Another Drexel Accolade addition to the family....

It has actually been in the garage for months...but when I needed a large piece in my space at 410 Vintage Market and dug it out,I couldn't bring myself to turn loose.

A Drexel Accolade dry bar/server. The top actually flips open.

It isn't the first piece I bought for resale that wormed it's way into my heart...no secret that I love mid century pieces.

But this Drexel Accolade bar is more of the "Hollywood Regency" style. Identical to this little Drexel side table I painted with a high gloss lacquer and love in my den....

There is a good chance I will paint it if I decide to keep it...for now I have shined up the brass hardware and will leave it at that.

Over the years I have snagged some amazing bargains at auctions and on Craigslist...a little DIY magic and they are stunning additions to any home!

This Drexel coffee table....

This amazing walnut cabinet....

My growing collection of mid century dressers...

This one is Matt's...I just don't have any more room!

My never ending collection of side tables!

I started collecting Lane Acclaim tables years ago...I think between the kids and I we are up to 10! That doesn't include the 2 walnut Lane coffee tables and the end table I just refinished for Katie and Matt!

Chairs...

Odd little bookcases are always fun!

If you walked through my home you might think I lean more towards the "traditional" side of home decor at a glance...but all these pieces have blended in to created a cohesive "eclectic" style. This "style" of home decor allows me to infuse pieces I love without worrying too much about whether I am breaking a "decorating rule" for a specific style!

So...back to the amazing Drexel Accolade console/bar...

In my opinion, there is too much "wood tone" in this space...I absolutely love the wood grain on this piece but there has to be a good balance...it just doesn't feel "balanced."

So there is a good chance that IF it stays, it will get painted. Again, that is a big "if." I think I have had no less than 5 different buffets and hutches in this space at one time or another and I always end up moving them out and moving the table back against the wall...as I mentioned before my toes tend to find anything out of place, and since the dining table has been against the wall for the better part of 19 years, it may not work well in the middle of the dining room where it REALLY belongs!

We'll see...that is one of the beauties of learning to DIY furniture...you can buy it cheap, paint, upholstery or refinish it and promptly move it out if it doesn't suit your needs. Without the guilt of having to live with something you hate because you paid a fortune for!!!!

OR it can find a permanent home where it can shine for another lifetime!

Info

3 Comments

Simple bench or stool makeovers...

At least once a month I run across pathetic little benches or stools at the auctions or in thrift stores. I have featured a few in the past....

...this cute little piano bench here....

A bench I made for my daughter out of an old coffee table here....

My dad's old tool bench....

I use it as a little side table next to the chair in the den! This is one of those things that serves a purpose and has tremendous "sentimental" value as well!

And at least a dozen or more I failed to take either before or after pictures of over the years! I'm a baaaad blogger!

Trust me....they are super simple to makeover with a little paint and fabric and always turn out precious!

Recently I did a little footstool and bench and actually remembered to take a before AND after picture!

This little foot stool was pretty pathetic in it's original state....

I stripped the fabric (and removed at least 2,483 staples), chalk painted the base, distressed a bit and sealed with poly (gives lighter paint an "aged" look), added a little bit of foam to "fluff" it, new fabric and new "gimp" trim.

Cute as a bugs ear!

I found this old icky coffee table at the apartments. Like the old coffee table I turned into a houndstooth bench for my daughter, it was pretty worthless for it's intended use...a coffee table.

I removed the top (super simple...a few screws), added foam padding and batting and covered it with fabric and gave the base a little KSTP treatment. Reattached the top to the base with screws. Super simple!

Both are now in my new flea market booth at 410 Vintage in Fayetteville! Awesome place so make sure to drop in sometime and check out all the AMAZING treasures!

Next time you see a ratty old foot stool or a dated old coffee table, see it for its potential! They are super simple to make-over and are perfect for additional seating or a place to throw your clothes at the end of the day...and of course, they are the perfect little touch to add character to your home!

Info

7 Comments

"Blah" to "BAM" cheap furniture makeovers...YOU CAN DO IT!!!

