I thought I would give you a sneak peek at what I am working on this week to feature.
A freshly painted front door....
A facelift for an old chair....
I try to post on Mondays and Thursday so check back in this week!!!
We have winter weather moving back in so not sure how much I can get done...but I have a few projects in queue so there is always something fun to share. See you soon!
Envy is a bad thing. We all know that.
But occasionally I stumble across a beautiful display of ironstone on a blog or Pinterest. The crisp, whiteness of the ironstone is just beautiful. It just looks so "clean" and pretty. And for a second, I envy.
Don't ask me why. Truth is, I have no use for "knick-knacks" or non-useful items that require dusting...even if they do look pretty!
But heirloom pieces are another matter and I decorate with them whenever possible! I love the dishes and china I do display because every single one of them is an heirloom piece inherited from my grandmothers, great grandmother and mom, as well as a few pieces of my own.
As I have mentioned before, my decor taste has transitioned over the years from "traditional" to more "mid-century." But truth is, my home decor is probably more "traditional" than "modern." I describe it as "eclectic." Regardless of the style, I have worked hard to remove the things I don't particularly care for and fill my home with pieces I love.
I seriously cherish the heirloom pieces I have inherited from family, and in spite of the fact most lean more towards "traditional," I display them with honor and pride.
That is what makes a house a home.....surrounding yourself with pieces you love and cherish and have meaning!
Several years ago I bought this curio cabinet so I would have a safe place to display my heirloom china. (I'm seriously thinking about painting it!) It is obviously not big enough to store ALL the china I have inherited, but I decided to display one place setting of each set. The rest is carefully wrapped and packed and stored in clearly marked boxes in the attic.
I have two sets from my maternal great-grandmother....
One of my maternal grandmother's....
My paternal grandmother's stoneware....(interesting story about the tea pitcher you can read about here) This is my favorite (right now) because it is pretty much "my style" right now. Simple, soft "blue mist" color and platinum edge.
My china...I have THREE sets (One isn't even displayed). Don't ask me why, other than the fact that I love china. And I hadn't inherited my grandmothers' yet so I felt I should have a set...or two...or three. Funny (only now, years later!) story about the first set. I bought a full set at an auction 25 years ago. Years later, while in the process of moving, I had displayed the entire set in my china hutch...not realizing that the top shelf was not secure...and it ALL came crashing down. Naturally, it broke the least replaceable pieces...the tea pot, salt and pepper shakers, sugar and creamer set.
Six years later, I went to an auction at a house my (ex) husband and I were buying...the lady was in her 90s and she had a beautiful set of china...identical to the one I had!! She had all the "select" pieces I had broken. PAY DIRT!
I bought this set at an auction as well.
I have filled the cabinet with a few other heirloom pieces.
A Fenton tulip vase that was my mother's. She has another that matches this one!
A pink carnival cream and sugar set...
...and more!
I run across beautiful pieces like this all the time in estate auctions. Fine china, Fenton and carnival glass, painted porcelain and Wedgwood...all for ridiculously cheap prices. Primarily because in today's world of decorating everyone wants the "clean, crisp" of stoneware and ironstone. And let's be honest, who really USES these pieces any more? Most of it is not even dishwasher safe...GASP!
But it is beautiful...and if they are pieces you have inherited from you family, you should display them with pride.
UPDATE: When I first posted this I spelled Cristina's name wrong...one of the few things we bloggers ask for is proper credit! My apologies! Thankfully the links still worked so make sure you drop in and see her wonderful stools!!
Cristina at Remodelando la Casa inspired me. Or rather SHE STARTED IT ALL! I was perfectly content with my boring little kitchen stool.
I stumbled across Cristina's stools she "gussied up" with a little reconstruction, some paint, graphics and stain. Suddenly my boring little stool seemed very pathetic and bland!
Actually, I have two little stools. I painted one a "mustard" yellow color and took it to my booth. I kept the natural one in my kitchen. But the cabinet drawers wouldn't open unless I moved it, so I brought the yellow one home...it's a tad shorter and I don't have to move it to open a drawer!
Christina was kind enough to share her "coffee" graphic and I really like all the little graphic designs at The Graphics Fairy. Let's be honest....I'm more comfortable with a skill saw and paint brush than I am with transfer paper and iron-on stuff. But I have always wanted to try the different "transfer" methods, so I thought these little stools would be the perfect medium for a test run.
