A new bed frame!

The last time I shared my master bedroom I had just finished the laminate flooring!

In this post I shared the "before and after" of my bedroom furniture.....

The bed was just so big and heavy and dark! Painting helped a bit, but it was still pretty big and "scrolly"...and I was just never really fond of it. For the record, I was madly in love with the entire set when I paid a fortune for it 16 years ago...but not so much these days.

It is no secret that in my OWN home, I have been slow to embrace the "country" style in large scale...mostly because I am afraid it will be a "passing fad." Not as bad as the chevron and burlap "fad" of 2014, but I worry enough about it that I am not going to start dragging my prized furniture to the garage and slathering it in chalk paint. (And for the record, it is another reason I am a HUGE advocate of sealing chalk paint with poly rather than wax...when the fad fades, you can easily repaint the pieces without having to strip the wax! And yes, you will have to strip the wax!)

What I have done is be very selective about incorporating the style into my home decor with a few pieces that I won't be too torn up about when the "fad" fades and I have to restyle them or dispose of them.

To me, that is the secret to decorating. Incorporate the latest trends in less expensive ways...decorative pillows and curtains, wall decor, small furniture, wall paint.

It is one reason I have not jumped on the painted white cabinet train...it is a HUGE undertaking...both financially and physically, and when the trend fizzles in a few years, there are going to be a lot of people not so happy with a kitchen filled with expensive painted cabinets. (For the record, I am NOT opposed to painting some kitchen cabinets...just not mine...yet!)

"But white cabinets never go out of style" you say. Well I say you obviously don't remember "honey oak" or "cherry furniture." EVERYTHING goes out of style. So be selective and proceed with caution when shelling out big bucks and Herculian effort to follow the trends! Do what you love, but think very carefully before taking on a massive Pinterest project!

Sooooo...back to the big, heavy and still too "dark" bed frame.

Since I have not been "in love" with this piece of furniture for many years, and since I have made an effort to TRY to fall in love with it again, and failed, it is time to make a change.

And here is how I did it....

Now, before you think "OMG, she bought an expensive country style bed frame," let me tell you how I did a little horse trading to get this piece without breaking the bank.

First, I bought an entire bed room set at an auction. I didn't take pictures of the bed frame, but this is the matching dresser and nightstand...

Honey oak...EEEECKKK! My least favorite wood and color. And it is certainly "not my style." But stay with me!

So it came with a mattress and boxsprings...I didn't need them so the auctioneer resold those for me...deduction number one. Then I sold my old bed frame...deduction number two. At this point, I am at "break even." The dresser and bedside tables are getting a makeover and will be sold. The frame got a little makeover for my room.

This is how I justify incorporating the latest trend in my bedroom...it didn't cost me anything but a little time and paint.

Am I madly in love with it? Umm...not really but I like that I have incorporated the latest trend with little expense and effort.

I like that it is not as big and dark and hulking as my other bed frame...simpler, smaller, different.

I do LOVE the fact that when the "country faze" finally fizzles, I will not beat myself up for disposing of an expensive piece of "trendy" furniture!

Adding elements of the current "decor craze" doesn't always entail making a big financial commitment.

Case in point....

Info

2 Comments

"Repurposed" oak dresser....

So many little projects happening...a tv console, a thrift store wall clock, an old love seat, some Eastlake chairs.

But today I want to share another "Trash to Treasure." As I have mention, I often find discarded, abused pieces of furniture at the apartments. They either get left behind in a unit or thrown on the trailer I keep out back for bulk trash.

Someone had tossed this oak chest skeleton onto the trailer....

It wasn't in terrible shape but it was missing all the drawers. I hated to just toss it in the dumpster...I knew I could do something with it, just wasn't sure what. I brought it home and waited for inspiration to hit.

I did have to do a little bit of structural repair...nothing major...glue and clamps!

I decided to turn it into a little shelf....kitchen, bath, bedroom...wherever someone might need some extra storage for dishes, towels or even shirts...maybe add some cute baskets or boxes.

I cleaned it up, chalkpainted and distressed the "skeleton," added some stained plywood shelves, and....

I thought about painting the inside but decided to let it be what it is...and old oak dresser repurposed.

Sometimes less is more.

Info

2 Comments

Waterfall armoire makeover....

This week's project is a classic example of "OMG, can I really paint an antique!!!???"

This is a pretty little vintage waterfall armoire I picked up at an estate auction a few weeks ago. It wasn't in terrible shape, but it really didn't have a lot going for it aesthetically...kind of plan and boring!