This past week I have been working on my kitchen (I told you the "small" projects wouldn't squash the urge!) I still have a few little trim details to hunt down and then I will try to do a feature next week. I had to construct three different types of open shelving and I rewired an 80 year old Westinghouse fan...AND IT WORKS!!! I'll share all that as well!

This week I want to share a few little projects that YOU can do! Do you have a piece of furniture (or two or ten) that is just "blah?" A cheap little shelving unit you picked up at the big box store and put together with the little allen wrench that came with the screws. Maybe a few ancient bedside tables you inherited from your mom. A particle board table that has seen it's better days.

I know I have harped on this before, but seriously it bares repeating! If you are just starting out, are on a tight budget, feel the need to keep furniture given to you by family, or just want to change things up a bit, you NEED to be able to do simple makeovers!

Before you toss a piece of furniture to the curb, think about "updating" it a tad. Even the cheapest, most basic piece can be saved with just a tiny bit of time and effort! As I have said time and again, the worst that can happen is you still hate it and it still only brings $1 at your next garage sale.

I find pieces like this all the time at my apartments. I drag them home, clean them up with ammonia (stinky but gets the old gunk off!) and then give them a little facelift!

This was one haul out of one unit....

The little bedside tables are the old orange maple...ugly as sin but super sturdy and solid wood! The little coffee table is one of those inexpensive "fake" wood things that comes with the little allen wrench tool for the bolts! And the spindle shelf had particle board shelving. All in all, pretty dated stuff!

This little shelf came out of another unit...

It was missing a drawer and it had a few loose bolts, but whatever...still salvageable!

I find these things in my apartments, but you can find them at thrift stores and garage sales for next to nothing!

All I did to the little shelf with reeded drawers was give it a little KSTP treatment (Kilz, sand, tack cloth and paint!

Perfect for added storage in a bathroom, kitchen or kid's room!

I decided to do something a little fancier on the coffee table and bedside tables. I striped the tops with the acetone/lacquer thinner mixture, added a little java gel stain, then sealed them with spray on poly (if stripping and staining is beyond your skill level, just paint the tops!)

The bases are simple KSTP treatment. New hardware on the bedside tables and these pieces are perfect for updating any space!

The spindle corner shelf got a simple KSTP treatment!

I don't have a "before" picture of the little chalkboard shelf. Basically it was a stained wood frame with an ugly picture of a teddy bear! Ewwwww. Gave the frame a chalkpaint and distress treatment (spray paint would work too!) and I painted the board backing with chalkboard paint. Super simple "upcycle!"

Years ago I scrapbooked all the boys athletic pictures. A chore considering they both played football and baseball their entire childhood! (I strongly suggest you do this every year rather than try to find time to do all 15 years at once!)

The square frames were a perfect fit for a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and would be perfect for someone who wanted an easy way to display their kid's sports pictures. I applied the scrapbook paper onto the foam backing with a spritz of spray adhesive, used a glue stick to attach pictures and KSTP the frames. This would be the perfect way to "scrapbook" photos...then you can take them out of the frame and just slip them into an album when it is time to change out the pictures next year!

Before you paint a piece, make sure all the "bolts and joints" are tight and the piece is sturdy. If tightening a screw or bolt doesn't solve the wobbles, take time to GLUE AND CLAMP whatever ails the piece. No sense in making it pretty if it is going to collapse the first time one of the kids leans on it!

All these projects have one thing in common. Spray paint. Seriously...a little primer, a little sanding and a little spray paint...and you have changed the entire look!

I have shared many of these simple little makeovers in the past! A few dressers here, here here and here. Several coffee tables here, here and here and Lord knows how many frame makeovers (here, here, and here!)

Challenge yourself. Pick out ONE piece of furniture or a frame in your house you really don't like. Go to Lowes and pick up a can of Kilz, a little sandpaper, a package of tack cloth and a can of your favorite color spray paint (total under $15) and give it a go! YOU CAN DO IT!

I promise!

Info

5 Comments

Drexel Declaration Mid Century coffee table...

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!)