I first tried the "wax paper" transfer method. (All of these different transfer methods are outline here!) I used it on the yellow stool. It is a great method, but I can honestly tell you it is NOT as easy as it looks and sounds. The good news is, if you mess it up, it will wash right off a painted wood finish with soap and water. It took me four shots to get a halfway decent transfer and even then the imagine is a bit "blurry" and "blotchy" from my inability to keep it still during the transfer process. Honestly, I wouldn't sell this stool but it will do fine in my own kitchen.
I painted the little birdie graphic on the other stool after I sanded the old finish off the top...
I used the same method of transfer I used here on the pillows. I printed off my graphic, taped sewing trace paper on the back of the picture, traced it onto the stool top and then hand painted it with black latex paint (without the fabric medium!) You can also use a black sharpie!
Then I applied a couple of coats of walnut stain and sealed it with a spray on poly. I also spray painted the legs off-white!
I found this disgusting, broken down shop stool in an apartment.
I removed the stool top (not hard since it was missing two bolts) and removed the old rubber feet. I scrubbed the metal base, primed it with metal primer, sanded, tacked and sprayed it with a gloss black. I bought new rubber feeties at Lowe's and put them on!
I removed what was left of the old plastic seat cover. I added 1" foam padding to the top (spray the top with a little spray adhesive just so the padding won't move) and then covered the entire top and sides with two layers of batting. I use regular quilt batting on stuff like this...just softens the edges a bit so the fabric lays better and you don't feel the "hardness" of the wood frame. I do the same on ottomans
I used plain ole' drop cloth material (washed and dried) for the top. It is inexpensive and not something I will stress about if my transfer experiment goes wonky. I cut out a piece big enough to cover the entire seat and sides and applied the transfer to the fabric BEFORE covering the stool top.
After reading The Graphic Fairy tutorials, I settled on this iron on transfer paper. The Amazon reviews were a tad mixed but honestly, I usually follow the lead of other "DIYers." If it works for them, it should work for me.
And it did. I followed the directions on the package to a T to apply the transfer to the fabric and then covered my stool seat. Honestly, I am not happy with the "pleating" on the sides, but the seat is round and I have a bum shoulder...what can I say! I used fabric glue to add a piece of black fabric to the underside, just to give it a nice "finished" look in case someone is laying on the floor looking at it. Plain ole' felt works great for that kind of thing.
So there you have it...three super simple stool makeovers with three different transfer methods.
And while I am at it...let me show you another little stool I found in an apartment...
Cheap little stool...nothing fancy. It was missing one of the cross bracings so I cut a piece of 1x2 poplar and glued and clamped it in place. Then a little kilz, sand, tack and Valspar "Azure Snow" spray paint. I didn't even recover the top...just a good cleaning!
Cristina was generous enough to share her coffee graphic with me, but I decided not to copy her TOO much...although I do intend to use it at some point...on something! And her transfer method was a tad different than mine, so make sure you check it out! I will definitely try it as well!
Experiment...do what works for YOU! The Graphic Fairy has 100s of awesome transfers free for your own use and easy to follow tutorials that will help you transfer onto ANYTHING!
As I mentioned in this post, having the properly sized area rug in any room is a must! I had a brown wool rug I bought on the cheap from Target....but I have always known it was the wrong size. Especially after I put the awesome mid-century coffee table in the room!
If your furniture grouping BARELY fits on the rug, you know it is too small. HGTV is a great resource for figuring out what size rug you need for your space!
Area rugs are an important element in my decor....primarily because over the years I have removed every stitch of carpet in my house, except my master bedroom.
I even removed the carpet from my stairs and put down oak treads and risers. Every time I am able to clean the stairs with a dust rag rather than hauling a vacuum cleaner up and down, I am soooo happy I did this! If you have carpeted stairs, there is hope! When I pulled the carpet from this space I not only found that it was just "rough framing" but the amount of dust, sand, and filth under the carpet and padding was enough to make a grown woman barf! It is a tedious project, but trust me, if you don't think you have the skill to complete this project, it is well worth the money to hire it done!!! Best money you will ever spend. Someday I will post a tutorial on how to do this...it IS a doable DIY project...just one big "puzzle" that requires a chop saw, nail gun and construction mastic! And caulk and stain and poly...and time...and no kids for a few days...but that's all...I think.
Anywho, after training a puppy (who is now 12) and with my aversion to filth and dust, hard surface floors throughout the house were a must. The ONLY reason I haven't pulled the carpet from my master bedroom is because I haven't quite figured out what I want to do design-wise...so I don't know what kind of flooring I want to go with just yet...someday!