It did have some really pretty bakelite hardware, which is classic on waterfall pieces. The problem was the condition of the hardware. One was completely missing the bakelite, and the other three were broken and chipped....pretty much unsalvagable!

The "design" on the top drawer was not a true inlay...and the general construction was pretty simplistic. I did a little research online to make sure it wasn't something of great value! Sometimes, when there are no makers marks, you just have to make a judgment call on the value as a "restored antique."

In the end, I decided to give the piece a little KTSP treatment and give it a new life. Hopefully it will make a perfect little dresser/storage cabinet for someone!

I removed all the hardware, taped and papered the drawers and insides and sprayed it down with Kilz. Since one of the pulls was toast, I puttied the holes so I could add a single pull. After sanding it smooth and wiping it down with tack cloth, it was time to paint.

Unfortunately, it is that time of the year when temperatures don't always cooperate. So I had to haul everything into my dining room and use a brush and roller instead of spray paint.

No biggy IF you do it properly...make sure you use a quality brush, a 4" foam roller and add Floetrol to your latex paint! (Penetrol for oil based) The additive will give your paint a longer dry time and more time to "level," eliminating brush and roller marks.

I found a pretty blue and tried it on the drawers..ummmm...no. Too babyish. So I mixed a little black in some green and came up with a greyish-green I kind of liked.

I removed the broken bakelite from the pulls and sprayed them with metal primer then sprayed them with gold paint. Kind of pretty!

All in all, it turned out kind of cute. While it was a nice "vintage" piece, I think the paint and new hardware gave it a nice little "update" and a chance at a new and useful life....

If you are certain a piece is not a valuable antique, don't be afraid to give it a little face lift!

As I mentioned last week, I have been working on reupholstering the club chair and ottoman in the living room. Unfortunately I had to order a little more fabric so HOPEFULLY I can finish it up this week and share next week!

Until then....

Info

Comment

Armoir makeover....

Occasionally I find a piece I really love. This armoire is one of those pieces.

I obviously don't have room for it in my home, but it is a very unique piece that could serve a number of purposes in a home...dresser, kitchen pantry, tv cabinet or even bathroom storage!

In it's original condition it wouldn't have been difficult to over-look. But this is one of those times one has to look beyond the years of neglect and abuse and know that it can be made beautiful and useful again!

Again, I have to have my "wood fix" so I decided to strip and refinish the top. I stripped it using this process and then topped it with tung oil finish. I love how removing all the old "muddy" finish revealed a very unique and beautiful walnut veneer! Seriously, this took minutes...don't miss out on uncovering a piece of "art" just because you think this will be a difficult task and do not use the wrong process (like sanding!)

I had originally planned to paint the inside, but after stripping the drawers I decided the mahogany was just too beautiful to slather in paint so I decided to strip and oil it as well.

The veneer doors and sides weren't anything to write home about. A little "chalk paint and distress" treatment brightened the piece and gave it a much needed "update." This "farmhouse" look isn't exactly my style but it really brought this cabinet into the 21st century!

In the end, a simple makeover made all the difference!

This week has been "project" week for me. Usually I take inventory of what needs to be done and then make a plan for how and when....again, I use an "assembly line" process when I have a lot to work on! Tuesday was sand, repair, build and prime day. Can't paint when saw dust is flying all over the place. Today I will sand the primed pieces and chalk paint a few. I like to let the chalkpaint cure a few days before I sand...I have found that the paint "distresses" rather than peels when it has cured well!

Off to work I go!!!!

Info

Comment

Lazy days....

This heat is brutal...I hate to gripe because my son reported it was 120 degrees in Phoenix a month ago and I usually we are in triple digits by now. But seriously, this heat and humidity is brutal.

Because of that I get a tad lazy.

First, I want to hibernate...seriously, go inside and not come out until October. Second, I tend to do stupid things....

Like take this little mahogany bookshelf in without doing anything to it....

Not horrible and I really thought just MAYBE someone else would take a risk on it. But it did have several issues.

First, the overall original finish...kind of cruddy!

Not horrible, but not great either.

The biggest issue was a "burn" on the veneer,. Seriously, how does this happen?

I have no idea!

I brought it home after it sat in my room at 410 Vintage for a month or so...evidently no one was willing to do their own DIY on it. So it was up to me to make it presentable...curses!

First, I had to repair the burned veneer (again, what the heck?) I used the same process I used on the old dresser and shared here.

I really wanted to save a little bit of the wood feature, so I used this process to strip and oil the top. Didn't take but a few minutes!

Plaster paint, distress and seal.

