Did someone say THRIFT STORE? Let me hear it…UPCYCLE! Those words can only mean it is the second Wednesday of the month and time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly projects!

I have to admit that I am a little giddy this month. We have some new members joining us. And, I’m gonna say it, though it might sound creepy, I just know that you will all understand…I’m girl crushin’! These new gals to the team were seriously some of the creators that I would follow with awe and fascination back when I started to blog. Yikes! It’s been a minute but they are as fabulous as ever!

Welcome to Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, Kim from Exquisitely Unremarkable, and Julie from Redhead Can Decorate. I’m so grateful for this team and all of the past members. Creating is really a fabulous world and the blog world offers the best of the best. As we all evolve, we get to share on different platforms and graduate to new highs. We are all just living our normal lives. We have the same normal challenges of making a living, enjoying our families, starting jobs, leaving jobs, caring for family member, losing family members, raising families, becoming empty nesters. You know…all of the major life stuff. But we are impassioned by creating.

Beyond the actual process of creating, my most cherished part of this blog world is meeting new friends and making new connections. I am so elated that you are all joining us. I’m talking to our 3 new creators and TO ALL OF THE NEW FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US TODAY and, of course, to my devoted readers who help keep this little blog going!

WELCOME TO THE FABULOUS THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM!!! We are going to have so much fun together!! I’m beyond glad and grateful that YOU are here! Can’t wait for you to see what magic happens in this community.

HELLO!

Hello! I’m Suzanne. I owned an antique store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, for 10 years, here in Alabama near Birmingham. We closed it in 2019. I have loved creating for as long as I can remember. I’m an only child and my oldest memories are of puttering beside my dad in his workshop in our Philadelphia home. I’m back to work full time now for a regional bank but I still dabble with this blog every chance I get. My passion is for furniture but really any kind of painting gets me going. I love a good challenge and transforming old items into beautiful focal points is one of my favorite things to do. Enough about me, let’s get on with today’s project – the upcycle of this antique mahogany side table.

Upcycling Vintage Beauties

I’m sure you’ve all seen an old vintage side table like this. Maybe it was round like this one that I previously upcycled.

Maybe the side table was made of oak like this radio table.

We’ve all seen those old tables with great bones that just look sad and worn. When I see one that speaks to me, I feel compelled to grab it and give it new life. Much to Mr. Blu’s chagrin, these project pieces sit a while in our garage while life happens. But, I’m cleaning out corners and making space. So, you can count on some more of these reinvented projects in the future. And today, we are working on the mahogany side table upcycle.

To Paint or Not to Paint!

The big decision when working on old furniture pieces is always DO I RESTORE or DO I PAINT? So many people have so many opinions and I’m sure you’ve read the comments. When I had my store, it was easy. If someone brought me a piece of furniture and said “Paint it!”, I painted it. That was so easy. But when it was my piece, I found myself stuck. I finally realized that I was in the business to make money so if the piece was easy to restore, I would do that. If it was a piece that would take too much time and resources to restore, I would paint it. If it was a beautiful solid wood piece with little damage, I would restore. But as the number of these pieces dramatically diminishes and pieces are really damaged, I find my self wanting to restore which can take hours and hours of effort. You will never be compensated for that time because, let’s face it, folks want a good buy for a great price. So, I generally reserve the full restoration for sentimental pieces.

So this one was a quanumdrum for me. I saw the beauty. But she had so many issues.

Normal scrapes and dings and scratches covered this piece. There was not a single spot that didn’t look worn.

Burn marks on the leather.

As well as other damage to the top including the leather ends peeling.

So, I decided to paint. Don’t hate me. She will still be beautiful.

The Design Process

Honestly, this is sometimes the most difficult part of a project. I tend to put too much thought into colors and finishes. Should I go with a Mahogany wash to continue the authenticity of the piece? Blue wash because…well…it’s me and blue is always a priority. Or something that blends with the mint-ish green room where she will live? A watermelon accent color like that vintage table I upcycled, loved and just sold? A new accent color like a vibrant purple? Yikes.

Inevitably, the piece tells me what to do and in this case, she spoke loudly. The decision still shocks me. As I started to clean and prep her, it became clear that she is in much better shape than I had thought. Every issue was simply a surface issue. The legs and shelf were sturdy. No major dings or gouges. Just a bunch of finish issues.

Dang. Grab the stripper. She’s going to be restored.

FIRST STEP TO FURNITURE PREP

First step is always to clean and prep your piece. This girl had been in storage for years so a good bath of warm water and Dawn removed the grime.

I set her in the sun to dry.

The leather inlay top had two small burns and various discolorations.

I let the leather soak with some water for about 15 minutes and then tested to see if the spots seemed removeable.

No good. This would not be a quick fix. I could possibly dab with some stain to marble the top thus muting or possibly making the stains. But then I noticed the end peeling.

I decided to remove the leather.

Fear not, I am saving it (you know I salvage everything). This will make a great future project on how to restore and reuse leather.

In the meantime, looks like the project got a little more complicated as now I have to decide how to finish the top.

I grabbed the stripper and got to work.

SUPPLIES

• Kleen Strip
• paint brushes
• rags
• sandpaper
• steel wool, both coarse and fine
• scraper tool
• rubber gloves
• safety glasses, always protect your eyes.
• trash can
• newspaper to cover the floor of your work area

My Safety Speech

Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Splashes occur when you lease expect them

Always wear thick rubber gloves to protect your skin when handling chemicals. Chemical burns are not fun.

Always work in a well ventilated area. I strip my furniture in my driveway.

Place newspaper on the floor under and around your furniture piece. Floors and work spaces need protection too.

Tips for Removing Stain

The best tips for using stripper…

• Be patient.
• Wear gloves and safety glasses.
• Don’t rush the process.
• Keep the area loaded with stripper.
• Allow the chemicals to work.
• Scrape, reapply, scrape, reapply.

2 hours later, the old stain was removed (sort of…see next paragraph).

In the interest of not repeating posts, here are a few more detailed posts on restoring wood and removing stain. These posts list all of my best tips,

She Spoke and I Listened

For a minute, I considered changing the stain color to something more contemporary, like a light wash. But, I have other antique mahogany pieces in my living room and bedrooms so I decided to stay strong and preserve the integrity of this beauty.

Remember I said, I often let the project piece guide me? Well, it happened…yet again. I had a plan and as I worked the plan, the plan changed.

As I proceeded through the stripping process, I actually liked the stained wood beneath the thick old top coat. I decided NOT to re-stain, but rather leave the wood as is. This provided a lighter wood color and the existing stain really brought out the beauty of the mahogany wood. So I simply sealed the wood after the oldest top stain had been mostly removed. In this process, I removed the old gummy stain. But I stopped shy of completely stripping ALL of the stain from the wood. The wood was so beautiful.

I mean, gorgeous! Why strip it completely when this is so lovely as is??

Right??? My project time was just cut in half! Whoohoo! Stripping is so labor intensive and takes so long. I’m celebrating! I sealed the wood with a nice coat of General Finishes Top Coat, made for wood.

Moving on to the Top

Knowing that I will want to restore that leather top and eventually re-install, I resisted the desire to create a faux marble inset with resin. I topped off a sweet little plant stand with a faux marble resin finish and she is just lovely.

Instead, I chose to go the easy route and faux paint the inset to look like marble.

