TRANSFORM NEW WOOD TO LOOK OLD

Let me show you one way I take lumber that has not been weathered and create a silvered vintage or driftwood look to it.

READ MORE >>

FRENCH TYPOGRAPHY CABINET - graphics on glass

This could be a great shoe cabinet!

She looks and really is a true vintage cabinet

turned into an amazing shabby chic statement

piece with a vintage french advert on the

glass door. Long legs and 3 authentic

antique glass knobs.

READ MORE >>

HOW TO PAINT A SMOOTH FINISH - using annie sloan chalk paint

Anyone who owns a piece of my work

or has visited and touched the finish 

on my furniture usually comments 

about how smooth it is. There are 

many different things you can do to 

get a smoother ASCP paint finish 

when using a brush and I am sharing

some of the secrets I use.

READ MORE >>

HOW TO HIDE YOUR FINISHING NAILS - fixing tutorial

Did you install some trim in your home and lost steam when it came time to hide the finishing nails? You can always go back later and finish it off. May this quick little article help you get it done.

READ MORE >>

FIXING DRAWER STOPS - antique dresser drawers

This dresser was missing all of it's drawer stops. This meant the drawers would push too far inside the body. 

READ MORE >>

FIXING TIPSY FURNITURE - leg fix

Find out what I do when a furniture leg is a little too short or the floor isn't quite level and the piece is a bit tipsy.

READ MORE >>

FIXING DRAWER DAMAGE - drawer stops

Many antique dressers have some damage to the drawers. This dresser was no different.

READ MORE >>

FIXING A HARP AND MIRROR - old hinges

 

 

Here is a great use for one of those old hinges we all have in the junk drawer

or filling up a jar on the garage shelf.

  

REPLACED HINGE                               ORIGINAL MECHANISM

 

This mirror's left pivoting mechanism was twisted and broken off making the mirror unusable.

While the owner is looking for a replacement part an old hinge will keep the mirror in place.

The hinge can be used vertically or horizontally but the mirror will not be able to pivot.

 

HAPPY FIXING

FIXING WOOD SPLIT - hinge

 

 

 

When you have a split in your wood furniture you can stabilize it with a left over hinge used sideways.

 

These photos are taken of the underside of a broken chair.

 

First I glue and clamp the seat back together, let the glue set for a day.

I also stabilize the repair with a hinge screwed over the split on the underside of the chair.

 

 

Here is the fixed chair.

 

HAPPY FIXING

 

 

PAINTING VERDIGRIS MIRRORS - my techniques

Verdigris is the common name for the natural green patina

formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered

and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time.

READ MORE >>

DREAMING OF THE SEASIDE - blue clock and console

I'm certainly in the mood for a vacation it seems. Dreaming of the blue ocean waters, the sound of the shore birds, and my favorite sea shells.

READ MORE >>

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN STENCILS - sheet music dresser

I want to show you how

I make custom stencils,

the size I need, the shape

I want and inexpensively.

READ MORE >>

HOW TO PAINT AND DISTRESS A MIRROR - the easy way

 

When I paint the frame of a mirror

I jump in and start painting, no

taping the mirror or masking it in

anyway. The secret is that I'm using 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which I

can simply .....

READ MORE >>

#3 VENEER - repairing bubbles

Here's the third article of the VENEER series.

*links to all articles are listed at the end of this article*

This article I will show you how to get

bubbled surface veneer glued back down.

READ MORE >>

#2 VENEER - rebuilding missing veneer

Here's the second article of the VENEER series.

*links to all articles are listed at the end of this article*

This article explains how to fill small areas

of missing veneer for painted furniture

READ MORE >>

#1 VENEER - edge gluing with gravity

Here's the first article of the VENEER series.

*links to all articles are listed at the end of this article*

This article explains how to edge glue loose veneer.

READ MORE >>

REBUIDING ANTIQUE DRESSERS - replacing drawers

Both of these dressers where curb side finds. They were from different homes during a community clean up week and understandably destine for the dump.

READ MORE >>

HOW TO MAKE SUBWAY ART - reverse stencil

There are a few tutorials available around blog land showing how

to achieve a subway art look, so why am I offering another?

I wanted a certain finished look that I was not able to find

and I wanted to share some of the unique qualities that AS Chalk Paint offer in the process.

I used vinyl letters creating a reverse stencil on top of white chalk paint,

The letters were made with commercial adhesive vinyl

left over from my contractor days. (drawer liner or mac tac should work)

I used a computer program to get the size and shape I wanted

then printed them out and cut them by hand.

I only wanted the white for the letters so I washed the rest off with water.

I did not want all that extra white coming through areas that were going to be distressed.

The remaining steps I took are:

1) painted over everything with AS Graphite

2) once dry, remove the vinyl letters

3) waxed the drawer face

4) distress with sand paper

5) wax and buff to a shine

The finished project is pictured below.

You can see some of the drawers have the extra white underneath.

I found it was messy that is why I removed it but maybe you'll like it that way for your project.

********************************************

Have you stopped into firstfinds hardware store lately?

Here are just some of the switch plates available for your home.

 

 

ART DECO TURNED SHAKER - vancouver subway art dresser

How to take an Art Deco Dresser and give it a Shaker Style.

One thing that dates art deco furniture is the flush and rounded tops.

So I removed the original top and replaced it with a nice fresh pine board cut to size.

With some walnut stain, wax, and my new gloves we were off to the races.

Having a curvy kick at the bottom is common in a lot of furniture

but I removed this one to get straighter lines and offer a masculine feel.

Two final steps to help achieve the look was to add the vintage metal wheels

and simple metal knobs down both sides of the drawers.

And that's how you get a shaker look from an Art Deco Dresser.

More beauty pics can be seen on yesterday's post

Next time I'll share how I did my lettering and finish on the drawers.

HOW TO REMOVE WATER MARKS - blue maple dresser

This projects will show you a few different things you can do with a furniture makeover. First is the awesome blue color that was created and before we are done I will show you HOW TO REMOVE WATER MARKS.

READ MORE >>