Sew awesome....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe now I will enjoy sewing just a little more!  ​

Before and After dresser....

Yesterday Brian and I took off and went trout fishing for the day!  OH MY!  I am sore and sunburned...and I loved every minute of it!  Sometimes you just have to say to heck with the yard work and go have a little fun! Awesome day with my best friend!​

But Saturday was a busy day.  My neighbors came over to show off their new grandson and I found a perfect home for a precious little dresser I have been working on!  Just so happens they NEED a dresser and I NEED to find it a good home.  Done!​

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As you can see, it was missing a drawer so I added a shelf...perfect spot for little storage baskets.  I painted the "box" white, the drawers a pretty green and stained the top with my favorite java gel stain.  I originally put little crystal knobs on the drawers, certain it would go to a little girl, but when I found out it was going into a boy's room I changed the knobs to brush nickle...just thought it was more appropriate for a little boy!  And I am going to throw in a cute little cork board I made up and featured earlier!  ​

The great thing about these little dressers is the fact that as the little boys grows, the drawers will be easy to paint to match any decor!  ​

Another "trash to treasure"...a piece of furniture destined for the dumpster but given new life and new home with just a little time and attention!  ​

A new "before and after" by SIS....

Man oh man...what a difference a day...or just a few hours...can make in NW Arkansas.  Beautiful and warm this morning and now it is too cold to even work on my dressers.  Suppose to be in the 40s tomorrow, with a chance of snow...craziness!​

Anywho, since I can't project outside and I really don't want to do what I NEED to do IN the house because of this "spring fever" bug I have, I thought I would share one of Sister Sarah's projects.  As I have mentioned, Sarah (my oldest daughter) likes to "project" but with two active boys it is tough.  I remember (and MISS) those days!!  That time in your life when you want to be in the garage sanding and painting, but while you are doing that your youngest is locking himself in the dryer or taste-testing your sleeping pills (yes, that would be my youngest grandson!) 

But she does manage to get in a project or two...so I thought I would share this darling little nightstand she did...​

See how a little Kilz and a little paint can make a world of difference!  ​

Great job Sis!!!​

She also used the gel stain I told you about on her bathroom vanity and wall cabinet (see here)...totally awesome transformation. 

Dressing up an old dresser....

I'm tryin' here! Smarmy comes easy..."witty"...not so much! 

But it dawned on me....I have never posted my dresser makeover! 

I use to have this HUGE hulking dresser in my office/dressing room.  It was a "matchy-matchy" to my bed and highboy...which I love, but the dresser was seriously huge and just seemed to shrink the entire room.  So when I was out digging around for the desk (featured earlier) I found this sweet little dresser and said to myself "Why not!" 

I LOVE the style.....kind of a mid-century modern with walnut veneer.  The top was laminate, so I knew I was going to have to paint the entire thing...and I did.  But later I found a picture online of an identical dresser and they had painted the top and sides, but refinished the wood veneer drawers...GORGEOUS! And you know how I loooove anything wood, especially walnut!  Live and learn...maybe next time! 

As with most of my furniture, I had a piece of glass cut for the top...lets me clean it with Windex! 

Another man's trash....

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The other day I posted this picture of an old nasty dresser and three legged table I salvaged at the apartments.  People move and just leave their "stuff."  Most of the stuff is garbage and goes straight to the dumpster or trailer.  But eeeeevery once in awhile I will find something that is salvageable.

My new onsite manager and her husband are in need of furniture so when we ran across this rather nasty, yet very sturdy, oak dresser I promised her I could make it something she would love.  I asked her what "style" she wanted....she told me it would be going into her spare room which is also her husband's "Nascar" room...could I do something in black and white checkers?  Ummmmmmm....no.   That's okay, she has ​"checkered flag" knobs she can put on it.  (I guess my football and baseball decor is odd to some...but come on, those are REAL sports....lol!)

I will say, this piece was a challenge!  Some serious damage to the exterior as well as missing backs on two of the drawers....it took some serious "reconstruction" but that gives me an opportunity to share with you how easy this can be.​

Before beginning ANY rehab on old pieces, make sure you wipe them down with some type of disinfectant wipe.  Sometimes that means a little bit of scrubbing...but decades of grunge, oils and smoke can create problems down the road...not to mention, it's nasty!!!​

Glue, clamps and a nail gun are a must when repairing old furniture.  First and foremost you want your furniture to be sturdy and usable if you are going to invest time and money making it wonderful again!​​

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First, you need to pry apart any "loose" joints, remove any old glue and fasteners and reglue and clamp.  Two drawers were missing the backs...so I took out the bottom, cleaned out the channel where the drawer bottom fit, reglued, cut a new back out of 1/2" plywood....​

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and clamped and tacked it with some little nails.  Keep in mind, nails are not what holds a piece of furniture together....it's the glue.  The little nails just help secure it until the glue sets up!!  Glue well and clamp!  (Occasionally you will get a nail that does the above...pull it out from the back with needle nose pliers....and remember, nails WILL penetrate flesh (again, lesson learned the hard way) so keep your fingers out of the way!)