Creating a Faux Marble Finish

I started with one coat of white paint. I used simple craft paint that you can find in the craft section at Walmart – Folkart multi surface acrylic paint, because I am out of my favorite white furniture paint, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint.

The white was a little bright so I applied another coat with ivory.

Much better. I dabbed some white here and there to create some texture. Then I blended the paint by drybrushing across the dabs of white.

Next, I used a skinny art brush to draw some veining.

Use a sponge or rag or brush to blot the area muting the veining. Practice first if you are nervous. I’m more of a wing it and react creator. Do what works for you.

Keep blending, adding veining and repeating until you have the desired look.

Not bad, right? Seal the top with some polyurethane. MinWax Polycrylic is my go to.

How about that bright beautiful wood??!!!!

She looks great indoors by the window where the light hits that beautiful woodgrain.

She had a nice surface area for a lamp, candle, book, plate, or whatever.

And a little shelf for other whatnots or books.

I’m so glad I didn’t take the easy road an just paint her. She’s fabulous again!

Revamp a Lamp
Our Southern Home

Old World Santa Christmas Tray
Our Crafty Mom

Salvaged Jewelry Suncatchers
My Repurposed Life

IKEA Secretary Desk Makeover
Exquisitely Unremarkable

Mahogany Side Table Upcycle
Shop At Blu

Beautiful Thrifted Thanksgiving Tablescape
Redhead Can Decorate

DIY Christmas Bells
Songbird

Fry Pan, Tiered Tray, and Decorative Bowls
Funky Junk Interiors

Gingerbread Village from Christmas Houses
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The post Mahogany Side Table Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

You know I am passionate about antiques. But that passion doesn’t hold a candle to my passion for cherished family heirlooms. It’s no secret that I like stuff. Couple antiques with family mementos and my heart explodes! So, when my work pal, Andrea, told me that her sister wanted to restore their mother’s cedar hope chest, my heart skipped a beat.

While I made a nice living out of furniture painting, furniture refinishing is a whole other beast. It is time consuming and laborious and oh so difficult to recoup any sort of commensurate compensation for your time and labor. It honestly is more of a labor of love. But, Pop passed his love of furniture and the skills for refinishing to me so…here we go. Say hello to Helen and Andrea’s mother’s cedar hope chest…my star for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team project.

Helen wanted to restore this beauty for functional use in her home. Helen’s bedroom furniture is a cherry or red mahogany so she wanted this hope chest refinished to fit into her bedroom. She doesn’t look so bad, right? So, Mr. Blu and I hopped in his new truck and drove out to the country to pick up Mama’s cedar chest. And a new project began!

She actually looks pretty good considering that she was probably manufactured during the Depression Era. She’s a waterfall chest. But, she does have some wear from what appears to be a water stain.

We won’t really know if this is a problem until we try to remove the stain. We don’t know how long the stain has been there and it only follows that the older the stain, the more difficult the removal. Let’s hope we can remove this stain. At the very least, I hope to be able to minimize or mask it. I’m hopeful since Helen has picked a darker stain which just might cover the water mark.

SUPPLIES

• Kleen Strip
• paint brushes
• rags
• sandpaper
• steel wool, both coarse and fine
• Oxalic Acid, for stain removal
• rubber gloves
• safety glasses, always protect your eyes.
• trash can
• newspaper to cover the floor of your work area

My Safety Speech

Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Splashes occur when you lease expect them

Always wear thick rubber gloves to protect your skin when handling chemicals. Chemical burns are not fun.

Always work in a well ventilated area. I strip my furniture in my driveway.

Place newspaper on the floor under and around your furniture piece. Floors and work spaces need protection too.

The Process

As always when working on furniture, the first step in prepping a furniture piece is cleaning. So I used some warm soapy water to five this girl a bath. My go to is Murphy’s Oil Soap because it feeds the wood.

I follow up with a wipe down with TSP which removes residual dirt and oils.

Once dry, she was ready for stripping the stain. My product of choice has always Strip-Ease. But I could not find it for this project so I grabbed Klean Strip and it worked well.

It is a gel stripper that stays where you put it…no run off. I pour some into a metal can for ease of access. I use a good quality paint brush to brush on solution onto the wood.

So, over the course of a weekend, I applied some stripper and waited.

I used a scraper and some steel wool to remove the probably pre-1930’s stain. Then I applied some more stripper. And I waited. And I used the steel wool to wipe off the stain. Here is a great post on how to strip furniture. I included many great tips and a tutorial so I won’t repeat my self here. And here is part two of that project.

The golden rule of stripping…be generous when applying the stripper. When you strip furniture, you wait…alot! You have to let the chemicals be absorbed into the thick top coat and then the stain beneath the top coat. So apply the stripper and wait. Keep the surface wet by continually applying stripper. And wait.

Apply some more stripper. And wait. Make sure you keep the surface loaded with stripper. Don’t let it dry out.

You will see signs that the chemicals are working. But wait some more.

Once you can see the bubbling continue to advance, then you can use a scraper to scrape off the topcoat and the stain. The older the furniture piece, the longer it will take to remove the stain.

Add some more stripper, wait and scrape some more. Eventually, the stain will stop bubbling up an you will not be able to scrape off any more stain. Grab your steel wool. Brush on some more stripper and wipe it down with the steel wool. You will be amazed at how much stain is till left in the wood. You will see it on your steel wool.

I start with a coarse steel wool and progress to a fine steel wool. In steel wool lingo, a bigger number means a coarser steel wool. So 200 is finer than 60.

At this point, brush on some more stripper and use some steel wool to gently rub the wood ALWAYS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GRAIN. This labor of love is very very repetitious.

The steel wool will gently remove more of the stain. Keep applying the stripper and rubbing with the steel wool. Eventually, you will get down to the raw or bare wood.

If you are enjoying this restoration, here is another cedar chest transformation.

Be very careful as many older pieces are made of veneer, which are very thinly applied sheets of wood grain. If you damage the veneer, you’re in trouble. There may be some stubborn spots where you can still see more stain. Treat these areas again with stripper and steel wool.

Once the stripping is completed, give the piece a wipe down with warm soapy water and repeat with tsp to prep the wood to receive the new stain.

Removing a Stubborn Water Mark

This piece had a very pronounced stain on the top of the cedar chest. There isn’t really any way to know how long the stain was in the wood. This particular mark was concerning because it was deep into the wood. I researched how to remove a stain. Again, I had to be very careful because the top of this chest is comprised of wood veneer.

Remember what she looked like before I started the restoration?

And, yes, this was a problem. The water stain did not seem to be affected by the stripper. It was still stubbornly viewable. I saturated sections of the stain with stripper and gently rubbed with the finest grade steel wool. While it seemed to slightly fade, it was till prominent.

I guess it is not surprising that the stain did not dissipate since it has probably been there for tens of years!

So hopeful but I did some research and decided to try another method. I ordered some oxalic acid, sort of a bleach for wood. I followed the manufacturer’s recommendations and applied to the top of the cedar trunk.

I mixed the oxalic acid into some water and brushed it onto the wood. And I waited. After about 15 minutes, I applied another coat. I waited 15 minutes and applied another coat. I used some fine steel wool to rub the stain. The stain seemed to be slowly fading.

After about an hour, I was concerned with over applying so I stopped the process and allowed the top to dry. Once dry, I gave the entire chest a gentle sanding.

While this process didn’t seem to remove the stain, it did seem to fade the stain.