An area rug can pull together a room aesthetically and of course provide comfort and warmth under foot in the sitting areas! As my "old kitty" Molly aged, it became apparent area rugs where not something I was going to be able to have for a time...trust me, once they have been "used" you will not get the smell out no matter what you clean it with and they WILL get "used" again! (YOU may not smell it, but THEY will!) So for years, we have done without.
But now Molly stays in my bathroom, with an occasional trip outside when it is warm. So for now I don't have to worry about my rugs being "used."
Which explains the inexpensive, small brown rug in my living room. We had to have some cozy under our feet but I just couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of money on something that may have to be tossed. It served it's purpose.
Last week after I placed the larger coffee table, the brown area rug became a glaring issue...it just wasn't cutting it! So I went searching for a new rug. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, but as I said in my early post, rugs can be a relatively inexpensive way to infuse "fad" colors and design into your decor. "Relatively" being the key words.
I knew I wanted one that was lighter and complimented the blue and brown I have chosen (for now) in my living room. But finding an affordable, attractive 8x10 rug was not an easy task. Rugs can be expensive.
So I took to the interweb and stumbled across this site....Rugsusa.com. At the time they had their rugs 70% off and free shipping!!! Which means the rug I thought I wanted was about $100+ less than what I could find it for on Overstock or Joss and Main, two sites I ALWAYS check when buying anything related to home interior decor.
Now the problem with ordering rugs online is the inability to actually feel the rug and know the TRUE color. If it isn't right, there is the added expense of return shipping, rather than throwing it in your car and taking it back to the store! To put it in layman's terms, it's a "crap shoot."
I've had many wool rugs so I felt pretty confident in the texture of the rug. And I also know that you can completely change the comfort of the rug just by adding inexpensive carpet padding beneath it! So that wasn't a huge issue for me.
Since I was ordering a blue rug, I was a tad worried. But as I looked around this room, I realized I have about 5-6 different "blues" in all the pillows, window seats and frame matting. So as long as it wasn't too terribly glaring in "tone" I was pretty sure it would be okay.
And it was okay...truthfully, I love it. It is provides an awesome template for my new coffee table and while the blue doesn't match all the blues exactly, it compliments everything quite well.
As far as the size...it is perfect. It grounds this sitting area and really pulls this grouping together nicely!!! I love, love, love it! I love the texture, tone and trellis design.
You may notice I don't do a lot of "froo-froo" staging on my coffee table. While I kind of envy all those beautifully staged coffee tables, I know mine will serve one primary function...to rest feet on. Yes, we put our feet on the furniture! That is why I harp on durable, easy-to-fix finishes!
My next big chore for this room is the addition of this mid-century chair I bought eons ago. It is a hot mess right now, but I really think if I reupholster it in a brownish/bluish/taupish wool fabric, it will be awesome! I love the style and construction which is why I bought it even though the upholstery was hideous!
Right now, it is my booth at Midtown...if it doesn't sell, it is coming home for a major makeover...as soon as my shoulder and hip heals!
Oh, the shoulder and hip? What did I do to it? I turned 50! And if you think that carpet on your stairs is okay and it's not a problem to occasionally haul a vacuum cleaner up and down, wait til you turn 50!
One big "fad" right now are the old wood benches and tool boxes...."primitives." I've had a few in my booth and they fly out the door. Like this one I featured here....
I'm not really in to all the "primitive" decor...including old wood benches and tool boxes. But it dawned on me a while back that I had my dad's old wood work bench stored in one of my supply buildings at the apartments. And while I am not big on "vintage" or "primitive," I am a huge fan of "heirlooms!"
He built this little bench and for as long as I can remember he carried his tools in it and even used it as a step stool!
When I finally dug it out, I found that it was in worse shape than I remembered....covered in some serious gunk, oil, filth and old paint! The top board and one of the cross boards had cracks! (Again, my photography skills just don't do it justice!)
Probably to be expected...I remember my dad using this bench when I was little. And I know I used it for many years. While I was stripping it I discovered old royal blue paint all over it...royal blue paint? Then I remembered...25 years ago I painted my sons' bunk beds royal blue...and evidently I used this old bench during the process.
It took some serious time and chemicals to strip off all the old paint and gunk. I didn't want to sand it because I want to retain all the "character" beat into the wood from decades of use!
I don't know if dad used a skill saw to cut the boards when he built this, but I have no doubt he used a hand saw to cut the Vs in the legs...you could actually see the saw marks!
After removing all the old paint and gunk, I even found where someone (me?) had carved tic-tac-toe markings in the wood!