I want to admit one little glaring error in this little makeover. Mahogany has a tendency to "bleed" through any paint. The BEST thing to do when painting mahogany is to first seal it with a clear lacquer or primer, then apply your paint.

I, sadly, did not do this. And while my little "repair" job on the veneer is darn near perfect, the fact that the mahogany bled through makes this little oversight a little more glaring.

You can clearly see where the patch is and where the original finish bled through...I'm blaming this one on the heat too! I know better.

Oh well...guess I'll just drag it back in the house and give it ANOTHER little makeover...curses!

Info

2 Comments

"New" barstools and a few dresser makeovers!

Last week I shared the prep work on the "chest of drawers from hell."

This week I was able to get it painted and the hardware installed! Precious!

I kept the paint treatment fairly neutral with one of my favorite off-whites...."Swiss Coffee." The white and teal combo has been selling VERY quickly, but I decided to stay simple and neutral with this one! Partially because I absolutely adore this hardware and I didn't want to do anything to distract from it!!

As I mentioned last week, I painted the interior of the drawers to seal in the "funk" and make them look a little better! I used some leftover paint I had from another project...takes a few extra minutes but honestly, well worth the time and effort!

As you can see, the extra time I took to repair the damaged veneer on the top and the side really paid off!

I took this little chest to 410 Vintage...it lasted all of about 4 hours! Confirmation that all the hard work was well worth it!

I did paint one old dresser I had with the teal and white combo...

Just one of those old maple dressers...a little paint, a little gel stain on top, some new hardware and this baby sold within two hours of taking it in! (I didn't even bother to take a photo before I delivered it...this is one I snapped with my phone!)

I also finished up another little project waiting in the wings...these old bar stools!

Certainly not something you would want in your kitchen which might explain why I was able to pick them up for a few bucks each at an auction. Pretty ratty!

But with a little KSTP treatment and a simple reupholstery job on the cushions, beautiful!

After I disassembled them, I cleaned them up, sprayed them with Kilz, sanded smooth, wiped with a tack cloth, and then I sprayed them with a satin white spray paint. I had some leftover grey herringbone material from Sister's tufted chair project (will share that soon!) so I used that to recover the seats.

Recovering barstool seats and dining room chair seats are one of the simplest "reupholstery" jobs a DIY newbie can tackle. And it can completely change the look of a stool or chair. Again, TONS of great tutorials online for this simple project!

Again (and again and again) if you have a "ratty" piece of furniture that just doesn't trip your trigger any more, CHANGE IT! Life is too short to live with ugly furniture!

YOU CAN DO IT!

Info

Comment

The chest of drawers from hell...

Last week I told you not to be afraid of a sturdy piece of furniture that needs a little repair.

I think the key word is "little."

THIS monster needed more than a little!

Here is how this happens. I want something at an auction. They open bidding on one item, like this HORRID old dresser. I don't want it but neither does anyone else...so they add something...I don't want that either...neither does anyone else...so they add something...I don't want that either...neither does anyone else...so they add something...I WANT THAT! But in order to get it, I have to take all the other crud. So I ended up with this ratty chest of drawers, a disgusting trash can, a burnt orange smelly couch, and the ONE item I really wanted. I started to leave this chest, but I noticed it did have MOST of it's parts, and some stunning hardware.

It also had a serious case of ugly and some water damaged and splintered veneer on the top and at the bottom.

Hum....I can fix that...all because I thought the hardware was kind of nifty!

Seriously, what was I thinking?

I loaded it up and brought it home and went to work...and work it was. But this is a great opportunity to show you how to make the best out of the worst!

The first thing I did was remove all the drawers (and pieces of drawers) and the hardware and set those aside for the time being. The drawers needed some repair and the hardware needed to be painted. But I had bigger issues to deal with and unless I could deal with those issues, spending time on the drawers and hardware would be a waste of time!

The top...wow. Normally I would have just removed and replaced the entire top, but structurally the frame on this one solid. It just needed a new plywood top.

So I removed the old plywood top. Not a biggy...it pretty much popped off. All I had to do was take a chisel and scrape off a few chunks that stuck and some adhesive residue.

I took a piece of 1/8" oak plywood and laid it on the top, face DOWN, and marked the outline of the top with a pencil.

Veneers and plywood WILL "splinter" when you cut it...so the trick is to ALWAYS score it with a sharp utility knife. Once you score it, you will use the appropriate tool (in this case I used a jig saw since the front edge was curved) to cut on the OUTSIDE of your score line.