And I was very hopeful that the darker stain that Helen wanted would mask the stain. As I said, the stain that Helen selected is on the dark side so I hoped it would cover the stain. Here we go.

Slowly, each section of the cedar chest came back to life.

The sides of the cedar hope chest were the most beautiful.

I worked my way around the chest applying the stain with a brush and wiping away the excess.

The kickplate, or the bottom lip, on the cedar chest was another tricky area. Turns out, it was not solid wood. It’s like the manufacturer used cheaper grade of almost wood here since it would not be seen. It was actually more of a laminate. So I used a technique for faux painting and applied the stain in a pouncing motion.

I’m please with this finish!

After one coat, I knew it needed to be a bit darker.

And look at that kickplate!! Who would ever know she’s not real wood??!!

I saved the top for last and as luck would have it, the water stain was undetectable after several coats. I was thrilled.

I let her dry allowed her to dry overnight. I finished her off with two light coats of General Finishes Top Coat.

Just look at that top!

I’m always amazed at how beautiful the raw wood is underneath all of the old stain. This is why I love wood so much! With a little TLC, it is so easy to restore.

Well, maybe not easy but definitely worth it!

Our Crafty Mom Upcycled Wooden Bowls with Pressed Flowers

Petticoat Junktion DIY Mercury Glass

My Repurposed Life Refresh Plastic Chairs with Colorful Spray Paint

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia How to get the look of amber glass

Shop At Blu Cedar Chest Hope Chest Upcycle

The post Depression Era Cedar Hope Chest Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Just look at those legs!

They make me so happy!

And my favorite finish to paint over is a dark wood, like this gal with the walnut stained top. My plan is to make her bright and cheery and, of course, distressed.

A furniture makeover? That means, yes! It must be the second Wednesday of the month and time for the Thrift Store Decor Team projects! All of this month’s projects are linked at the end of this post for your DIYing, upcycling, repurposing, and thrift seeking pleasure!

Gameplan

She was pretty cruddy. So I decided to bring her up onto the deck to clean and prep her for her makeover. Rain was on the way so I would be able to bring her into the house quickly should the skies open up.

Of course, since this is one of my projects, it got a little more complicated right from the start. While carrying her up the stairs and opening the deck gate, her top separated.

You are in luck to day friends, because you will get a second tutorial on how to repair a split tabletop!

Repairing a Split Tabletop

This is actually quite an easy repair. Just grab some wood glue and a clamp or two to start.

Sounds simple, right? Until only one clamp is long enough the clamp the tabletop. I remembered I had one of my dad’s old clamps in the garage. I had never used it before so I grabbed it an it worked perfectly. Pop was a woodworker, refinisher, the ultimate DIYer, He could fix anything and I cannot every remember a repairman coming to our house to fix anything. Pop did it all!

Place a liberal bead of glue along the complete length of the broken edge.

Push the top together and clamp into place.

I used 2 clamps. Because I only had 2 big enough. If I had 3, I would have used all three.

I allowed this to set for about 30 minutes and then wiped the joint with a damp rag removing the excess glue.

I allowed the repair to dry overnight.

Before you remove the clamp, you can reinforce the damaged area from beneath with a few screws and a mending plate. This will strengthen the repair and reduce the chance of the split recurring. Smart step, but I did not do this because I don’t plan to use the table for anything heavy. It would still have been a good move but you know me…anxious to get to the paint! I offer you one of my mom’s favorite quips…do as I say, not as I do!

You could even leave the clamps in place to give the entire piece a bath followed by a gentle sanding. I removed the clamps and gave the table a good wipe down with TSP.

Trisodium phosphate helps prep the surface to remove residual dirt, oils, and debris and preps the surface to better receive paint. Read about my be pre-paint prep tips HERE.

Choosing a Paint Color…or NOT

Next step was to sand the table top. I decided that the legs were is great shape with no major mars, knicks or dings.

So I would dry brush over the legs. That was the plan. So no sanding needed there so I decided to go to the more substantial project of sanding the tabletop. The top had what appeared to be a relatively thick coat of either oil based paint or paint with a heavy sealer.

When you work on older furniture pieces, you never know:

• what type of paint is on the piece
• how many paint layers there are
• what type of wood is beneath the paint
• what is the quality or condition of the wood beneath the paint.

It really is a grab bag of surprises. So my #1 rule for reviving old pieces is NEVER EVER BE HARD AND FAST TO YOUR GAMEPLAN. It is critical for your sanity to be fluid and ready to switch lanes during the project. That said, I grabbed the sander to “gently sand the tabletop” so I could get an idea of how well the paint might adhere.

And…that’s where the plan changed.

UNEXPECTED PATINA

That phrase…UNEXPECTED PATINA…gets me everytime. Once see beautiful old wood or gorgeous unique patina, I stop in my tracks and the plan changes. EVERY.STINKIN.TIME.

To most people, that photo above, is a mess. Their first thought is…grab a brush and paint over that mess! Not me…my mind says…oooh…let’s make that better…more fabulous and more unique.

Change in Plans…Imagine that!

So at this point, I put away my favorite teal paint, General Finishes Milk Paint Patina Green. I was looking forward to using it as it had been a while. I used it on this stool pictures below. It’s a great color to use for transforming treasures as it really makes an impact.

So, this patina spoke to me and I had to see, or create, more.

She really was quite nice this way but, alas, I needed to see some wood beneath the patina.

So, I sanded the edges and all of the curves around the table top.

I could start to see some wood. The individual wood planks used to create this tabletop were becoming more defined.

But I knew there was MORE!

As second sanding revealed more of the joints of the boards and more texture from layers began to appear.

I wiped the top down to remove the dust so I could see the surface a little better.

The purpose of the last sanding was to even out the surface and try to unify the piece. Don’t worry though. The top will not be so visible and choppy when it is sealed. You will also be viewing the finished piece from an angle and not a direct over view…which is a little busy and unrefined, I will admit.

I used Polycrylic sealer on the top because it is a resilient and easy to use sealer. I do like the rustic look that is emerging.

Because those legs were in such great shape and so pretty, I decided to give them a coat of hemp oil to bring out the beauty in the wood. Hemp oil is applied with a rag and then buffed to a shine.

Look at how the hemp oil feeds the raw wood and makes the stain shine.

Hemp oil really feeds the wood and brings out those natural tannins.

And so, while my intended fabulous transformation of this antique radio table is not so spectacular a transformation, it is a revival of the wood and that makes my heart pretty darn happy. Who knows…maybe I will tire of the rustic shabby primitive worn look. Or maybe I will finally paint her and gift her to someone. But for now, I love her!

Can you picture her in the corner of the parlor holding the big ol’ radio with the family gathered around to catch the daily state of the nation or an update on the World War?

I think I have the perfect place for her in the house but for now, we will enjoy her for a while out here on the deck.

I have some other projects scheduled for out here, including restaining the deck and revamping this little white dump truck.

It was 85 degrees the other day and some of my perennials are starting to show off. Mia is excited for spring.

So are these snap dragons.

These planters were upcycled almost 3 years ago and the colors are still vibrant!

And here is a good before and after. Special thanks to the sisters who can’t be in the same room together but do love a good project with Mom.

Today is my youngers daughter, IV’s birthday. She is 26. I posted on IG and FB that there aren’t many people who know themselves better than my IV. I’m realizing that maybe she gets a little bit of that from me! I really wanted to paint this table with Patina Green. I really did. But one look at what was beneath 50 some years of paint and I was finished. It had to be natural. There was no fighting it.