After removing all the paint and gunk with chemical removers, I scrubbed the wood with lacquer thinner and steel wool and then washed it with mineral spirits. Then I let it dry out for several days.
I really debated what to do with the little bench at this point. I know it would be really pretty with a nice coat of paint...maybe distressed a bit. But the "character" in the wood is amazing and I really hesitate to do anything to cover any of it!
So for now I just coated it with some tung oil finish. Maybe someday I will get a stroke of inspiration and do something different. Until then I will just admire it for what it is...an old tool bench that my dad built and used.
That, in my book, makes it priceless just as it is!
This is a prime example of WHY you should take anything and everything someone in your family gives you...it may seem like trash at the time, but someday it will be a true treasure. My dad has been gone 19 years...anything I have of his is a treasure!
I started a post entitled 'Reflecting on 50 years of life." I thought I might share all my "pearls" of wisdom. Really? I, of all people, do not need to be giving life lessons...I'm 50 and still learning something new every day! Although I think if others would learn from MY mistakes, their lives would be a lot easier and pleasant. But truth is, everything you need to know to live a fulfilling life is either in the Bible or on Pinterest. Choose wisely (that is ONE of my "pearls"...ALWAYS choose wisely)
Anywho, I decided that I would be better off giving advice on how to make your home a place you will love. I'm not going to give you "decorator tips" because I am not a decorator...I am just a mom who has found a balance by trial and error. Besides, you can find REAL decorators all over the internet who will tell you how to decorate a room!
So here is some of what I know about "home interior decor".....
1) You won't ever wake up and say "THIS is perfect." Your home is ever changing...families grow, kids get older, stuff gets out of date or worn...so embrace the ebb and flow of your changing life and go with it!
2) I give the same advice about major home decor purchases as I do cars...if I show you a stock and tell you that you will pay $40,000 for it today and I can GUARANTEE you it will be worth $20,000 next year, would you buy it? Nope. So why would you buy a brand new car or brand new anything? Personal property (furniture, cars, appliances) WILL depreciate. Keep that in mind when making a home interior purchase. Let someone else take the depreciation "hit" unless it is a piece you are madly in love with and you KNOW it will be in your home until...well, forever! Here is a little trick I use sometimes...take the purchase price, divide it by the REAL number of years you think you will use that item...for example, my living room couch cost me $1500. I knew I loved it and would use it for years...so far, I am going on 10. So basically I paid $150 a year for this couch. Yep, that is reasonable in my book! But the fact I have had it for 10 years is VERY unusual! Most people don't keep couches that long! Do the math...spend your money wisely!
3) With that advice in mind, whenever you can, buy used and make it your own! Learn to paint...learn to refinish...learn to reupholster. And if you just don't want to do that...or feel you can't...learn patience! Because I can promise you, that "vision" you have in your head for a new tv cabinet or bedroom set or chair will be out there at a garage sale or on craigslist or at a flea market....or seriously reduced at some point!
I have wanted a coffee table like this for...well, decades. But I never could find the EXACT coffee table I had in my mind...and when I did finally find it, it needed some attention! But my patience and ability to DIY paid off...big time!
4) And with that in mind, NEVER BUY IT OR BRING IT HOME IF YOU DON'T SERIOUSLY LOVE IT! Or will love it with a little "tweeking," Because if you can look at it and say "Wow, I really love that!" there is a good chance it will be something you will still love years from now...you won't ever regret that purchase! My rule...if I have to think about it for more than 10 seconds, I don't need it!
This tv cabinet was expensive...but I love it...it is 8-9 years old and I have NEVER regretted it or questioned the purchase. Great story. When I first fell in love with it, I really couldn't justify spending what they were asking...HOWEVER, they had one that was a "customer cancellation" and had a few VERY minor dings...at HALF the price of a new one. SOLD! And the great thing was they had one of their experts fix the "dings!"
5) Use "fads" sparingly. Pillows, rugs, inexpensive pictures... basic accessories...can all be easily changed. So use "accessories" as a way to infuse "fads." The big stuff...primarily furniture...should be something you LOVE and something you know you will probably love 10 years from now. The only time I break that rule is if it is a second hand piece of furniture that is free or cheap that I am going to "repurpose" or "refinish"...knowing that next year I will pass it along to someone else, or repurpose or refinish it again!
As you can see in my living room I use pillows, framing and the rug to infuse the "blue and brown" that is currently all the rage. In my den, I bought this little inexpensive side table at Salvation Army and stained and painted it.
All can be changed or given away when I "change my style" without breaking the bank!