Also, many drawers on older pieces have dovetail joints....and in a perfect world we would all be able to dovetail new pieces to fit right back in with the old...but that is most often not the case.  If the "old" backs had been there, that is what I would have done....cleaned them up, reglued, fit them back together and clamped.  But since they weren't, I used my skill saw to cut off the dovetails from the sides and then just added a new back without dovetails.  If you don't know what a dovetail is (no, it is not the tail of a dove) Google it...​

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This is also the time to repair any damage to the veneers and corners.  As you can see on this piece, a dog had used the corners as a chew bone and the veneer on the base was chipped badly.  Wood filler, a little sculpting and sanding do the trick.  This takes patience and may even take 2-3 attempts to "get it right."  Let the filler dry completely before attempting to sand. But in the end it is worth the effort....just sanding and painting damaged wood is NOT good.​

After all your repairs are made and everything feels sturdy, sand the entire piece with 120-220 sand paper, tack and get ready to prime.  I have posted a complete tutorial here on painting furniture that will help you through this process.  But I can not stress enough the importance of wiping down the entire piece with tack cloth before you spraying ANYTHING on it!  ​

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If this piece were going in a more "formal" bedroom, I would glaze the carvings.  But they want a more "informal" piece...with checkered flag knobs...to each his own...lol!​

Regardless, it is a nice piece of furniture that was destined for the dumpster...instead it has been given new life and a new purpose....and will be much loved and appreciated for many more years!​

My home office....

I will try to post "before/after" projects as I muddle along and try to figure this all out.  I always have something new in the works, but a lot of the "old" projects are fun and interesting....and hopefully inspiring! 

Last year I decided I was fed up with my old office....big clunky desk, big clunky dresser, big clunky mess.  The problem is, when I first bought this house 13 years ago, my "style" was more traditional...now I am to the point where I want sleek and more "mid century."  Honestly, if the only cleaner I had in my house was windex, I would be happy....which might explain why I put glass tops on all my furniture! 

Anywho, I was digging my way through a little "junk" shop one day and stumbled upon a desk and a dresser with distinct "mid century" flare.  I couldn't get it in my truck fast enough!  This led to a complete transformation of my entire home office!!

Once I got the desk home and stripped down the nastiness from the top, I knew I couldn't paint it. Less one little cigarette burn (a reminder of WHY I shouldn't start smoking again) it was beautiful!  So I coated it with 4 applications of my favorite tung oil and kilzed and painted the bottom of it.  I had the "modern" hardware leftover from my masterbath remodel, so I slapped it on there to save my nails.  The desk chair has been in my attic for 13 years...and honestly, I have NO idea where it came from or how long I have had it.  But again, after stripping it down, there was no way I was painting it....solid mahogany under all the dirt and grime!  So it too got a few coats of tung oil and a new seat cover.   

One of the things you will see I do through out my house, is decorate with things I love.  The large diploma on the wall (to the left) is my great grandmothers University of Arkansas diploma from 1920.  The little bulldog statue on the desk (left corner) is one that sat on my great grandfather's desk umpteen years ago....both worthy of display! 

I will feature the dresser, refurbished paddle fan, and the sitting area (including the antique wingback chair I was literally carrying to the street when I decided to experiment on it)  in later posts....this room is loaded with "charm" and almost every piece has been refinished, reupholstered, repurposed or reinvented....stay tuned!!!

Dad's Walnut Chair....

Still trying to get my cyberlegs....so bare with me while I try to post one of my newest projects.  As I get use to this stuff, I will go back and post some older projects.  You will see I have a "thing" for chairs and tables...sad really, because I really have no place left to stick them in the house.  So many are shipped off to my children's homes where I know they will not be loved and adored like they are here...but whatever.​

My Mom told me that when I was a baby (MANY years ago...almost 50) she and Dad found this walnut chair in a field...the wood was bleached white but Dad knew it was walnut...his favorite (and now mine)!  So he took it home and refinished it.  And for almost 50 years it has been in our family.​

Recently I was able to acquire (sneak out in the dead of night) this beautiful chair.  It was somewhat nicked and bruised from years of use, and I am not sure what my father was thinking the last time he covered it in the ungodly upholstery and nail heads.  But I brought it home, stripped the upholstery and finish and lovingly nourished it with 4 coats of tung oil. ​

As you will learn if you continue to follow me, I have a "thing" for tung ​oil.  Being new to the "cyber world" I am not sure if I can tell you what BRAND I use, but suffice it to say it is with the stains and such in Lowes and it comes in a GREEN can.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff.   Dang near impossible to mess up a refinishing job with it.  I usually put 3-4 coats, lightly sanding between coats with OOOO steel wool and tack cloth.  I have a SERIOUS addiction to Lane Acclain tables, and this is how I refinish them...and now I use it on all my wood furniture.

The reason I love this stuff....super easy to "touch up" scratches and wear.  It doesn't create the "plastic" finish of a poly, but it allows the grain of the wood to shine through and if you get a scratch or nick, you just buff it with steel wool and then recoat the affected area with the tung oil.  Seriously, LOVE this stuff.  And unlike poly, it is next to impossible to mess up the application....but more on that later.​

For now, the chair....I have finished refinishing the wood, but haven't been inspired on the upholstery just yet.  I am thinking something light...maybe a "white"...since the ONLY corner I have left in the house is in my bedroom...and it will not be subjected to food or grandkids...now the cats, that's another story for another time.  ​

Between the cats, chairs, and tables...oh my. ​

​Anywho....drum roll for my first picture post!!!!!   (drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)​

​Okay, well that didn't go well....the "before" picture is AFTER the "after" pictures....whatever, you get the idea. (fixed it...don't ask me how!)

Now, I just have to find the PERFECT upholstery....and decide between piping or nails...hummmmmm....