So Happy Birthday IV…and you are welcome for this stubborn resistant yet unique streak that you are owning!

And here are the Thrift Store Decor Team’s projects for this month! Enjoy!!!

Petticoat Junktion-Rick Rack Home Decor

Our Southern Home-Spray Paint Wicker Table

Shop At Blu-Upcycled Thrift Store Antique Radio Table

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia- High-End Garden Planter Knockoff

My Repurposed Life-Upcycled Drawers | Wall Shelf

The post Upcycled Antique Thrift Store Radio Table appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I am so very excited to have this project at the top of my to do list! You find the most fascinating things when you are out scouting for things that you don’t know you need. I fell in love with this antique Frezone ice box at first sight. My dad would tell stories all about the ice box they had when he was a kid. He was born in 1934 so perhaps those stories gave way to my fascination for old things. It’s finally time for this antique ice box refresh!

It is the second Wednesday of the month! That means it is time for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team projects. This antique ice box refresh is the perfect example of taking something old and transforming it, in a thrifty manner, for alternate use. Renew! Repurpose! Restore! Let’s go!

History of the Antique Ice Box

Here’s what Google says about the ice box:

“The icebox was invented by an American farmer and cabinetmaker named Thomas Moore in 1802. Moore used the icebox to transport butter from his home to the Georgetown markets, which allowed him to sell firm, brick butter instead of soft, melted tubs like his fellow vendors at the time.”

Blocks of ice were kept in and sold by local neighborhood ice houses. There was an ice house as recently as the 1980’s in my childhood Philadelphia neighborhood of Manayunk. My dad would buy blocks of ice to cool kegs of beer for the famous Core States Bike Race that went past our house on Lyceum Avenue in Roxborough. Dad was a local celebrity during the event. But that’s a story for another day…a really long and fabulous story.

The Vintage Frig company website states that “During the early 1900s domestic electric refrigerators became available, and by the 1940s they were common in US homes.” Before that time, people used ice boxes.

“Ice was shipped to its destination city or town in block form to be kept in an icehouse and then delivery by horse and wagon in block form street by street through the city. The refined form of icebox as kitchen furniture or appliance was invented between 1850 and 1860 and remained in production in a similar form until the advent of the electric fridge in the 1940s.” (sourced from The Vintage Frig website).

Ice boxes were usually made of wood and had a zinc or metal interior lining that kept the cold inside and cooled your meets, dairy products, drinks, etc.

Here are photos of different styles of ice boxes:

I don’t have a spot right now for this antique ice box inside my home right now. It’s gonna take some purging to make space for her and I’m not quite there yet. In the interim, I plan to put her to functional use outside under our covered patio area.

Choosing a Paint

Being made of metal, it is important to make certain that this beauty will be protected from the severe Alabama weather. Although the patio area is covered, it does get some scattered rain and is definitely exposed to extreme heat. Both of these elements of nature are adversaries to metal items and can cause rust. So, I grabbed my favorite paint, BLACK DOG SALVAGE FURNITURE PAINT which was created for salvaged and antique objects. Not only is the paint fabulous for this antique ice box, BDSFP makes heavy duty sealer that, in my opinion, is second to none in protecting your favorite vintage items from the extreme outdoor elements. Crab Coat is my go to for protecting outdoor items.

Prep Your Project Piece

I won’t go into great detail about how I prepared this piece but if you are interested in ALL of the details, check out these other posts on how to prep items for paint.

As always, prep your piece in the following manner:

• clean with warm soapy water to remove any dirt and surface debris
• lightly sand the surface to smooth any inconsistencies or minor scratches, dings, or mars
• wipe or dust away any heavy dust from sanding
• wipe surface with TSP to remove any lingering dust, oils or dirt

There was quite a bit of cleaning, then sanding, then more cleaning to do.

Fortunately, most of the rust was just on the surface and sanded off.

Even the spots where rust was a little heavier cleaned up nicely. I was so grateful!

The degree and severity of rust is always a big consideration when I buy metal antiques. You always want to make sure that the integrity of piece is intact and that the rust is not excessive. I only buy items where light to minimal sanding is required.

For metal items, you should select a paint that is made for metals. Just check the label to see if your favorite paint can be used on metal surfaces. You always want to select the best paint for the job so that it adheres well and lasts a good long time.

I selected BDSFT in Clean Canvas, their version of pure white. I conducted a few tests as this piece is metal and I was super worried about further rusting of this antique, though most of the rust was just on the surface. I prepped the piece using the steps above. Then I applied two liberal coats of paint allowing each to dry between coats. I applied two coats of Crab Coat, BDSFP’s marine grade environmentally safe exterior top coat, allowing each coat to completely dry overnight. For final application, 3 coats are recommended. I allowed the piece to sit outside under the deck for what I intended to be about 2 months. It actually sat there for a year.

Here are the photos with the test coats applied.

And here is the piece almost one year later after withstanding the outdoor elements.

Once I cleaned off the dust and thin layer of dirt, the surface was virtually rust free. The paint had help up marvelously! I call this a win!

I should also mention that I used Bar Keeper’s Friend to clean up the handles/pulls. It worked fabulously! I also use it to clean my hammered copper farmhouse sink.

BDSFP protected this beauty from the harsh Alabama elements. I was confident that this antique ice box would be safe in this under deck location. So I started the process again by using the prep steps again. I lightly sanded the top coat and wiped it down with TSP. I applied two liberal coats of paint. Two were enough, and though I considered adding another for extra protection, alas, I was low on paint. So two coats of paint were followed by three coats of Crab Coat.

And here she is, ready to hold any items we need protected from the elements.

She adds a bit of nostalgia and class to the area. Just the inspiration needed to get the rest of this new patio spruced up.

I’d say this is quite an improvement.

I am missing one latch handle. So if you come across one for a Frezone Ice Box, let me know!

Be sure to leave them a comment as to what you liked and what you would like to see in the future!

Wicker Table Makeover

Welcome Wreath

Turn A Storage Bin Into A Planter

Antique Ice Box Refresh – You are HERE!

Old Mirror: New Look

Vintage Aluminum Wash Basin Hanging Planter

Framed Coastal Wall Art on…Sandpaper!

The post Antique Ice Box Refresh appeared first on Shop at Blu.

If I am upcycling, recycling, renewing, or refreshing….it must be time for this month’s THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM projects!

At the end of this post are the links to every team member’s projects for this month. What new skills do you think we will see today?

Now, let’s get into our upcycled MCM china cabinet!

Where We Started

I’ve had this china cabinet in the garage for some time. I am drawn to the wooden design in the glass doors as well as the Queen Anne-like curves on the top of this classic beauty. Those wooden designs have a name. From Google:

Mullions / Muntins are moldings that divide the opening of a Cabinet Door Frame and either hold individual panes of glass (true divided lites) or more commonly serve as decorative accents over a single pane of glass.

While my love for mahogany is growing, this piece has some veneer damage…

and other issues…

And I can’t help wonder how beautiful she would be upcycled with a more contemporary flair. She’s been waiting for a fabulous makeover. Until today, I didn’t know how or where she would be used. But, I finally have a plan for this beauty. This will be fun.