6) Keep "collecting" to a minimum. Seriously, if you collect more than 1 or 2 things, choose one. Otherwise, it just becomes "clutter." I collect hard back books. And Lane Acclaim table...but those are part of my "timeless furniture" so I don't count them as a "collection." My point, "collections" can quickly become "clutter."
7) If someone offers you a "family heirloom"...china, photos, knick-knacks, furniture...take it! Find a way to infuse it into your decor! And if you just can't right now, store it away. But take it! My grandfathers' tools and leather case...my grandmothers' china...just a few heirlooms and THINGS I LOVE! and decorate with!
8) Pictures. Photos of you, your family, your ancestors...surround yourself with them. Find frames at garage sales and thrift stores and paint them...glue things to them...display them in groupings! They are the people you love...surround yourself with them!
9) Pay attention to tips from designers. There is a proper height for hanging pictures and a proper size rug...know them and follow those hard fast rules! I have a rug that is too small in my living room...I know it is too small and it bugs the heck out of me...which is why I just ordered a new, larger rug...can't wait to share!!!
10) Make your bedding a part of your "bedroom decor" and make it beautiful. You can buy beautiful, inexpensive bedding on Overstock and at T.J. Maxx and Marshall's. But more than anything keep it simple...and make your bed EVERY DAY! Simple is the key because if you have too much froo-froo and too many pillows you might be tempted to NOT make it because it is a tiresome chore!
IMPORTANT TIP! Make your bedroom a "haven." It should not be the room where you do book work, sew, fold clothes, scrapbook, etc...you should never go to bed or wake up to "work." No matter how small your house is or how cramped you are for space, make it the one room in your house where you can "escape!"
11) Don't be afraid to TRY IT!!! If you see something you like on Pinterest, give it a shot! And if you just aren't the crafty/buildy/DIYER kinda person, find a few awesome flea markets and second hand stores to cruise through every so often...trust me, others are doing the DIY/Pinterest thing and usually you can find what you are looking for...but be PATIENT!
12) Paint...there are so many tips and tricks to painting....again I could type a hundred posts on how to properly paint anything and everything...but they are already on the world wide web! But my best suggestion is to CHOOSE WISELY. And the only way to do that is to buy the samples pots and paint BIG swatches on your walls...then look at it...for days...or weeks...or whatever it takes to KNOW it is the color you want! I think I have shared how I choose my paint for my bedroom fireplace wall. I THOUGHT I loved one color...but I kinda liked another too. So I bought little samples of both, painted one half of the wall with each...and looked at it...for days. Turns out, I liked the one I "kinda" liked better. Had I gone with the one I thought I loved, I would have never been happy!
13) Shop thrift stores, flea markets, second hand stores, garage sales, auctions...be picky...be patient....you WILL find what you really love eventually!!!
14) DECLUTTER!!! Clean out your closets, drawers, cabinets, pantries...GET RID OF STUFF! Don't have "stuff" just for the sake of having "stuff." A few years ago, I opened up the cabinets under my book shelves...seriously, I bet I hadn't looked in there in 10 years. You know what I found? A lot of STUFF...and spiders...lots of spiders! I got rid of the stuff AND the spiders!
And before you bring more stuff home, or order it off QVC or Amazon, ask yourself..."Do I REALLY need this." Learn to distinguish between "need" and "want." And if it really isn't a "utility" item that you need, do you truly LOVE it?
I watch those "hoarder" shows on TV and I don't get the sheer magnitude of it...because I can't understand the "mental illness" aspect of the whole thing. But I do understand that we can get soooo caught up in the "wanties" and "gimees" and "Igottahavees" that we surround ourself with STUFF we really don't need. Or even want at some point.
It is one reason I strongly suggest using "fad" stuff sparingly in your decor....trust me, Chevron and burlap WILL go out of style...and your house will look like someone puked 2013 in your living room! It's cute...it can be fun to accent with...but use it sparingly and don't invest so much money in it that you don't feel like you can't get rid of it when it does go out of style!
EVERY SINGLE ITEM in your house should somehow enhance your life or have purpose...if it does not, get rid of it.
Am I guilty of breaking my own rules? Are you KIDDING? I'm just like everyone else...I make, and hopefully learn from my mistakes. I know that if I buy really expensive bedroom furniture because I just HAVE to have it right this minute, someday I will be stuck with furniture I don't really like but can't bare to part with because I paid a fortune for it!
