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!

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Another mid-century chair....

I don't know too many people who would see this ratty old chair and swoon....

...but swoon I did. And to make it even better, there were TWO of them! Yes, two.

Katie TRIED to claim them both but I had to keep one for myself!

The cushions are the original black naugahyde, which is super common on mid century chairs. Fortunately they were in pretty good shape...not perfect but close enough!

All I did to both chairs was strip and oil using this process, scrubbed and applied Armor All to the cushions, and BAM....BEAUTIFUL!!!

I told Litty to move so I could take pictures and even nudged her with my foot. One thing about cats...they don't mind well! (A friend told me they had mice...I told him to get a cat...he told me he didn't like cats...I told him the cat wouldn't care!)

Someday I will actually learn to use my camera so you can really see the amazing grain detail in these pieces!! Beautiful!

One of the chairs had a little "boo-boo" on the back...a little glue and some clamps fixed it right up! No biggy! DO NOT be afraid of a sturdy piece of furniture that needs a little repair...if you take the time to do a little "google" search and watch a few Youtube videos, you can pretty much repair anything properly!

Soooo....I kept one and one went to Little Sister's new condo. Next week I hope to share the desk I made her, the tufted chair we upholstered and a super cool coffee table she refinished! Her first place is shaping up to be super cute and this little chair was an awesome addition!

Until next week....

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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!!!

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Antique mahogany dresser makeover....

AGAIN, no kitchen reveal. I know...disappointing! But I am still waiting on the trim I ordered to finish out the little details and when I get that done, I will share. Course now I mulling over the idea of putting in glass doors...maybe a little more paint...maybe a little more lighting. See, it never ends!

So while I impatiently wait I am going to share a pathetic little dresser that came to me by way of my neighbor. It had a few more repairs than he was willing to tackle...for me, no biggy!

Chipped drawer fronts, damaged veneer top, and a pretty sketch wiring job on the back legs that was evidently keeping the entire thing from exploding...because when I removed it, the cabinet pretty much fell apart!

The veneer really wasn't in that bad of shape when I got it. Naturally, I forgot to take a picture BEFORE I started ripping into it!

Like many old pieces, it had a beautiful mahogany veneer on the top, but time had taken it's toll on this one and the veneer had lifted and chipped. Course the edges came right off with little effort...it was the rest of it that took a lot of work!

On these older pieces, the beautiful veneer is usually laid over a pretty decent piece of wood. Like this oak library table my daughter and I refinished, removing the veneer just entails a good steam iron, a scraper and a lot of elbow grease! Always be VERY careful when removing old veneer...scrape WITH the grain and make sure you don't gouge the substructure. And if you are using an iron for a heat source, make sure you put an old rag between the iron and the veneer!

When you remove the veneer, you are going to reveal all the "warts." While the wood is solid and often beautiful, it will probably have a prominent grain and a few knots here and there...embrace it! If you ask me, that is what makes wood beautiful...it's "character."

The back of the cabinet required glue and clamps. Again, ALWAYS make sure your pieces are properly repaired before you start "refinishing." Or honestly, you are wasting your time! In this case, I didn't have much choice since it really did fall apart when I removed the wire that was "clamping" the back two legs together, which was basically holding the entire back in place.

The next chore was repairing the two damaged drawers. Not only was the mahogany veneer chipped and missing, but the "substructure" it was adhered to was missing.

This may seem like a daunting task, and is probably what frightened my neighbor the most, but it is just a little "puzzle." Just recreate a new base by glueing a scrap piece in place and then use wood filler to "sculpt" a new corner...lots of patience and some careful sanding! This may take 2-3 shots to get it right, but it is doable! Since I planned on painting the drawer fronts, it worked perfectly!

After all the repairs were completed and the veneer top was completely removed, I chalk painted and distressed the cabinet and the drawers and applied a walnut stain to the top. I sealed the top with three coats of tung oil finish and the chalk paint with a few coats of spray on poly!

The inside of the top drawers were a bit worn and stained so I gave them a little KTSP treatment with a bright teal!

New porcelain knobs...and OH MY! Beautiful again!

Don't turn your noise up at old, damaged pieces. This piece had three strikes against it, but it was hardly down and out. Yes, it took a little work, but in the end it was well worth the time and effort!

This piece would be perfect for one of those precious French graphics from "The Graphics Fairy," but I think I will let the new owner add their own creative touches!

Another piece ready for another lifetime of use!

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June 2015...and MORE chairs!

June 2015 will go down as an eventual month for me.

For the first time in 34 years, I have no minor children. Katie turned 18 this week and it is official...ALL my children are old enough to vote, be drafted and be sentenced to an adult correctional facility.

