old thing, he pointed at me and asked if I would pay a dollar...whatever...I figured I could do something with it. Heck, the awesome hardware is worth a buck!

I originally planned on restoring it but truth be told, it was pretty rough and I have learned that "rehabbing" these old desks really isn't worth the time and effort for resell. The top was laminate and the drawers were veneered. The only good solid wood was the leg and it was hanging on by a few flimsy nails!

But the drawers were well constructed...and the veneer was easily "patched."

So I decided to use the drawers and make a "modified" version of the ladder shelf...a drawer shelf!

I think it could be used as a storage shelf in a bathroom or laundry room...maybe toy storage in a kid's room! It's pretty sturdy so it can hold a lot of "stuff."

I painted the drawers with the "frosted berry" paint I bought for my room. Not that I think it NEEDED to be that color, but I have the paint and I like it! Rather than use the awesome hardware (I am hoarding those for a special project) or fill in the holes, I used rope on the two bottom drawers and a plain white knob on the top! It doesn't NEED pulls, but I want it to look like what it is...drawers!

I cut the top drawer down....I contemplated cutting the middle drawer down as well...no reason why I didn't...I just didn't!

Thanks for the inspiration Kristi!!!

(BTW, it sold within hours of putting it in my booth! Wow!)

MASTER BEDROOM PROGRESS!

As I mentioned in this earlier post, I finally broke down and bought the laminate I want for my master bedroom! Lumber Liquidators had a deal I just could not pass up! Fortunately, it will take two weeks to get it.

"Back in the day" that would frustrate me. There was a time when I could pull the trim, remove the old flooring, lay the laminate, reinstall the trim and paint...all in ONE day...or at least a weekend. Now...not so much. I have been pulling carpet and glue-down hardwood for over a week! My back ache and sore legs make living in this disaster of destruction somewhat tolerable!

Please note that even when my room is in complete disarray, I still make my bed every day! I am thoroughly convinced that the first day I don't make my bed will be the day I die...it's a "thing" I have. (discussed in detail here)

I had to remove the base of the fireplace surround to remove the flooring. I stupidly laid the floor THEN built the fireplace surround...I know better than that. This is a prime example of WHY it is a problem to set cabinets and fireplace trim on top of flooring!!!! Chances are you will replace the flooring long before you replace cabinets or fireplace surrounds...and removing the old flooring will be very difficult if it is under the cabinets or surround!

I did find one neat thing...I guess when I built this room I painted "I "heart" you" on the floor. How sweet!

There is a downside to DIY projecting! The mess! But I have wanted new flooring for YEARS so it will be worth it!

I decided to reuse the existing trim and set it on top of the new flooring...so I have to pull all the trim, remove the nails and scrape off the old caulk.

I also decided to do the floors in the office...but right now I am only going to do the main bedroom and get it back in order before I tackle the office. The office is ALL glue-down hardwood and it will be a booger to get it all up! I played with gel staining the existing hardwood...and it would have worked had I stained it all at once rather than doing a big "test splotch." Unfortunately, you can see the "lap over" of the stain and it looks horrid. So it all comes up and new flooring goes down!

I am hiring my neighbor to remove all the old flooring in the office...it is a small room but after a week of working on the master bedroom and what I know will be a labor intensive 2-3 days of installing the new flooring, I am finally having to admit I am too fricking old to "do it all."

Curses.

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Updated "antique" school desk and school chair...

Several months ago I went to an auction at a pretty nasty place. Most of the pieces I brought home had to be scrubbed with ammonia.

I bought a little school chair and an old school desk. Did I bother to take a picture before I started working on them? Um, no!!! You would think after all these months I would learn. But often times I bring stuff home, store it and then the first time the temperature spikes above 60, I start tearing into it! And this time of the year, those days are rare!

I did find a picture of the little chair...but the desk was used to prop up the large wood windows I bought so it didn't get in the family photo!!!

So again, it is time to close your eyes and "imagine." For anyone over the age of 40, it's not going to be hard. More than likely, it was the kind of desk you had during your elementary years. Beige formica top, grey metal base and an open shelf for a little plastic pencil box and books.