What do I love? Heirlooms, furniture I was patient and waited for until I found THE perfect piece and the right price, stuff I paid little or nothing for and won't feel guilty kicking to the curb when I don't want it any more. I love my home because I have been very careful about surrounding myself with things that are timeless, things that have meaning (pictures, heirlooms, etc) and things I love. I still have a few "warts" here and there...and honestly, they are things I bought "on a whim" and/or paid too much for. But slowly I am trying to weed those things out!
ALWAYS keep your receipts. And if it is something you can't return (from a garage sale or thrift store) make sure you pay so little you won't think twice about turning right around and donating it!
And the NUMBER ONE RULE OF DECORATING YOUR HOME SO YOU WILL LOVE IT...get it clean and organized. Amazing how much more enjoyable your home will be when it is clean, decluttered and organized!
I have a ton of projects piled up in the garage I worked on all weekend...except when my dang hip went out Saturday morning and I had to go over to my neighbor, Caroline, so she could massage the muscle spasms. (Who wouldn't love a massage therapist right across the street!) Then I had to sit...which I don't do well...and stare at the tv...which again, I don't do well. As soon as it would feel a tad better I would jump up and go sand or paint something...then I would hobble back in and grumble about how it sucks to get old! Brian is very sympathetic and helpful...at first. Not so much after I intentionally push the limits.
Seriously, this is the first time in a month it has been nice out and I could project...and my stinking hip goes out...curses!
Anywho, since I not quite ready to share the projects I worked on, I thought it would be a good time to share a "must have" recipe for your recipe book.
Seriously, if you want to impress your family, you have to try this one!
CARAMEL PECAN APPLE PIE....the only thing missing is the chocolate! Next time I think I will throw a handful of chocolate chips in there ;)
This is about as good as it gets...except for a little heart shaped wood wreath by the front door. I go all out for fall and Christmas...not so much for this "holiday."
But LOVES to all my Valentines! You know who you are!
In my home we always hug and say "I love you" when we part...doesn't matter where you are going or for how long you will be gone. Always.
Best parental advice I ever got (and can give)...hug often and NEVER be the first to let go.
I hope the people I love know how I feel EVERY day!
I know I am always talking about how AWESOME some of my furniture finds are, but this is truly an AWESOME piece!!! Mid century and walnut...my absolute favorites! (Check out some of my other mid century finds and makeovers here!)
We scored this coffee table at an auction. I probably should have flipped it over and looked for markings before bidding, but it is pretty big and honestly, I didn't want to draw too much attention to it (gotta be "cool" at the auctions!) When I bid on it, I knew nothing about it other than it was walnut and mid century! Structurally, it was in mint condition and I knew it could be spectacular with a little elbow grease. The scratches and water sports were not too bad! We were told it had been stored in an old outbuilding for years....I believe it!
The piece is marked on the bottom. It is a Drexel Declaration coffee table. A relatively "rare" piece with a good value!
As I have said before, it is not the "profit value" that motivates me. It is the absolute LOVE I have for this furniture.
It has been in my garage for months. I just didn't have the time or space to mess with it! The first thing I had to do was strip it. Keep in mind the finish on these pieces are 50+ years old so the old varnish has "yellowed" over time. And of course there is all the wear and tear...scratches, water damage, worn finish! But you CAN NOT strip old paint or varnish inside. The chemicals are just too strong and stripping and sanding does make a bit of a mess so I made sure I got all stripping and sanding done before it got too cold to work outside! (I really need a heated shop!)
I almost always use Formby's furniture refinisher to strip old varnish. I find that it really does a great job of "melting" the old finish off while hydrating the wood. Occasionally I may have to use something a little stronger and on very rare occasions I will actually sand the piece. I did take some sand paper to this piece only because there were several "water stains" that just couldn't be chemically removed.
I can not stress enough how important it is to CAREFULLY sand old furniture! Veneers can be very thin and it is easy to get carried away! Always start with a fine grain paper (220 grit) and work your way to a heavier grit ONLY if you need it. Then work your way back to a fine grit!
You may not be able to remove every stain or imperfection. And that is okay! Old and antique pieces are going to have imperfections! Embrace them! My office desk I featured here is a prime example....
Try as I might, I could not get this old cigarette burn to go away...and that's okay. It is a constant reminder of one of the many reasons I shouldn't start smoking again!
Fortunately I was able to get almost all the "imperfections" off the coffee table.
Also, most finishes were originally applied in a way to make the wood grain appear "uniform." A multi-layer technique may have been used or the finish and stain were sprayed on. Once the original finish is removed, you are likely to find that the wood grain no longer has a "uniform" appearance. Again, embrace it!