We finally had to put our wonderful lab, Ginger, to sleep. She was 13. It was time but that didn't make it any easier. This is the second precious pet we have lost this year. Heart breaking.

And for the first time in years I really felt the sting of Father's Day. My dad has been gone for 20 years but this year was, for some reason, tougher than normal. He died exactly one week before Father's Day so this time of the year is always kind of a "double whammy."

Then there is the accidental "new member" of the family....and may explain some weird typos in my posts.

I keep a trailer at my apartments for abandoned furniture. A mama cat set up household in the furniture with her 4 babies. A few weeks ago, we THOUGHT we made sure all the kitties were off the trailer before we took it to the dump....only to find two of them still on the trailer when we got there. I managed to grab one and throw it in the truck, but the other ran under the truck. We spent 30 minutes crawling around on the nasty red clay/garbage ground trying to get that stupid kitten, only to have it bolt. Gone. I was heart broken. But to make matters worse, I could not find the other kitten ANYWHERE in my truck. Both Matt and Katie helped me darn near dismantle the interior of the truck...it was not there. I left the windows down the entire day and even put out some food just in case.

THREE VERY HOT DAYS LATER I went to the truck in the evening...and there was that silly kitten sitting on the back of the seat. It had been in a hot truck, with no food or water, for THREE DAYS! I couldn't believe it survived and neither could the vet.

Soooooo....we have a new "miracle kitty." And being the softy that I am, I can't bring myself to take it to the shelter. Especially with all the guilt I feel for losing her sibling and in spite of my puffy, itchy eyes.

Yes, she is a she. About 8 weeks, according to the vet, but if that is the case, she is a tiny kitty.

Cleo thinks it is hers and tries desperately to carry it around in her mouth...which means the poor kitten is constantly soaked in dog slobber. It is pathetic, but she tolerates it for some reason. And typing on the computer is like a game to her...hence the typos. She's a funny kitty!

We haven't named her yet...I keep hoping someone will want her and take her so I will quit itching and sneezing. Why bother...if the three other cats haven't killed me by now, this little half pint won't either! I like Mimi...Katie does not. Mitchell suggested Kitty, but we have a Ms. Kitty because she was another "rescue" that was only suppose to be here until I had time to take her to the shelter...around 9 years ago. So he suggested Little Kitty...so maybe "Litty."

ANYWHO!!!!! When I am having "emotional turmoil" my tolerance for some things is darn near nil. So when I went up to my booth last week, I was annoyed by a few things that have been sitting in there for MONTHS...specifically two chairs. So I threw them in the back of the truck, brought them home and gave them a quick makeover!

The first is a little folding chair I chalk painted eons ago...I had two and sold one, but this one has hung around far too long. I gave it a little KSTP (Kilz/sand/tack/paint) treatment with white spray paint...then I covered the seat with some leftover fabric from this chair makeover!

The other is a walnut mid-century chair. It is really difficult for me to paint over walnut...but the chair has been in my booth for months as is, and if I am going to sell it, I have to give it a little "pow treatment." Again, a KSTP treatment and new upholstery...someone is going to love it!

I know I make these little chair makeovers sound easy. And usually they are! Chairs are one of the easiest pieces of furniture to "update"...especially ones that just need a little paint and fabric on the seat.

But OCCASIONALLY I bring home a real kicker. One I KNOW is going to take a LOT of time and attention! This chair is a prime example!

I know...it is a HOT MESS!!! I have NO doubt that several people at the auction where thinking "What the heck?" (Including Brian...but again, I think he now trusts my judgment!) But I was so excited I couldn't stand it!

I was pretty sure, from a quick inspection on a broken piece (that was there, thank God!), that it was most likely mahogany. At this point, after just a tiny bit of research, I THINK it is a Victorian Eastlake arm chair. But I honestly don't know because so far I haven't found anything just like it...only similar. Castors on the front legs and not on the back and hand carvings and stamps on the wood.

And of course the BILLIONS of little nails that were used for the upholstery! ALL of which had to be removed!

I knew the finish was masking some beautiful wood so I couldn't wait to start stripping it! In this picture you can see where I applied the stripper (used in this tutorial) on the left....

Here is the "before" and "after" of the side...

The intricate carvings require some real work, but as I have said before, the very best tool for stripping old finish out of carvings and corners is a good ole' toothbrush! I still have a lot of stripping and scrubbing to do but after two afternoons, I have all 100,398,365,003 nails out and a tiny bit of the frame stripped!

The fabric is in such bad shape, I honestly don't know what it is...and I wonder if it didn't originally have another fabric on it since there are SOOO many nail holes. Many of the Victorian chairs I have seen have a velvet fabric....what to do, what to do!