Prep Your Furniture

I always start a furniture project by cleaning the piece, sanding (the whole piece or selective area, depending on the amount of damage and the condition of the wood), cleaning again, and wiping down with TSP to remove residual dirt and oils. Sometimes, like in this case, some repairs are necessary too.

In this case, part of the base had fallen off when the piece was exposed to a flood. I had the damaged parts so I just glued them back into place and secured with a few nails. I made the basic repairs so that I could continue but I will most likely return to this piece and reinforce the repairs.

I’m often torn between getting on with the project and completing a restorative repair that takes more time. Usually, my excitement gets the best of me and I do a quick but effective patch. What would you do? Sand, patch, restore? Or glue, paint, move on? Although I’m excited to have this piece in my home, I don’t know how long I will keep her as she is quite large. I suppose if I was going to keep her forever or if she was a family heirloom then I would spend the time for a flawless repair. This time, my impatience got the best of me and I did the basics. I’ll keep you posted on whether I polish her up.

You know I love me some blue. I mean, look at the dresser that’s already in the room. I’m trying to create a vibrant yet moody broody blue bordering on indigo. A rich velvety blue. Ah!

Creating Color with Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint

I consulted my friend Swooz, aka the paint recipe genius at Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint. Swooz is the genius behind the BDSFP recipes and fabulous color combinations you will see on their website.

At Swooz’s recommendation, I went with Cadet Blue followed by a coat of black glaze. Swooz recommended General Finishes glaze in Pitch Black. So that’s what I used.

The recipe for Cadet Blue is a 1:1 ration of Blue Ridge to Appalachian Sunset.

Introducing a New Product

Before we begin with the Cadet Blue, let me to introduce you to a new product! This is Mask and Peel.

It cuts down on the time and effort and elbow grease needed to paint things like window panes and dividers and mullions or muntins. Congratulations to me on using our new terms in a complete sentence.

In theory, you paint on the mask and peel, allow it to dry, paint your mullions, allow to dry, score the straight edges, and peel the mask off of the glass.

I am sure that this product works. I just has beginner’s bad luck. I think I painted the mask on in too thin of a coat. Most of it did not peel very well. But some did.

I used a razor blade to scrape the portions that would not peel This took some time, but was till easier than painting each mullion and scraping the paint off of the glass. I would definitely use it again. It really made the paint come off of the glass quite easily.

Slap on that Color

After prepping, I applied 1 coat of Cadet Blue allowing at least 4 hours of dry time before the second coat.

These days, sometimes it’s a week between coats. At any rate, the paint is dry and ready for the next layer.

Time to Glaze

I painted on the black glaze and wiped it off. I wanted a dark and broody look so I left the glaze rather thick. For a lighter appearance, you can cut the glaze or remove more during the wipe off process.

Here are some photos of the process…

I painted the inside with two coats and opted not to apply glaze to the inside so the interior would be brighter.

Here she is after paint but before the finishing touches. Don’t mind the lighting. This is such a difficult spot to photograph with that window causing the light in the room to constantly change.

My choice of wallpaper did not arrive in time for this project.

So I made a trip to a local store that was having a clearance sale and grabbed a shower curtain for $5.00.

I suspected that the shower curtain would be too bright of a back ground for my jewelry so I wanted the option to easily switch it out for the wallpaper or a lighter background at some point.

My first thought was to paint the interior white and mod podge colorful paper. But that seems like alot of work. After a quick inspection of the china cabinet, I determined that the back panel of the china cabinet was easily removeable.

I decided to simply wrap the panel with the material. Later, I can apply the wallpaper to the backside of the panel. Thus I will have two options that easily switch out by flipping the panel. We will see how that works after the wallpaper finally arrives. So for now, we have the floral shower curtain fabric.

I laid the fabric onto the panel and hot glued the edges. Then I simply took a razor blade and trimmed the excess fabric.

Once all of the paint dried, I simply tacked the panel into place on the back of the upcycled china cabinet.

I did a few minor repairs to the bottom front of china cabinet where a piece of the molding had fallen off. I glued the pieces together and nailed them back into place. I toyed with the thought of using wood putty to fill in the mars but decided against that as dings and knicks over time will reveal the light putty under the dark paint. I also don’t think the bottom mars will be noticeable as the focal point will be the interior of the piece. It’s a little rough, I will admit. This is before the glaze.

And here is a close up of the final project…

Although it is not super noticeable, I should have filled it with wood putty, sanded, and painted. I guess I will go back and do that. Slow down!! Do it right!

My ultimate plan is to move all of my jewelry into this updated MCM china cabinet. I think I will store our family photos in the bottom! You know, keep all of my treasures together. However, I have ALOT of jewelry so sorting and moving it all is a project for another day.

But, I couldn’t resist adding a few…

Maybe I can start to fill her up one day at a time.

I’m already enjoying walking past my most sentimental pieces.

This might take a while!

Fondue Forks as Plant Labels or Herb Markers

Restoring an Outdoor Lantern

Candle for Mothers Day

Vintage Metal Lunchbox Planter

Thrift Store Lamp Refresh With Paint and Rub-on Transfer

Spray Paint Faux Succulents

Succulent Letter Planter Arrangement

Upcycled MCM China Cabinet That’s me! You are HERE!

The post Upcycled MCM China Cabinet appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I found this Duncan Fyffe table at a local thrift store a few years ago. 

It was $5.  There was some damage to the top including chipped veneer and some surface knicks and scratches.  The brass caps from the tips of the legs were missing.  The entire edge from one leg tip was completely missing.  But for $5, I was confident that I could get some use out of this once pristine beauty.  So I paid the $5, cleaned her up, and gave her a polish with Old English.  She actually sat in my living room for several years with that damaged leg positioned in the back so no one could see it. 

Eventually, I upgraded to another side table so she has been sitting in the garage waiting for some attention. I always have a hard time parting with things that have brought me joy.  It’s time to give her a new look and a new home.

Today is Thrift Store Décor Team Wednesday! 

Nine of my creative and thrifty friends share a new project on the second Wednesday of every month!  At the end of this post, you will find the other 9 fabulous and thrifty projects for this month.

Step One -Thrift Store Painted Side Table

Since this thrift store side table was parked in my garage for a few years, I started by giving her a good bath with my go to Murphy’s Oil Soap.  As with all of my paint projects, I the wiped the entire table down with TSP to remove any residual dirt, grime, and oils.

My paint of choice is Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint.  I love this paint primarily for its coverage. The fantastic color options are a huge bonus.  BDFSP is unique because it comes pre-mixed in 16 pre-mixed colors.  From these colors, you can create so many different incredible variations of color.  So, in essence, your investment is minimal and your color choices pretty much unlimited.  For this project, I am using I Need A Bandage (red) and Clean Canvas (pure white) to create the fabulous springy color of Watermelon.

At the end of this post, I am including my affiliate link for 20% off of the website prices.

Here is the process:

• Clean the project piece with warm soapy water.  My cleaning product of choice is Murphy’s Oil Soap.
• Wipe the project piece down with TSP to remove residual dirt and oils.
• Sand, if desired.
• Note: Sanding is not necessary with BDSFP unless you want to remove any imperfections in the wood. On many drawers for older furniture pieces, there are mars or spin marks from loose hardware, knobs and handles.  A light sanding can often remove these marks.
• Wipe again with TSP solution.
• Apply one coat of paint.  Allow to dry.
• Apply a second coat.  Allow to dry.
• Distress, if desired. Note: For a distressed look, sand edges or normal location of wear marks. Follow up with another wipe down with TSP.
• Dust with a brush or wipe with a tack cloth to remove sanding dust and debris.
• Apply one coat of sealer. I used BDSFP Top Dog in your choice of finishes.  Allow to dry.
• Spply a second coat of sealer and allow to dry overnight.
• Install hardware.
• Enjoy you newly refurbished furniture.