After making sure I removed ALL the old finish, I "washed" the entire piece with mineral spirits. This is an important step when refinishing furniture whether you are applying a clear finish or painting. It removes all the gunk and oils. Then I hit is with a very fine sandpaper just to knock down the grain a bit.
The mineral spirit wash will also give you an idea of what color the wood will be when you apply a clear finish. Most woods will be a completely different color stripped than it will after a clear finish has been applied. After you wash the piece with mineral spirits, the wood will eventually dry back to a natural color, but while it is wet you will be able to tell what color it will be after a clear finish is applied and whether you will want to apply a darker or different color stain. I personally love the color of natural walnut after a clear finish is applied, so rarely will I apply a stain.
After wiping the piece down with mineral spirits, I wiped the entire piece down with tack cloth to remove dirt and dust. Again, you can wipe down a piece all day with the cleanest cloth...I can promise you the tack cloth will find more! Use it and use it between EVERY coat of finish or paint!
After stripping, sanding and tacking, I began applying the Formby's tung oil. I love this stuff...in my opinion it is a superior finish to poly! Super easy to apply and much less room for error. If it gets scratches in the future, just hit it with 0000 steel wool, tack cloth and then apply another coat of tung oil. Simple!
Because of the weather, I had to apply the tung oil inside. The smell and fumes from tung oil is not that bad. Steel wool itself tends to crumble and create "dust" so I decided to try something new...which is NOT something I do easily! I picked up these little "finishing pads." They seem to work pretty well! I still favor the steel wool, but the pads produced far less "dust" than the steel wool!
A little trick when painting or refinishing...place aluminum foil under the feet/base after you are finished sanding and tacking. Most paint and finish won't stick to aluminum foil (unlike paper) and it will protect your floor and keep dust from being dragged onto the base when applying the finish!
I usually apply 3-5 coats of tung oil. I use a "stain sponge." You can usually find them in the stain section at Lowe's. Three coats is usually enough, but if I still feel the finish is "uneven" I will continue to apply coats until I get an even "gloss" look. ALWAYS rub it down with 0000 steel wool and tack cloth between each coat.
Whether you use steel wool or finishing pads or sand paper, make sure you always sand WITH the grain.
"Sanding" and tack cloth between each coat is VERY important. I used tack cloth before I applied the first coat of tung oil and I could still see and feel "crumbs" after it dried!!!
I love this piece. I think it looks a tad too big for my living room, but I just can't bring myself to part with it! Honestly, I think I would like it a bit better if I had a bigger rug. This one has always been a tad too small, but it was cheap and I just needed something to throw down to keep our toes warm! With an old kitty in the house, you don't invest too much in rugs.
So I have been looking...Joss and Main...Overstock...I'm looking! Someday.
(UPDATE! Yep, that is the NEW rug...featured it here...and I seriously love it! I am so honored to be featured on betterafter.net! Gail asked to see the inside, so here is a picture with the top open. As you can see it has a little compartment with a sliding drawer. The inside was in mint condition, so I did not do anything to it!)
Again, I am probably the last person on earth to discover an amazing product.
So if you are behind the times like me, pay attention. Because this little project is total awesomeness and possibilities are unlimited!!!
I shared in December my Christmas above the cabinet lighting.
I originally ran an extension cord up through holes I drilled in the cabinet above my refrigerator, but my wonderful SIL Joel actually hardwired an electrical cord to my under counter lighting. Now I have a permanent plug on top of the cabinets that is connected to my under-counter lighting...a flip of the switch and both my upper and lower lighting comes on!
After Christmas I left the Christmas lights on top of the cabinets. I knew it was only a temporary solution and I would need to find some type of permanent light source. Seriously, you could tell they were Christmas lights...kind of cheesy!
I knew I wanted LED lighting. The cost of the lights are usually a bit pricey, but they are extremely cost efficient to run. The HUGE upside for me is they put off NO heat. I leave my under-counter lights on all the time and they never get hot. And supposedly, they last a lifetime...whatever that means.
But the LED strips I used under my cabinets cost about $50 for one 12" strip. I only needed three strips to do under my cabinets, but I knew I would need 5-6 to get a good affect on top. Since this is honestly more for aesthetic appeal than function, that was really cost prohibitive!
So I went searching for a solution. My first thought was plain ole' Christmas rope lighting. I know they have LED rope lighting. But wouldn't you know....I didn't bother to look for it until AFTER all the after Christmas sales...so I couldn't find one box of rope lighting in the stores.
So I went to my second favorite shopping spot (Lowe's being my first!)...AMAZON!
