More Catching Up!

Hello all!

It sure has been a while since I've been on here, but I'm here to stay.  It was a crazy busy summer and this next fall and winter will be even busier, but I'm definitely going to keep up with blogging, 'cause I LOVE it! 

A large part of my summer was spent on online summer classes and.... REFURBISHING FURNITURE!  I did redo four pieces in amount two months, and I am overly excited to share them on here.  This was my first experience so I encountered my fair share of headaches as I tried to find the products and techniques that worked best for me.

The first piece that I did was one that I probably shouldn't have started out with.  I am quite proud of it and cherish it because it was the kitchen table that my great grandparents had in their kitchen (hopefully I can find a picture of this). 

Unfortunately, it was a laminate-y and particle board-y material and I didn't realize just how much that would affect my outcome when I started.  Spray paint worked well, but I think I would have spared myself a few swear words and headaches if I would have opted for regular brush paint.  I believe I did one spray can of primer, two or three spray cans of red paint, two spray cans of protectant, and one can or acryclic brush on protectant (saved my dear soul).  Boy, did I learn my lesson!  After the red paint, I ended up with smudges and eventually the paint began to buckle, likely because I had put too darn much on there. 







Thanks to my wonderful boy Shane (thank God he likes this kinda stuff) he was able to fix most of my mistakes.

In the end, it turned out pretty darn well with me being a beginner and all.  It is in my apartment and provides a sweet pop of color. 

My second piece is also one that I cherish deeply.  This is my grandma and grandpa's first headboard.  It is also in my apartment and works perfectly as a headboard. 

The third piece was a desk that I found on Craigslist.  I don't cherish it like the others, but I love the character that it has- it was exactly what I was looking for.

This captures my life and loves in one picture- is a chaotic way.

My fourth piece was a chair that was in one of our storage shops, and I'm guessing that it was in our family at one point because I don't know why else we would have it, but nobody remembers for some reason.  It is a really pretty chair with beautiful wood.  I also enjoyed it because I didn't have to strip anything and I just shined that baby up and changed the fabric on the seat (which I absolutely, positively adore!).







Sooo, since I feel like I have conquered the furniture world (just kidding), I feel that I have faced my fair share of troubles, so I am going to share my own couple tips. (Ya, ya, I know that there are quite a few refurbishing blog posts out there).

1) Make sure you know the material you are working with.  If you want to stain, is it real wood?  If it's particle board, is paint going to stick, or is it really worth it?

2)Invest in some good products- including paint brushes that don't shed, scrapers that won't break, paint colors that you can use over and over again.

3)Non spray paint stripper.  Let me repeat that.  NON SPRAY PAINT STRIPPER.  Simply 'cause that stuff hurts when your outside even on a slightly windy day.  Also, you get more in a single purchase usually and it is more practical. 

4)Use an electric sander if you're taking on a bigger project.  You don't necessarily need to invest it one, but it is handy.  They can likely be rented or borrowed from a friend (or brother in my case).  I began by thinking that I could handle it, but when that desk came along, I really wished I would have had one.  It can change a piece's entire look. 

5)Put aside a good amount of time to work on your project.  I honestly thought I could do some of this stuff in one day and I was beyond incompetent when it came to planning. 

6)Find a good spot to showcase your pieces.  There's no better feeling than saying that you turned some useless or boring piece into something beautiful.

-Heidi