After both got a good scrubbing, I used "automotive primer" on all the metal. Kilz works well too, but I usually use "automotive" primer on metal. I find it just "bonds" better. I didn't prime the plastic on the seat or the top of the desk.

For the desk top, I used chalkboard paint. Then I sprayed the base with an awesome "teal" color.

For the chair I used a red "plastic" spray paint on the seat. You can buy it at Lowe's and it is specifically formulated for painting plastic. I think any spray paint would probably work but since I needed to buy paint for this project, I went with a paint specifically for plastic. I sprayed the legs with a bright white.

Cute! Perfect for a child's room!

Both of these will be in my booth! (The desk sold in ONE day!) Sometimes I wish I still had young kids so I could do cute little projects like this specific to their decor!

Then I remember that when I had young kids I didn't have time for cute little projects like this!

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Sew awesome....

I really want, and honestly need, a sewing desk...some place I can store and use my sewing machine without having to set it up on my dining room table. I found this sewing desk in a thrift store and man-oh-man was this thing seriously ugly!

I knew this desk could be a little treasure after the cruddy paint job was stripped away!

And even to my surprise, what a treasure it is...what I found under two layers of paint was beautiful mahogany. Initially someone had painted it a really disgusting green and then I guess they tried to improve it by painting it a flat black.

This is a prime example of hurting a piece in a failed attempt to "enhance" it! Truth be told, I felt a little guilty painting the base and drawers white. But I could never live with myself had I not restored the top to it's prior glory!

Before I started refinishing, I cut the opening a little bigger to accomodate my sewing machine. TIP ALERT: when cutting veneer mark the cut with a pencil and then score the veneer with a utility knife. Then use a jig saw with a very sharp blade to cut "inside" the score...if you don't, the veneer with split and splinter and you will make quite a mess!

Normally I use Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip latex paint and old varnish...but two layers of paint needed a little more muscle....so I used a citrus stripper. I will not use anything stronger on veneer (always use any stripper per the instructions and in a VERY well ventilated area!) This piece didn't have a single chip in the veneer and I didn't want to risk hurting the piece by using industrial strength stripper! Took a little more time and more than one application but it was worth it.

After removing all the old paint, I took 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits and gave the wood a "bath." When stripping wood, regardless of what you use to strip it, always "wash" the piece with mineral spirits to remove all the "crumbs." After it dries, take VERY fine sand paper or 0000 steel wool and sand lightly before applying stain or a finish.

TIP ALERT...keep old toothbrushes on hand to get into groves and corners when stripping furniture. DIYers never throw away old toothbrushes, coffee cans, socks, old tshirts or towels...trust me, you will need them!

Since I knew I was painting the base and the drawers, I didn't strip them but I did sand and prime well before painting.

And again...ALWAYS USE TACK CLOTH BEFORE PAINTING OR APPLYING FINISH...AND BETWEEN EVERY COAT!! I seriously can not stress this enough! So many DIY tutorials tell you to "wipe down"...again, I challenge you...wipe down your piece with a clean cloth, and even some mineral spirits...then wipe it with a tack cloth! You will be shocked at how much crud was still there!

Two coats of gloss white paint on the base and drawers. A light coat of walnut brown stain on the wood to even out the color and give it a little more depth....4 coats of my favorite Formby's Tung Oil. New crystal knobs. Total awesomeness!

I can not stress how beautiful this wood is....I wish I was a better photographer. And I wonder if I should have stripped and stained the drawer on the right...but then again, I kind of like the paint/stain contrast...I think I would love it either way!

I REALLY love tung oil.... it allows the grain of any wood to just shine! And it is sooo easy to take care of and touch up when needed! (Now I know why my father refused to use polyurethane) I think so many use polyurethane because they are concerned about durability....that is honestly not an issue with tung oil! Try it...it is almost impossible to mess up the application (unlike poly) and it is extremely easy to touch up scratches in the future if necessary!

This project was pure joy! Anytime I can take something that has been so abused and turn it into a treasure it just makes me happy!

Maybe now I will enjoy sewing just a little more!

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