My point...not all chairs are easy...some require a little more time and attention. I am going to take my time with this one and there is a good chance I won't sell it. At least not until the next little treasure comes along!

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A few simple chair makeovers!

I usually have several chairs piled in my garage waiting on a makeover. The reason they get "piled" is because most require, at the very least, a smidge of sewing. My LEAST favorite thing to do! (Okay, root canals are pretty bad, but at least they give you drugs!) I usually wait until I have 2-3 projects that need sewing before I drag out the sewing table and get it all done at once!

Right now I still have two of the mid century dining chairs waiting to be refinished...no sewing needed, but they are small and tend to get pushed aside...time and again.

And honestly, I had intended to refinish these and keep them but that plan didn't work out so I refinished and sold two of them!

I have a mid century lounge chair I desperately want to refinish and reupholstery, but I bought it to keep so I have no doubt the selection of an appropriate upholstery will take months!

I did manage to get two chairs finished over the last few weeks.

The first is a simple little maple chair I picked up at Salvation Army.

A "tired and tattered" little thing to say the least.

I decided to go simple...a little chalk paint and distress on the frame (followed by a coat of poly to seal it) and drop cloth for the seat. This is the first time I have used gimp for trim, but it turned out nice. I just hot glued it over the gathered skirt.

I didn't even bother to make a back cushion...I like the look of the wood slats!

This cain chair was a tad more complex. Naturally I completely forgot to take a "before" picture until I had already started deconstructing it! But I have no doubt you have run across them in thrift stores and garage sales...a dime a dozen and pretty much what they are worth in their current state! The real gem is finding one with all the caning in tact!

I really was at a loss as to what to do with this chair...until my daughter suggested I do it in blue and gold! Actually, she suggested teal, but I found this blue and white material I really loved! She was right about the gold...it is all the "rage" right now and becoming very popular!

After removing the seat and all the upholstery, I primed the entire chair with Kilz, sanded and wiped it down with tack cloth. Then I sprayed it with white spray paint! After that had cured well, I taped off the legs and sprayed them with metallic gold spray paint. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to keep the tufting on the back but I sprayed the buttons and reused them. They didn't really turn out "gold" like I had hoped...more a "brownish" color, but honestly, close enough. I used metallic gold bias tape to make the piping and the double welting (Here is a tutorial on making piping out of bias tape!) A simple little process, but again, it does require hauling out the sewing machine (ick!)

Again, I could provide a step by step tutorial on "reupholstering" these simple little chairs, but there are dozens of tutorials on line (including video tutorials) that are ten times better than anything I can do. And every chair is different, so find a tutorial that makes sense to you AND has a chair similar to what you have! This is the very first chair I ever tackled. Knowing what I know now, I can do better. I can honestly say that I learn something new every time I tackle a project like this and regardless of the little imperfections here and there, they always end up WAY better than what I started with!

I tend to be a tad on the OCD side when it comes to projects...but I have learned that nothing is ever going to be perfect! And again, as my very wise Daddy use to say "You'll never notice it on a passing train!"

Which reminds me...Happy Father's Day Daddy! It has been twenty years (this month), but some days it seems like we just talked yesterday. I wish you were here to see all the things I have learned to do. All because you taught me that working with my hands (and my head) and making something out of nothing really can be rewarding! I know you would be proud! Thank you.... and I miss you!

Happy Father's Day to all the great men out there who are blessed with kiddos!!! Be the man you want your son to be and be the man you want your daughter to marry ;)

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Walnut MCM dresser makeover...Part 2!

You can see "Part 1" of this makeover here...a tutorial on stripping and oiling these amazing pieces!

Okay, I have to admit...EVERY time I work on one of these walnut pieces, two things happen...I fall madly in love with it and I am reminded of how much I LOVE walnut!

This little table is a prime example!

Solid walnut and an absolute true treasure! It certainly didn't LOOK like a treasure when I brought it home, but with a little time and effort, these pieces can become breathtaking additions to any home decor.

I know painted furniture is ALL the rage right now and I agree whole-heartedly that there is indeed a time and a place for painted furniture. My decorating motto...if you can ENHANCE the piece by painting it, go for it!

Some people aren't real keen on stained furniture...and that is okay. But I believe every decor needs the warmth and beauty of a quality natural wood piece...whether it is a table or chair or whatever! Not every piece needs to be painted and no decor should have ONLY painted furniture. Of course, no decor should have ONLY stained furniture either...even I throw in painted pieces here and there...probably not enough for some people's taste, but I do like to "lighten and brighten" occasionally. I painted my bedroom furniture and my office desk and even the little side table in my den. But you may note one common element on all these pieces...I left a little bit of natural wood! (Wow, looking at these old posts I realize my photography skills have come a long way! Still a ways to go, but definitely better!)

