50's Blond Sewing Box Gets Re-deaux

I came across this sewing box from the 50's. It was stained "Blond" which was very typical of 50's furniture. I saw the potential to reinvent this piece into an end table with lots of storage so I took off repurposing it. Here's how I did it:

I took off the knobs and began the sanding process to remove the finish.

Love my Black & Decker Mouse Sander!

Once everything was sanded, I used KILZ 2 tinted primer to get started.

I chose to paint it black and white so I painted the body with Eggshell Black from the Home Depot.

After two coats of paint, the body was done.

In order to turn this into an end table, I needed to add legs. I found these very 50's style legs at a yard sale and went onto priming & painting mode.

Notice the plates that hold on the legs. You can put the legs in straight (example on right) or at the angle (example on left) you often see in 50's style furniture.

I used Zinsser 1-2-3 Spray Primer on the legs since you can paint right over the finish without sanding at all! Great step saver. Notice I covered the leg tips with tape so I could repaint them silver later on to match the knobs.

Here are the legs painted and ready to do the tips.

I took the knobs and screwed them into a piece of wood to hold them while I painted them.

I used Rust-oleum bright silver metallic finish (Can't see the cap color in the picture but it is silver!).

I sprayed the knobs and the end caps of the legs and let everything dry while I gave the drawer fronts two coats of white paint.

Here is the finished product!

BEFORE

AFTER

If you find an interesting piece but can't use it as is, consider repurposing it by adding to it and changing its purpose! 

A Sentimental Journey for Old Neckties

My sidekick fondly remembers her father wearing a necktie every day to go to work. He had quite a few neckties and when he passed away there were so many of them that I decided to abscond with them and do something crafty. I took a pair of ladder back chairs and wove the neckties into the seats. They flank the fireplace and are a constant reminder of him. The granddaughters who were born after he died have no memory of him. I made each of the girls a special little chair with their Grandfather's neckties as well. If you have neckties from a loved one, why not preserve his memory by turning them into a chair or stool?

Here are the basics for this project:

I see these little stools at yard sales often but the caning is usually shot. 

I got this one for this tutorial.

Pick the item you are going to use (chair, stool, etc) and give it a makeover if it is needed. 

I gave mine a coat of black spray paint since the blue wasn't going to work for me.

Weaving the ties is easy once you do a little prep work. 

Cut the fat end off the ties you will be using.

Start by sewing the first tie to itself on the underside of your stool or chair. 

(Sorry the picture isn't great!)

Next, sew each tie to the previous tie. 

Sew a few ties to each other and wrap them around and around until the top is covered. Squish them together a little and be sure you pull them tight as you wrap them around.

Once the top is covered, bring the last tie underneath, 

around the corner and up to the top to begin the weave. 

Over, under, over, under until you reach the edge.

Flip the stool over and weave the bottom as well. 

This will give you two layers of woven ties and make it more sturdy.

Be sure to pull the ties tight as you go and squish them together so the weave is tight.

Finally, when you reach the end and all the rows of ties are squished together, slip the end of the tie into the opening at the corner of the underside and hide the end. I put a couple of stitches there to keep it in place.

The finished product is useful, and if you've used the ties of a loved one, 

it can hold great sentimental value as well.

Lane ® Acclaim 2 Tier Table

As I've mentioned before, I have a passion for mid-century modern furniture, specifically, Lane ® Acclaim Tables. The Acclaim series of furniture from the 1960's was made in Altavista, Virginia. Its dove tail detail is timeless and the two-tier end tables are automatically associated with mid-century design. 

Here's the journey of reclaiming one I found!

I started by using a lift off varnish remover to get back to the raw wood. 

I painted on the varnish remover and let it sit as directed.

I used a plastic drywall knife to scrape the varnish remover off.

After all the varnish remover was taken off, I used OOOO steel wool to smooth the surface.

Next, I added the stain. I used a Min-wax cherry stain.

 Finally, I applied a satin finish paste wax.

The results are just beautiful, don't you think? 

Once again, a Lane ® Acclaim table back to its original beauty!

Lane ® is a registered trademark of The Lane Company, Inc., Altavista, VA, USA.                                         This post has not been authorized or endorsed by The Lane Company. 

Vintage Kitchen Cart Makeover

I love Kitchen Carts!

I remember them from my childhood when they were a fixture in most kitchens. They provided additional storage for small appliances and often held the toaster ovens of that time. I see them pretty often at yard and estate sales but they are rarely in good shape. Due to their age and utilitarian nature, they often have rust and paint damage. You might be turned off, thinking they are shot and too rustic to be useful but let me encourage you to give them a second look. Here's one I'd like to show you as I transform it from ugly duckling to beautiful swan.