I scored on my pencil mark, then cut on the outside of that mark.

Once I had it "rough cut" I applied it to the top frame with wood glue, set some heavy items on it, clamped the edges to the top frame and let it dry over night.

After the glue had dried well, I took a belt sander with 50 grit paper and sanded the edges of the plywood. When I got within 1/8" of the edge, I used my mouse sander with 120 grit to finish up flush with the edge of the frame.

I used my thumb to "putty" on a little wood filler along the edges, sanded smooth, then I primed it with Kilz.

The other issue with this chest was the "veneer rot" at the base. I scored the veneer with a utility knife above the highest point where the veneer was "loose." Then I just peeled the loose veneer off. No need to remove all the veneer if it is secure!

I nailed a 1x4 board along the bottom to improve the stability. I used scraps of the veneer I had removed to "shim" it. I did this on both sides, even though only one side had issues.

Now it was time to "fill in" the missing veneer. For that, I used wood filler and a broad knife. This is where a little creativity and patience comes into play because you will NOT accomplish a smooth finish with one coat! In my case it took THREE shots to get a nice smooth finish. I applied a coat of wood filler, let it dry, sanded, wiped, and then applied another coat. Same process...three times before I was satisfied with the results!

Once the last coat of wood filler was sanded smooth and I was satisfied with those results, and ALL the other little repairs were made and I had cleaned it all well, it was time to give the "box" the old KSTP treatment...Kilz, sand, tack and THEN paint.

The drawers...all but the top drawer were present and accounted for but they all needed a little glue and clamping! Remember, WOOD GLUE AND CLAMPS are your friend...not nails and screws. I pulled a few of those as well as scraped off silicone someone had used to "fix" the drawers!

I only had the front and the bottom of the top drawer. My initial plan was to make a little open shelf in that top space, but I decided to build and replace the drawer! Not a biggy for me since I have built drawers before, but you may want to consider making an open shelf if you are missing a drawer, or one is too difficult to repair.

I primed the inside and sides of the drawers and will paint them as well. This is the best way to "kill" the smells that sometimes penetrate drawers and hide years of use and abuse!

I was super excited about the hardware...very unusual! But it was pretty cruddy so I decided to paint it gold. It is NOT hard to update hardware with paint! First make sure you reinsert the hardware screws. This is important so you don't get paint on the threads of the screws or in the screw holes of the hardware. Second, PRIME!!! There is primer specifically for metal, so make sure you prime with the proper primer. I prime both the back and front of the hardware. You may want to sand a tad after you prime just to knock off the "crumbs." Then just spray on whatever paint you want to use. In this case, I used a gold metallic paint to give them a nice gold sheen!

(You may notice I am missing one of the smaller pulls...I noticed that too! Found it in the yard...not primed or painted...curses!)

If you are going to change the hardware on a piece of furniture, you will want to use wood filler to putty the existing holes and sand smooth BEFORE you prime and paint (again, it may take 2-3 coats) That way you are not limited by the size or placement of the existing hardware! Then just drill new holes for the new hardware!

The repairs were pretty extensive on this ratty old dresser but in the end, it really was worth restoring! At this point it is repaired and primed and ready for a final coat of paint.

The sky is the limit! I will probably paint this dresser the same color as a few other projects I am working on, so right now it will sit until I am ready to paint several things. Part of the "assembly line" process!

Again, don't be afraid of doing a few little repairs...in the end, the process will always be worth the effort if you take the time to do it right!

Remember this process...make ALL necessary repairs first and clean the entire piece! Then KSTP! Kilz (or whatever primer you prefer), sand, tack and paint!

I will share this piece once I get it painted. But even at "base neutral" it's looking pretty good!

Info

3 Comments

Serpentine dresser makeover...

I want desperately to share my entry makeover, only because I want desperately for it to be done. Week 5 and I am STILL waiting on materials...specifically ONE stair tread that somehow did not get ordered properly. I have one, I have all the risers, I have a new newel post, and the tile was delivered over two weeks ago. But like so many of my home DIY projects, there is one little element that isn't here and I desperately need to finish. Pooh!

So today I will share one of the pieces I told you about a month ago!!! I picked up several wash stands and dressers at an auction and all were in desperate need of a little "DIY magic!"

First, and most important, always make sure whatever you are getting ready to spend your time and money on is in good repair. This little serpentine dresser needed some glueing and clamping before I could get down to the business of making it pretty!

It wasn't in horrible structural condition...just needed a little glue and clamping in the back and a few of the drawers.