I decided to go with both paint and natural wood finish on this dresser. I like the way the painted "box" seems to frame the wood drawers! In my opinion, the results are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

So get ready for a BUNCH of pictures...because I am loving this piece!!!!

As I mention in the first post, the top had some pretty serious ink stains...

With a little "chemical" magic, gone!! When you find yourself faced with wood stains, hit the internet and search for a chemical solution. Trust me, sanding is NOT the answer, especially if you are working with veneer.

Can you even believe that this.....

...could become this. No stain...just a simple strip job and 4 coats of tung oil finish! Walnut in all it's natural glory!

I put this dresser in my oldest son's room. He doesn't actually LIVE here, but he still has a lot of stuff here. His room serves as a guest room and a place to keep all his "stuff." The other kids call it the "museum"...trophies, jerseys, plaques, certificates..high school and college mementos covering pretty much every square inch of the wall space.

Sooooo...it was time. Time for a fresh coat of paint. Time to box up most of the "stuff." Just time.

So later this week I will share his room makeover.

Want to know a little secret? For the first time ever I didn't stress over paint chips trying to pick the perfect paint color. I chose a color that everyone has been raving about on Pinterest and decor blogs. I literally called the paint store and told them to mix up 2 gallons, sight unseen...and I LOVE it!

I can't wait to share!

I am sharing this project with Christine at MustLoveHome.com as well as all my favorite Link Parties!

You can see the full room makeover here!

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Simple piano bench makeover.....

This will be my last post until after the New Year. Just too many things going on between now and then...Christmas with the family and all the craziness that entails...falling asleep before midnight on the New Year's Eve...and of course the cold weather that makes it a little difficult to do too much outside!

My family will be arriving Christmas eve. Sarah and her family...the boys driving in from Phoenix! Before then, I have several days of baking and house cleaning to do! Lots of fun and excitement. I also have a few new "things" happening after the New Year that I will share in due time.

So many wonderful changes going on around here!

So...the last project of 2014 is a simple little project that anyone over the age of 40 will appreciate!

In the warmer months I pretty much live in flip-flops! This is the time of the year when I wear my boots almost every day and the older I get the harder it is to get those suckers on. I use to be able to steadily stand on one foot while I put on my shoes or boots...these days I tend to tip over. Not sure if it is the age or the weight...lol! And naturally there is the potential to be bowled over by a spastic dog or terrorized cat!

I have the little ottoman by the chair in that room, but it is a tad low....

...God forbid I move the ottoman and sit in the chair!

When I found this little piano bench at an auction, I immediately knew it was the perfect size to set next to the closet so I would have a place to sit and put on my shoes.

I have reupholstered and refinished several little benches over the last year...naturally when I went looking for pictures I found I had a lot of "before" pictures and a few "after" pictures but never both of one bench...seriously, what is up with that!

This bench was in obvious need of a little "makeover." The top was in pretty rough shape but it was walnut veneer and the legs were pretty much mint after a little cleaning. Structurally it was sound and solid.

I decided to strip and oil the top and paint the legs!

First, I removed the top. I used the acetone/lacquer thinner mixture to quickly strip all the old varnish off the top. Took all of about 15 minutes. Then I applied 4 coats of tung oil, rubbing with steel wool and wiping with a tack cloth between each coat!

I sprayed the legs with Kilz and after it dried I gave it a quick sanding and wiped it down with a tack cloth. Then I sprayed it with 2 coats of my favorite off-white spray paint.

Cute as a bugs ear!

It is the perfect height for sitting to put your shoes on and since it is a piano bench, the top lifts up for storage...perfect for boot brushes and cleaners! (Like I ever do that...that is what my OCD son is for) I didn't refinish or paint the inside...why bother!

I have run across several old piano and sewing benches over the years. Sometimes I paint the tops or add upholstered cushions. The larger benches are perfect for the foot of the bed. Simple and perfect for storage for an extra blanket or shoe cleaning supplies.

Next time you run across an old beat up bench, use your imagination! This little makeover took less than one hour of actual "work." Trust me...when you hit forty, you will be glad you have someplace to sit while you put on your shoes!

I hope you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and may the New Year bring you happiness, health and wisdom! Trust me, if you have that, you have all the wealth you will ever need!

Goodbye 2014...thank you for the great times and the lessons I learned during the hard times.

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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!)

and Better After!

and Curbly.com

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Another man's trash....

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!

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....

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...

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!

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!

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