Amazon has everything. And since I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for, the customer reviews really helped me narrow down my search.
Anywho, I ended up with these amazing LED light ribbons.
I honestly thought it was some kind of "rope" light, but it is just a little 16' strip with these VERY bright and tiny LED lights about every inch! The strip is very flat, only about 1/2" wide and has "sticky" on the back. I bought two rolls. I did read that you have to have the transformer so I ordered that as well. It is a must...it is a converter...you can not plug these lights into a regular outlet!!! And they don't come hardwired with a plug on the end.
All told, I spent about $50 for 32' of LED lighting and the converter!!! That is the cost of ONE 12" LED light strip!
So it was time to "install" the above the cabinet lighting. Seriously? Install? I am not joking when I say a 5 year old could do this. It is a matter of twisting four wires together, peel, stick, plug!
Now, this is ASSUMING you have a power source on top of your cabinets. If not, this may be the best way to get power above kitchen cabinets. You could plug the power transformer into a remote hub and turn it on and off that way! Amazon has those too ;)
As I mentioned, Joel installed a permanent plug for me that is controlled by the same switch that controls my under counter lighting. He took an extension cord, cut the "plug in" end off (the "male" end), ran the wiring down between two cabinets, stripped the wires and hard wired it into my existing under counter lighting. (This is NOT something a 5 year old could do!)
To connect the LED light strip to the power transformer you merely twist the like-color wiring together (black to black, red to red) and SECURELY connect with wire nuts or electrical tape. It is hard to tell in this picture, but there is a black wire and a red wire inside the large black wire coming out of the transformer!
Then I laid out the entire strip and began peeling and sticking along the back side of the top of my cabinets! Seriously...this is not rocket surgery...YOU CAN DO THIS !
Before you do this, make sure the tops of your cabinets are clean and dry. The strip is pretty sticky (it professes to use 3M) but if you have dirt and gunk on top of your cabinets, it won't stick well! I shared my "nasty little secret" here along with a little tutorial on how to manage this mess!
I would strongly suggest getting the "warm white" like I did...and even then, they seem a tad "stark" to me.
But never fear...there is a DIMMER specifically for LEDs!!! I have ordered that and hopefully it will be in this week! It allows you to adjust the brightness of the LED lights (remotely). I'm hoping it will allow me to dim the lights just a tad so they don't seem so "stark" in contrast to the under-counter lighting.
The great thing about these little lighting strips is they can be cut to ANY length. I only needed a short piece to the right of the transformer, but needed more than 16' to go all the way around the other side. So I just cut one strip and used that piece to connect to the piece that was too short. The "connectors" come with the power /converter strip! I will honestly say, getting this "connection" to work is not as easy as you might think. It may seem easy, and I am sure it is suppose to be...but not so much for me. But eventually it worked and all is well.
Now the truly awesome thing about these little light strips are the ENDLESS possibilities. They have "water proof" strips that are encased in some kind of water proof plastic...I would imagine kind of like rope lighting. Most of the reviews I read said they emit an odor so I don't think I would put them in the house. But how awesome would those be around a deck or patio. Or maybe an RV awning! (I "stole" these pictures from the internet...sorry)
RV lighting
Under cabinet lighting
Under cabinet lighting
And honestly, it is a MUCH cheaper way to add under counter lighting than the way I did it originally. The downside being you would have to have an electrical outlet and someplace to put the power transformer since it is also a "converter" and necessary! You cannot just hardwire these strips directly to a regular 110 switch...it has something to do with them being DC vs AC...don't ask...just don't do it.
I am very happy with the results. Again, I do want a dimmer to "soothe" the brightness a bit, but it makes a huge different in the lighting in my kitchen. The first pictures show my kitchen with NO lights on and only natural light through the window. The second picture is with the under and above lights on...no overhead light! Huge difference!
As you can see, I don't do a lot of "decorating" on top of my cabinets outside of the holidays. I know me well enough to know it will do little but attract dirt and gunk. For example, I don't even drink...that wine is probably 20 years old and is only up there for show! I have a hard enough time keeping what little I have displayed clean! But with the new lighting, I may just have to do a little froo-froo!
You know, the more I look at pictures of my kitchen, the more "aware" I become of the hulking black refrigerator! When I designed the layout of this kitchen 14 years ago, I really wanted a "counter-depth" refrigerator...one that was flush with the cabinets. But they were much more expensive and had less cubic square feet...with two teenage boys, that was a deal breaker! Now, not so much, and every time I see pictures, I realize how desperately I need one...hum.