I used this process to strip the top...again, I have to have my "wood fix." These tops are super easy to strip and if the color isn't just right you can always apply a coat of stain....I added a coat of walnut stain to this one! Then just oil or poly, depending on your preference. I prefer tung oil finish but for resale I often use poly since most people know how to care for poly finishes!

I didn't fill the gaps or sand out the "imperfections" ...I wanted it to look like what it is...a solid old oak top!

The drawers and cabinet could have been stripped and refinished as well, but for resale I kind of have to "go with the flow." Paint is the "thing" right now so I gave it a few coats of plaster paint, distressed and then sealed with poly. Again, I never wax a piece and poly has just enough "yellow" to give the paint an "aged" look!

Simple new hardware, and it is good to go for another lifetime of use!

Pretty!

This is a busy and exciting week around our house! My youngest daughter finishes up her first year of college and will be moving home until her condo is ready next month. My oldest daughter...wife, mom, part-time paralegal...will be graduating (WITH HONORS!) with her associates degree on Saturday. So proud of both my precious girls!

The last time my oldest son was home, we managed to get a picture of all five!

Yes, they are as amazing and awesome as they look! I know this past weekend was Mother's Day, but these kids make me feel loved and special EVERY day!!!

Info

5 Comments

Drop door cabinet makeover....

Enough about my entry makeover FOR NOW! I'll get there eventually but I'm at the "wait" and "hum" stage...waiting on tile and stair treads and not quite sure what I want to do about trim and lighting...hum....

So in the meantime I thought I would share one of the wash stands I rehabbed. I went to an awesome auction several weeks ago and brought home 5 potentially beautiful dressers and wash stands. One just needed to be cleaned and oiled but the others needed some serious work.

On these older pieces I just can't bring myself to slather them entirely in paint. I always have to restore a little bit of the original wood. I know in today's world of home decor, paint is all the rage, but I need a good balance of paint and the "warmth" of wood. So no matter the condition of the top, if it is solid wood, I am going to strip it and refinish it.

This little cabinet was originally a "wash stand." It wan't in terrible shape but it had seen better days!

It had a little mirror on the back, which when removed left a "gap" along the back edge.

If I was going to paint the top, I could have filled it in with a strip of poplar and been done with it. But I knew I wanted to refinish the top so I added a piece of oak...

...just routed the edge, then attached it with glue and trim nails. I stripped the top with this process, applied a little walnut stain and sealed with poly!

I chalk painted and distressed the base and sealed with poly. The little drop front REALLY distressed, but sometimes I just let furniture do what it wants to do! A little update on the hardware and it is good to go!

The drawers on most antique pieces have some issues....remember GLUE AND CLAMP when repairing drawers! Not nails and screws! And since the drawers were pretty ratty and stained, I gave them a little KSTP treatment! (sorry, no pictures!) They look and smell much better if you will take the time to paint the inside of the drawers of these older pieces!

I think this would make an awesome bedside table or entry piece! Or even a tv cabinet!

I tried to "stage" this little piece with some of my auction finds....

....an old cheese box, some awesome scales and a wood duck decoy. But again, I am not the best photographer and I am definitely more about doing and less "froo-frooing."

I have several dressers and another wash stand to share, so stay tuned!

Info

2 Comments

TV cabinet makeover...

The bad news is I have had a lot of vacancies this past month...the good new is I have had a lot of vacancies this past month!

The reason it is bad is because it means I have pretty much had to bust it every day...cleaning, repairing, rehabbing! I. AM. EXHAUSTED!

The reason it is good news is because OCCASIONALLY I find a decent little piece I can work a little DIY magic on. Before I started "rehabbing for resell" I would either toss this stuff or give it away to friends and neighbors....often after spending days rehabbing and refinishing! Seriously, I just gave away stuff! Now I will make repairs, paint, refinish...whatever it takes to give the piece another lifetime of use!

This piece is a prime example...

Dated, worn and just down right ugly. Very similar in style to this piece but a little sturdier so I thought it was worth giving a little makeover!

This piece was a prime candidate for a little KSTP treatment I shared here.

It originally had a little shelf but it was missing so I cut another out of a sheet of plywood. Other than that, it really didn't need any repairs! I painted the cabinet a slate blue I mixed up using a blue and black latex paint I had on hand, painted the drawer fronts black and the hardware metallic gold.

I liked the style of the hardware but definitely not the color.

This is one of those pieces I took to "base neutral" (in other words, primed) and then let sit because I just couldn't decided what color to use on it.

Obviously the colors were okay...it sold 3 days after I took it to 410 Vintage.