For the missing brass tips on the ends of the table legs, I simply used gold paint the area where the tips would be placed. 

Several coats of gold will make the tips appear more authentic like the brass covers are in place.  This wasn’t a big concern for me so I simply applied 2 coats of gold.

Perfect Paint for a Thrift Store Vintage Side Table

I have to sing the praise of BDSFP.  Their paints are designed for antique and vintage pieces so the paint coverage is excellent.  The paint is designed to apply without sanding the surface of your work piece. Additionally, there is no need to prime before painting and the vibrant colors really pop.  Usually, two coats suffice to cover the previous finish.

Here is the finish after one coat:

Since my plan was to distress the table after painting, a second coat was fine. For a more matte and solid appearance, depending on the base color of your piece, you may need a third coat. But, BDSFP is quite thick and covers exceptionally well.

To distress, I simply hand sanded the edges and a few other spots around the drum of the table and on the pedestal and legs.

To add some interest to the table top and to help disguise its age and the wear, I created a rustic finish after sanding by dragging some of the Clear Canvas across surface of the table top. I dipped a rag in some java gel stain and ran it around the edge of the table top to fill in any scratches. I wiped of the excess. Once I achieved the look I was happy with, I sealed the table top and the entire table with Show Dog.

I am quite happy with the new look of this classic old table.

The watermelon color is just what we need around our home to help hurry spring along.

I will enjoy it for a few weeks and help her find a new home. This painted side table would be great at the beach, don’t you think?

Here is my affiliate link should you want to try Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint for your self. Use THIS LINK to shop for paint. And use code SHOPATBLU for 20% off.

I am quite excited about being able to use the recipes to create variations of the 16 primary colors.  Equally exciting it that I don’t need to purchase new cans of exact colors.  Instead, I can use the paints I have on hand to create fabulous colors using their tried and true recipes. And the best part of this recipe process is that it is super easy! Most recipes are a 2:1 or 1:1:1 recipes, Just measure and mix. It’s that easy!

Doesn’t this make you want to go out an paint a side table?

My first BDSFP project was this garden shelf unit.

My second project was Pop’s desk.

I can’t wait to use all of the paint colors utilized in these 3 projects to create upcycled decor in a beautiful rainbow of spring colors. I counted 9 recipes that I can use with the 5 colors that I have on hand.

As promised, here are the projects for this month from the fabulous Thrift Store Decor Team! Enjoy!

Upcycled Glass Chandelier  My Repurposed Life

Pallet Herb Garden My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Old Coffee Pot Upcycled As A Flower Pot  Organized Clutter

Chicken Wall Decor Idea Petticoat Junktion

How to Update an Old Mirror Domestically Speaking

St. Patrick’s Day Wreath  Sadie Seasongoods

Thrift Store Upcycle Idea for Spring  Reinvented Deleware

Whitewashing Bookends Our Southern Home

Thrift Store Painted Side Table Shop At Blu (That’s me! You are here!)

The post Thrift Store Painted Side Table appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Added bonus for you…it is Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday! 

Be sure to check the end of this post for 7 other fabulous thrifty and creative projects that will surely bring you some inspiration! 

Selecting a Design

I polled my Instagram and Facebook friends for ideas on how to finish these.  The top 3 suggestions were:

1. Hombre finish
2. Transfer finish
3. Pride colors

I decided to combine a few of these ideas.  I scouted some colorful tissue paper from Amazon and narrowed my choices down to these two:

Since I couldn’t decide, I ordered them both.  I have another decoupage project in mind so I will use one of these designs for the nesting tables and save the other for later.  I am leaning toward the teal and gold marbleized design.

I knew I want to use blues (of course) and hombre into a taupe or beige with a teal or pink being the median color.  But I couldn’t decide on either pink or teal so I did what I do when I can’t decide and started the project anyway.  I knew that the process would lead me to a fantastic design.  When in doubt, let the project lead you!

Prep the Surface

First step to painting furniture is always prep your surface. 

Lightly sand the tables and then wipe them down with warm soapy water or TSP to remove all dust and any residual dirt.

Time to Paint the Nesting Tables

I started with my favorite color Quaker Blue milk paint from Folk Art.  I painted the bottom third of each leg to get a better picture of the color with the tables. 

It covered well but I realized I should prime the entire piece.  So I gave the remaining sections of all of the tables a coat of Waverly chalk paint in Plaster which acted as a primer.  

I applied a second coat of Plaster to the table tops and the legs. 

I had already painted the blue on the bottom of the legs but forgot to snap a photo.  Next, I filled the center third of each leg with… pink.  

At this point, I decided on the floral paper.  The deep blue and pink complimented the paper perfectly.  Funny because I was originally leaning toward the teal and gold marbled paper with teal often being my go to color.  But there is something striking about this combination of blue and pink.  So bold it is!

Adding the Blended Colors

I know I said I was going to use the hombre but I really am an uber distressor and love to see a stark difference in paint layers.  So I decided to use more of a dry brush technique instead of strict hombre.  There are sections of the legs, however, that are blended more smoothly in true hombre fashion.  I will tackle a future project with the purest hombre technique using only colors in the same color family.

I started with a second coat of the pink in the center of the legs. 

While it was still wet, I dry brushed the plaster in a downward motion over the pink creating a blended color.  As the brush hit the pink, it picked up some pink and muted both colors slightly creating the hombre effect.  I allowed the pink and white to dry and then repeated the same process with a clean brush loaded lightly with plaster.  I dry brushed the plaster in a downward motion over the dried plaster and into the dried pink.  You can practice this technique to see how much of each color you wish to be visible.  The best part is…if you don’t like it then prime over it and start again!  Painting is very forgiving.

I kept playing with the paint until I got the desired look. Then I flipped the tables upside down and repeated the same process with the blue blending into the pink.

Decoupage on the Tops

I love the versatility of Mod Podge! 

You simply brush it onto the table top liberally.  Carefully lay the tissue paper on top of the Mod Podge.  Tissue paper is very thin and will most likely have bubbles that need to be smoothed over.  It is also very delicate.  Place a piece of wax or parchment paper over the tissue paper that has been laid onto the Mod Podge and gently smooth the wax paper from the center to the outside edges.  

I was not worried about the final product being lumped or bubbly since the tissue paper has a busy design.  You won’t be able to tell unless you put your face to the table and most folks aren’t going to do that.  But, if that will bother you, buy a heavier stock paper.  Tissue paper is so inexpensive that it was the perfect choice for me.

Allow the tissue paper to dry slightly and gently sand the edges of the table in an outward motion, away from the table.  This will gently removed the excess paper.

Once you have sanded the edges, wipe the surface with a dry rag to remove the dust and apply a liberal coat of Mod Podge over the entire table top.  Once this dries, apply a second coat.  

You can see the ripples in the paper in the photo above.  It gives some texture to the table top.  And, it is not really noticeable from a normal distance because of the pattern.  Again, for a smoother finish use a thicker paper other than tissue paper. 

