The hardware sets the tone...dresser makeovers!

We have been pretty busy this past month so I haven't been able to go to too many auctions. I was forced to scrounge around on Craigslist and online garage sale sites to find a few pieces to work on..

They did not disappoint!

As usual, I am drawn to the "nobody wants me because I am totally ugly" pieces of furniture.

I like different and unusual.

This chest and side table checked off all the boxes...kinda ugly and unusual.

The ugly part is pretty obvious but they do have nice "bones." Solid and sturdy!

The unusual part was the hardware. I love unusual hardware. Sometimes the hardware dictates what direction I go with a piece.

In this case the heavy black handles pushed me towards blue/gray. A friend asked me what paint color I used. Well, let's see...I had some blue, I threw in some black...too dark, so I added some white.

So I have no idea what color it is....blue/gray!

They had some detailing so I decided to do a chalk paint and distress treatment. I usually save that for pieces that have good detailing that will "pop" when I distress it.

Two coats of chalk paint, a little distressing and sealed with poly. The hardware just needed a little cleaning and it was good to go!!!

Hardware can be a booger when it is missing. I picked up a campaign dresser last week and the brass hardware was amazing. The only problem was it was missing one handle and they are next to impossible to replace.

I really wanted to stay "true" to the style of this dresser...a mid century campaign. But the old finish was pretty dark and dated. (did I take a before picture like a good blogger...um...no!)

Very similar to this little side table I recently refinished.

I decide to shine up the brass hardware and give the piece a sleek new look with gloss white paint.

The missing handle, however, posed a real challenge!

I knew I was going to have to scale back to one handle on each of the top drawers but I couldn't just patch little screw holes because the handles actually "inset" into the face of the drawer.

The thickness of the hardware was 1/4"...so I bought 1/4" pieces of craft board....

....cut out a hole big enough for the hardware to sit in and then attached the boards to the face of the drawers with wood glue to cover the existing cut outs!

KSTP (Kilz, sand, tack and paint!) treatment, reinstalled the spiffed up hardware and.....

Perfect! Obviously someone else thought it was perfect because it sold the day I took it in!

Until next week....

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Oak dresser makeover....

I shared here how I scored a new bed frame for my master bedroom!

I bought the entire set which included a chest of drawers and two nightstands. Since I am not into "matchy-matchy" and didn't need the chest and nightstands, I decided to do something to mask the "timeless" honey oak of the remaining pieces....

Notice the use of "quotes" on "timeless." I have lived long enough to know that NOTHING is timeless. Nothing. Not subway tile, trestle tables or hardwood floors.

Why? Because while they date back decades, there was a time when those now-popular must haves in the decor world were seriously out of favor. Had you bought a house with subway tile and hardwood floors in the 70s, you would have immediately replaced them with wall-to-wall carpet and olive green 4x4 tile.

Not saying you shouldn't decorate with the times, just don't expect it to be the "in thing" 15 years from now!

Anywho, back to the chest and side table make overs!

As always I have to have my "stain" fix. Occasionally I will paint an entire piece, but if there is some redeeming wood on a dresser or table, I want that mix of stain and paint. These piece are oak, but the color of the oak was the dated "honey oak." So I used gel stain on the tops and drawer fronts and painted the "cabinet."

Gel stain is super easy to use and allows you to change the color without having to strip the old finish.

I always stain before I paint. Primarily because after the stain and finish cures, you can tape it off to paint!

Again, no stripping or sanding. I have tried every gel stain on the market....General Finishes brand is the ONLY gel stain and finish I would recommend for this process. It comes in a variety of colors and sheens.

First, knock the sheen of the old finish off by lightly sanding with 220 grit paper...you don't need to get it ALL off...just a light sanding (WITH THE GRAIN!), then wipe it all down with a tack cloth. Wipe on the first coat of stain with an old athletic sock (I put on a disposable glove first)...let it dry for 24 hours, then wipe on the second coat with a fresh old sock...dry 24 hours...then wipe on the 3rd coat (again, fresh sock).

The first two coats will leave you in a panic...don't. I promise you will have the look you want after three coats.