Here is the Kitchen Cart I bought.

I loved the curved handles and it was in fairly good shape, with just some minor rust.

I took it apart and got to cleaning. I used a brillo pad to clean off years of grime and attack the rusty spots. Once the clean up was done, I started the spray painting. I used Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X Gloss Apple Red. This type of paint is really great for this application. 

I caution you to apply many light coats rather than one or two heavy coats. You'll get better coverage and less chance at drips or crazing. 

 Coat # 2

Subsequent coats

I do sweeping motions from one end to the other at about 10-12 inches from the surface. It takes time but its well worth it if you don't rush it. Because I was using red, it took about 1 1/2 cans of the paint to get a nice even finish. I let it cure for at least 24-48 hours before reassembling it. 

Here is the finished project! I love it and for under twenty bucks, it looks like its new again!


Rust-Oleum comes in dozens of colors so you are sure to find one that works for you. It is an easy to do project, even for beginners, and you'll end up with a useful piece of nostalgia! 

Start spraying!

Painted Art Deco Waterfall Wardrobe

Perish the thought, but, in the 1920's and 1930's homes did not have closets.

Can you imagine?

People didn't have elaborate amounts of clothing that required walk-in closets 

and homes did not typically have closets built in.

The solution was the piece of furniture known as the wardrobe.

Wardrobes came in many shapes and sizes. In the 30's, Art Deco was king. I am particularly fond of the Art Deco Waterfall style. The Waterfall style is characterized by a rounded front on top of the furniture piece mimicking a waterfall. 

Typically, waterfall pieces are veneered. Because it is veneer, you will often see damage on the pieces you find at yard sales or estate sales. Stripping and refinishing is tricky because if you strip and sand it, you might go right through the thin veneer and get down to the base wood.

So what if you like the style and form of the piece but it is damaged and can't be re-stained? What if your style is sleeker and more modern? How about painting it!

I see a lot of old waterfall furniture that is painted. You've probably seen pieces in magazines painted off white or cream and turned into beautiful "shabby chic" pieces. You also see lots of them used in "cottage" design. I like the way they turn out but, for me, Deco should be sleek and the shabby chic and cottage look just don't work for me.

What to do, what to do! For me, it is to go black. Not shiny gloss but an eggshell finish of black. Eggshell finish is not totally flat but also not like a high gloss finish. If you go to the paint department of your local paint store or Home Depot or Lowes and ask them to show you the different finishes they have available you'll see the differences and then you can pick what you like. For me, it is always eggshell when I paint furniture.

Right about now, purists are screaming at their computer screen and pulling their hair out . How can you "paint" furniture? That ruins the value and integrity of the piece. Well, they are right. If you start with a piece that is pristine and valuable, painting it will ruin its value. But if you are starting with a piece that is not in the greatest shape and you are not purchasing it to preserve it as an investment or it is not a family heirloom, then whats the problem? I would never paint a piece of waterfall deco furniture that is in mint condition and I have many in my home that are original. They were mass produced and don't carry high values but I love them in their original finish and thats all that matters. But when I come across a piece that is in rough shape, painting is the way to go.

Here is my deco waterfall wardrobe project. 

I paid $25.00 for this wardrobe at a yard sale. 

As you can see, it has water stains on top, someone carved their name into it 

and generally it is in rough shape. 

 

I took it apart, re-glued the drawers to tighten them up, 

puttied the breaks in the veneer and sanded it all. 

I am lazy so I have a hand held Black and Decker Mouse sander. If you don't have a mouse sander, you can go old school and use regular sand paper or steel wool. Either way, go easy so you don't sand all the way through the veneer and damage the piece more.

Once the piece is sanded, it is important to clean it off completely before you paint it. First, start by sweeping it off with a soft hand broom. The very fine dust from sanding can really ruin your paint job if you don't get it off the piece so I use tack cloth to really clean it well before painting. Tack cloth is sticky cheesecloth and is really great to make short work of cleaning you project. Once you've cleaned it all off and cleaned your work area, you are ready to paint!

Your paint might come with a primer mixed in and that is the quick way of priming and painting. If you don't have primer in the paint, then you might want to prime the piece. It will help the paint stick better and last longer. I had my primer tinted so that it would be darker instead of white making it easier to cover the primer with the black paint.

Coat number one. Painting involved two coats to get even coverage.

Here it is completed!

I took this $25.00 yard sale find from trash to useful treasure. If you find a piece of furniture with a finish that has seen better days, painting can be the way to go to bring it back to life. Don't be afraid to try it - you might have fun and feel really good about your accomplishment!