Add Embellishments and Get Creative

The side of the table looked a little bland so I painted the inserts with my favorite blue.  You can get creative here and add more tissue paper or stripes or any complimentary design.  I went with the simple blue.  

I considered adding a little bit of gold metallic paint to the edges of the tables.  I also considered distressing the sides and legs because, well quite frankly I can never resist a good distressing.  It adds so much more interest and texture to a piece. And, it hides mistakes.  

But, for some reason, I like the simplicity of the painted edges without gold or distressing!  Can you believe it??  Could I finally be toning back my wild style?  I doubt it!

It is definitely a personal preference.  Which would you have chosen?  Distressed or smooth?  Would you have added the gold?

The final step is to seal the tables.  My go to is MinWax Polycrylic in Clear Satin finish. 

While it is super durable, go lightly over the white paint as it tends to yellow.  I also find that the darker paints can transfer onto the brush when applying the sealer.  So I sealed these tables in stages.  I did the white first and allowed it to dry.  Then I finished the legs.  The final step was 2 coats on the tops.

And here they are:

Can you ever really have too many cute side tables?  I think NOT!

Note:  For those of you who wanted to see a Pride project, check back soon.  I am working on that!

Thrift Store Decor Team Projects

As promised, here are the other 7 projects from my talented friends on the Thrift Store Decor Team.  Visit each for incredible inspo!  Leave a comment and tell them what you would like to see next!

DIY Color Block Vase – Domestically Speaking
Three-Legged Table Makeover – My Repurposed Life
How To Antique An Urn – Petticoat Junktion
DIY Aged Vase Using Coffee and Baking Soda – My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Coastal-Inspired Coffee Table Tray Decor – Sadie Seasongoods
DIY Faux Enamelware Basin – House Of Hawthornes
DIY Boho Painted Furniture Idea – Reinvented Delaware
Upcycled Vintage Nesting Tables – Shop At Blu (that’s me, You are HERE!)

I am sharing this post with the following Linky Parties:

• All About Home party at  Common Ground and Follow the Yellow Brick Road
• Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
• Party at Karin’s Kottage
• Tuesday Turnabout at Reinvented Delaware, My Wee Abode, and My Family Thyme
• Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
• Creative Crafts at Creatively Beth 
• Wonderful Wednesdays at Hammers and Hugs
• Grace at Home at  at Grace at Home
• Wonderful Wednesday Weeklong at Oh My Heartsie Girl
• Sundays on Silverado at the The House on Silverado

The post How to Upcycle Vintage Nesting Tables appeared first on Shop at Blu.

   WEEK 1         WEEK 2          WEEK 3          WEEK 4           WEEK 5       WEEK 6

Completed Projects

Walls and woodwork are painted.  I can’t believe the change. The light fresh color really brightens and makes the room seem much larger.

The antique paint covered mantle has been stripped and is being installed as the headboard.

The gorgeous antique highboy has been revived and is looking quite stately.

Curtains are hung and the blues have arrived in the room.

Bedding has been ordered and I am crossing my fingers that it arrives this week.  Otherwise I will really be scrambling into the home stretch.

Prep the Dresser

The first step in prep of the dresser is to remove all of the drawers and all of the hardware.  This enables you to do a great job on the next step which is cleaning the dresser. 

You can vary this prep stage depending on what type of paint you have selected for your dresser.  Years ago, when I first started painting furniture, chalk and mineral paints did not exist.  If they did, I was not aware of them and they were not readily available.  If you are using chalk paint or mineral paint, you can skip the sanding stage of the dresser prep as these paints often claim “no prep necessary”.

Sand the dresser lightly.  You can use a sanding block or an electric sander.  If you use an electric sander, be cautious because some of them are very powerful and used incorrectly can damage your wood.  Practice first, as always.

Sanding helps the paint to adhere to the wood because it makes the surface rougher.  This dresser needed a more severe sanding as has many wear marks, scuffs, and dings.  After sanding, wipe the dresser with a damp cloth to remove the dust produced by the sanding process.

Wipe the dresser completely with TSP.  TSP comes in a variety of forms.  I use a soft cotton rag liberally doused with tsp.

Once the dresser is dry, you are ready to paint.  

Brushes

My favorite brush is Cling On.  But I often use Purdy which are sold locally at Home Depot.  Another favorite is the shorter handled brush from Country Chic Paints.

Since I am painting a vibrant blue over top of a dark stained original finish, it is necessary to paint the entire dresser first with a good quality primer.  The primer helps in 2 ways: 

1. The primer is white so it will provide a light base under the new paint.  Below is a photo of the selected paint on the dark finish.  You can hardly see the blue color.  The white base allows the paint to assume its vibrant color as intended.
2. The primer will help to fill the dings, mars and scratches that exist all over this older and well loved dresser.  So, after the final paint has been applied, the dresser will appear less worn.

The Paint Process

I used my Homeright Super Finish Max paint sprayer.  This is my go to sprayer and I could not love this product more…unless it came with an unending supply of paint that automatically filled the sprayer when needed.

My sander simply did not cut through the thick sealer on the dresser top.  So I used stripper and then sanded the top of the dresser to see what color the wood was beneath the heavy factory shiny finish.  It was beautiful multi colored wood so I decided to stain the top instead of painting it.  This would allow me to highlight the different shades of wood and help pull together the room since several colors of antique wooden furniture will be used.  I used two different color stains to unify the furniture.  Here is the result.  I will share details on how to refinish a dresser top in a later post.

I am quite pleased.  Here’s a reminder of what I started with:

Getting that Vibrant Blue

I hand painted the blue onto the dresser.  My paint selection was General Finishes Klein Blue milk paint.  I love General Finishes and have used several of their milk paint colors in addition to their gel stain, which is my absolute favorite for table and dresser tops.

This Klein blue was very streaky at first application.  I actually stopped and gave the paint a more thorough stirring.  I suppose it is just the color that requires several applications.  This paint seemed to be more translucent than others that I have used in the past.  That tends to be the case when paints have more color pigment, like reds. 

But, after the 3rd coat, the coverage was better.  And the vibrancy of the blue is undeniable. 

Hardware

I am planning to replace the hardware on these drawers but in the meantime, I gave them a light coat of Rustoleum Navy.  They now appear to have a bluing texture which is quite unexpected but different.  I love when the unexpected works!

Be sure to check out all of the projects from the Featured Designers and the other Guest Participants.

The post Painting a Dresser appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Week 3

This week I am moving forward with the newly stripped mantle.  Actually, it is not completely stripped.  In the process of stripping, the first few layers of paint, I discovered this chippy glorious patina.  So my plan to refurbish this mantle has changed in that much of the tiger oak is now exposed but I will leave some of the chippy paint intact.

I simply assumed that Mr. Blu would hate it so I continued my task of completely stripping the paint back to the original tiger oak that as sleeping beneath 5 layers of paint and the original stain.  Mr. Blu is more traditional and does not normally appreciate chippy in any way, form or fashion.  So imagine my glee when he popped into the driveway, saw the partially stripped mantle and said, “Hey, I like that look!”  I do believe that I have worn this man down over the last 35 years.  Or perhaps he has come to embrace the beauty in things past.  Either way, the plan for this mantle has changed. 

I will be stripping part of mantle to expose the beautiful antique tiger oak but some of the chippy beauty will remain.  This process will most likely take another 6 hours.  I will share some glimpses but will save the full photo for the reveal in Week 8.