Keep in mind, it is stain...NOT paint. So don't be heavy handed with it or try to get perfect coverage with the 1st and 2nd coats. Keep it thin and translucent. And ALWAYS wipe with the grain of the wood! After 3 coats of stain, I seal it with the General Finishes wipe-on poly!

If you goof, the stain will easily wipe off with mineral spirits BEFORE you seal it with the poly.

Let the poly cure well, at least 4-5 days before taping it off for paint.

This is what my "assembly line" process looks like when I prime several pieces....

I had four dressers that needed priming. This is also what I call taking a piece to "base neutral." Sometimes I have no idea what color I want to paint a piece until I can get the old crudy finish covered. I prime and sand and then wait for inspiration.

When it was all said and done, the oak dresser and side tables got plain ole' "off white." Classic.

And of course, new hardware.

Obviously I did something right...the chest of drawers sold immediately.

If you have a piece that has a "dated" finish, try using gel stain to update the stain color. Every decor needs the warmth of a wood finish...so don't be so quick to slather paint on every piece!

Until next week....

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Maui Wedding!

This past week Brian and I went to Maui for Brandon and Taylor's wedding. Sunset on the beach...

A destination wedding is, hands down, the way to go! Ten of us (all family) traveled to Maui and we all had an amazing vacation for what it would cost to have a fancy-shmancy wedding at home. No, MOST of your friends and relatives might not be able to go, but the people who matter will be there...whether in person or spirit. Those who can not be there will be thrilled you had the wedding AND a vacation of a lifetime.

The minister performed a Christian ceremony decked out in his Hawaiian regalia! A friend of Brian's had his sister bring the entire wedding party Hawaiian leis! It was a touching and beautiful ceremony!!!

Brian and I stuck with the "land" tours.

A tour of Pearl Harbor and the island of O'ahu. The Arizona Memorial is a must see....

The tour around the island of O'ahu included lunch at the ranch with a view of the "Jurassic Park" mountains..,seriously, this is where they filmed the mountain scenes!

A private zip line excursion along the mountains in Wailuka....

I'm telling you...zip lining is for young and old!

We drove around to the northern point of the island and the "road to Hana" in a convertible.

We watched the sun set on the beach.

While we didn't venture into the waters, we did visit the Maui Ocean Center where we saw all the native tropical fish, rays, sharks and turtles! (Without risk of being eaten by a shark! Yes, I have a few phobias!)

We went to a luau...the food was so-so but the show made up for it...amazing!

The only thing I didn't get to do, that I desperately wanted to do, was the helicopter tour around the island...we booked it but it was cancelled the day before we left...curses! But that one hiccup didn't distract from an amazing week!

This is a trip we probably never would have taken. I feel so honored, and am so grateful, that Brandon and Taylor asked us to share their special day!

As wonderful as the week was, I am glad to be home. So far I have spent the week just trying to catch up...not there yet!

So until next week when I will return to our regularly scheduled program....

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Take time to focus on that which is beautiful!

I've worked on a few projects over the past few weeks, but "life" has kept me super busy. I literally forgot to post anything this past week!

This week we are off to Hawaii for Brandon and Taylor's wedding so between home and the apartments, I've had my hands full prepping for a week off.

One of the minor frustrations of a vacation is the need to shop. I really dislike clothes shopping. Especially since I never managed to loose those extra 30 pounds I promised myself I would loose when we booked this trip last December.

I have to remind myself that "it is what it is" and there isn't much I can do about it now...except spend three days trying to find decent clothes that fit. Can't really show up at a wedding on a Maui beach in shorts and 10 year old football t-shirts. Well I guess I could but....

So along with my "normal" day to day chores, there is all the preplanning and shopping and packing and scheduling animal care and.... SO MUCH TO DO!!!! Recipe for stress!

Stress can be overwhelming...sometimes I just have to stop, breath, and find something beautiful or positive to focus on.

Thank goodness the gladiolas are blooming!!!

Doesn't matter what is causing the stress in your life...school, job, kid, mother-in-law, spouse....or even a pending vacation! Fact is, stress can have a very real negative affect on your physical and psychological well-being so it is important to find something positive or beautiful to focus on any time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed...even if it is just for a few moments.

A vase of beautiful flowers is just what I need.

Sometimes I just have to force myself to stop and marvel at the sheer beauty of this flower.

And breath.