Did you see the post this weekend where I showed you how to touch-up a scratched cherry dresser? If not, you can check it out here. That same General Finishes gel stain also works fantastic on antique furniture pieces that are sanded down to bare wood.
This sweet little table has sentimental value to a good friend of mine. Which always makes me nervous that I may not be able to finish it to the perfection it deserves.
The top and drawer-front had scratches and there were also a few at ...
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Latest from the Blog
Entri Window Panels: Modern Sidelight Window Curtains
Homes have been featuring sidelight windows for decades and new homes are still being designed with them. Sidelight windows are the tall, thin, fixed windows on either side of an entryway door. New England is well-known for their colonial homes and sidelight windows are a key feature. They are still being designed with them.
Sidelight windows may be small in size, but they let in lots of light and brighten an entryway. The downside to having them on the front of your home, though, is that ...
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The Easiest Way to Repair Scratches on Cherry Furniture
Do you have a factory-finish cherry dresser with a silky smooth finish? The type of finish that's so incredibly smooth that it's difficult to tell if the wood underneath is real or imitation. These spayed-on finishes are quite durable, but do occasionally get scratched, dinged or dented. Such was the case with my client's cherry dresser. It was damaged during a recent move and she asked if I could repair it.
So what's the easiest way to repair scratches on cherry furniture like ...
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Projects and a Fabric That’s So Me
This winter was filled with hope. I had hoped to finish painting our kitchen and dining room. I had hoped to refinish two of my own dressers. I had hoped to recover the fabric chairs in our living room. And I had hoped to make new curtains and valances for my kitchen and dining area. Then life happened and a crazy flu illness went through our house, scholarship applications were due, and then there was hockey (Need I say more?).
Well, I've been working really hard to get back on track ...
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Polo Blue | The Perfect Dark Navy Blue
If you are in search of the perfect dark navy blue, I'm here for you. Well, actually my client (and friend) gets the credit for choosing this one. She wanted to refinish this pine dresser for her son in a dark navy blue color. She chose Benjamin Moore's Polo Blue. As soon as she showed me the color swatch, I was 100% on board.
The dresser is an eight-drawer basic pine dresser. Here's how it looked after I sanded off the honey stain. If you sand furniture, be sure to do it outdoors ...
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How to Make Modern Curtains for Sidelight Windows
New England is well-known for their colonial homes. One of the key features of these homes is a front door with sidelight windows - the tall, thin, fixed windows on either side of an entrway door. This architectural feature will never go out of style. Homes have been featuring sidelight windows for decades and new homes are still being designed with them.
Sidelight windows may be small in size, but they let in lots of light and brighten an entryway. The downside to ...
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Pine Side Tables Get A Modern Makeover
If you have solid wood furniture but they don't quite match your new decor anymore, trust me when I say that they're worth keeping and refinishing. I've been working on several pieces of furniture for a friend that recently built a new home. All of her furniture was a country, honey pine or cherry color stain, but her new home is modern grays and whites. Her furniture is solid wood and has basic lines, so all it needed was a modern makeover to bring it up to date. See how these pine side ...
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Deck Stain For Outdoor Porch Floors
The outdoor porch floor is stained for the season! This was a huge relief. Staining a deck or outdoor porch here in New England is always a timing challenge. You have to wait until the snow melts and the weather warms up to about 60 degrees which is usually sometime in April. But, then the April rains arrive so you have to watch the weather for at least three consecutive dry days. Staining in May is tough because a blanket of green pollen covers everything for three weeks straight. ...
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Work With Your Female Cycles for Less Chaos & Greater Productivity
Spring always brings with it the energy to renew and refresh. It's a time to air out the house, wash and update fabrics, brighten up with paint, and transform worn furniture. To get it all done seems like it may require a small army.... or... one very productive Mom! Learn to be a Mom that can work with your cycles for less chaos and greater productivity.
In just the past month, I've managed to paint our kitchen and dining room walls, recover four kitchen chairs, sew new valances for ...
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Gray & Black Cedar Chest
Yesterday was Easter Sunday and one of the most relaxing Easters I can remember. Usually holidays are spent at my parents' house - memories I will always treasure - but that also means I usually stress about making sure my parents don't over-work themselves - which they usually do anyway. This Easter, however, we spent with my sister and her family and while I still prepared food and helped with clean-up, there were so many more helping hands available and I could watch my parents relax and ...
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French Purple Lilac Nightstand
Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a productive weekend. The snow and rain have finally subsided here in New England which means the furniture refinishing has started up again. In honor of Spring flowers and Easter, today's furniture makeover project is a French purple lilac nightstand.
The nightstand was originally stained in a honey stain. After a thorough sanding, it was ready for primer and paint.
I custom-mixed a deep purple using a mix of light blue, royal blue, ...
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FREE Book: 11 Ways To Find Free (And Close-To-Free) Furniture
So I'm secretly hoping that no one from my home-town reads this post; because I'm going to share with you where to find free and close-to-free furniture to refinish for your own home and I'm revealing some secrets.
I'm kidding. There's plenty to go around and I'm happy to share!
Finding Furniture to Refinish
Do you have furniture in your home that needs a refresh? Is your home filled with hand-me-down pieces with a stain color that doesn't match the rest of your decor? Do you need ...
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