Alterations to the Mantle

With the mantle almost stripped and redesigned, it is time to widen her to fit the king size bed.  Here were my options:

1. Shop the local architectural salvage and antique shops for 48″ to 84″ tiger oak remnants that are 6″-12″ in width.  
2. Create side panels from new lumber and custom treat with paint/stain combination to match the mantle.

I had decided for time and budget sake to go with option 2 when Mr. Blu chimed in with a thrid option, “What about that old mantle from the deck that fell apart when we moved it?  Can you use that?”.  And I heard it…the angels sang!   Yesterday when I was finishing the mantle strip, I went to turn on the hose and caught a glimpse of the sad old mantle which we will call Diva. 

Hello Diva!

Here are some photos of Diva in her glory days when I first brought her home from The Blue Building Antiques. 

Since then, she has weathered the Alabama scorching sun, hurricane rain, and tornadic winds.  Her color has faded but her bones are good.

We recently had a new deck installed so Diva had to come down to the yard until she can be rehomed somewhere under the new deck where she will be better protected from the southern weather elements.  I honestly don’t see a good spot for her under the new deck yet so she is waiting patiently in her temporary location.  When we moved her back under the deck last month, some of the wood had broken loose so we removed it with the plan to reattach once we find a spot for her. 

For a moment I thought…what about those pieces for side panels?  But in my mind, she was destined to stay on the deck so I quickly shook off that possibility.

Now, revisiting the idea, I realized:

1. I will save a lot of time by not having to travel to local and distant salvage locations or antique stores in search of the perfect fit.
2. There is no cost involved with using these mantle parts.  Antique remnants can be expensive!
3. The wood already has beautiful texture from the sun and rain.  This texture would be perfect as a frame for the refreshed mantle.  I will just have to match the finish to the mantle.  
4. I can disassemble Diva and use the mantle shelf for another project.  She would make a wonderful wall bar!

I measured the sides of Diva and determined that there is enough material.  So here we go!

The bottom of the mantle will not be visible as it will sit behind the mattress.  So, I will need a piece of wood attached from the Diva piece to the floor but the finish will not have to match exactly.  So I can simply attached the Diva pieces higher on the mantle and not worry about an exact finish match below the 24″ mark.  I will have to work with stain and paint to match the finishes on the Diva side piece and the main mantle.  Right now Diva’s parts are tired and worn.  I should be able to make her look new again.

And so, I am off to finish the mantle project!  But in the meantime, let’s talk colors for the MBR.

Color Palette

With the mantle design finalized, I decided that we will be painting the walls.  Although I do love the old world look of the antique faux finished gold walls, I am interested in a nice change in the vibe of this room.  I stripped all of the gold and yellow paint from the mantle so there is not need to stay with the golds.  The walls will be painted a shade of white and the accents…well, of course they will be blue.  Staying neutral on the wall allows the full rainbow for possibilities of accent colors in the future.

The whites that I am considering are all Behr:  Bakery Box,  Vibrant White and Polar Bear.  I did consider a grey tone but I really want the room to focus on the woods and whites. 

All of our woodwork is painted in Behr Ultra Pure White.  I want a white wall color but I have to be careful with the finished mantle as it still has some residual white paint scattered throughout.  The white on the mantle is probably 100 years old.  Because of age, I’m afraid that a wall color that is too white will make the mantle look yellow.  So I decided on Vibrant White.  I would share a paint chip but, well, it’s white so…pointless?  Here are the colors I considered:

Here is a great example of woods and whites at their finest.  Deb and Danelle are masters!  My mantle will be a bit darker but I have a highboy that is a lighter maple/oak and will be coming into the room soon.  There will be a nice mix of many wood tones.

My room will concentrate on woods and white with a heavy emphasis on, of course, blue!  Commence the wall painting!

Accent Colors

I’m a blue girl.  Always.  Over the past year I’ve been drawn to some striking furniture pieces that were painted in the cobalt blue family.  Is it possible to transfer that glorious cobalt blue glass color onto furniture?  I’m gonna give it my best shot!

I think these Behr colors are pretty close, though it does seem more vibrant in person:

I want to paint the larges piece of furniture, my dresser, in this a vibrant and glowing blue.  I’m considering a transfer but I will make that call once I see how the vibrant blue affects the scale of the piece.  I’ve never used a transfer so I might try that on another piece in the room.  Again, we will see as the room progresses.

I do like these transfers that I browsed online…

This one is from Natalie at This Old Vintage…

And the blues on this one by maikadaughters.com are incredible…!  

I will keep shopping around for transfers and alternate finish ideas.

I’m picturing the white-ish walls, the vibrant blue dresser, the woods and whites of the mantle (tiger oak and residual chippy paint).  It’s all coming together.  

Next up, curtains, bedding and reviving a tall boy!

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As usual, I was excited to get the project started so I neglected to take an official before photo of the inside.  But there is one below that I took during the process.

I still have alot of furniture left in my garage from when I closed my store, The Blue Building Antiques.  Most of the pieces I save have either sentimental value or are pretty unique.  This will be the first one that I am finally transforming with the intention of finding them all new homes.

I originally thought I would slap some white paint on this, shabby her up a bit, and sell her.  But when I saw the challenge posts, I thought she would be fabulous with some color.  Those cubbies needed something special and I had just the idea.

Inspiration from History

Since November, I’ve been involved in trying to save my high school, Hallahan in Philadelphia, from closing.  While the efforts to keep the school open were not successful, they re-ignited a love for history and an appreciation of our formative years in the nation’s first diocesan all girls’ Catholic high school.  I’m talking about the community of 40,000 women who graduated from the school, their families, and the Philadelphia community.  Eventually I will write about that whole process.  But for now, the sadness and grieving process of the untimely closing of the school still very fresh.  I did get the chance to visit the school shortly before her doors were slammed shut.  THIS is the inspiration for this project.  Here are photos of the stained glass and historical artifacts that adorned this iconic school.  

Here are a few other stained glass windows from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.  The bright jewel tones couples with the pastels are just lovely.

Prepping the Secretary

The first step in flipping furniture is to prep the piece.  I usually will give the surface a light sanding to ensure that the new paint will adhere.  I normally use a power sander because it is so much faster and easier than manually sanding with a sanding block.  This piece was rather glossy so I slightly sanded and then wiped it down with tsp, which is a solution that removes dirt and preps the surface for paint adhesion. 

Moving on to Paint

Two coats of the primary paint were applied to the secretary.  The second coat was lightly applied since my intent was to sand the edges and some of the surface to give it a rustic and distressed appearance.  I dry brushed a lighter color randomly on the surface to add some dimension.  Then I lightly sanded the edges of the secretary as well as over the lighter colored areas.  

The inside cubbies are where the color is happening!  I painted a few samples squares and played with their position to determine the most pleasing pattern for the cubbies.  Once satisfied with the design, I painted the cubbies.  I used just about every brand of paint I had on hand including Behr, Color Wash by Deco Art, Folk Art by Plaid, Velvet Finishes, Fusion Mineral Paint, Unicorn Spit Stain, Glidden and MinWax.  

The final step was to seal the piece.  I always use a water based polyurethane for ease.  My product of choice is MinWax Polycrylic.  This product gives a durable finish and is easy to clean up with soap and water. 

And here is my entry for the contest!

 

And when you open her up, you get the color pop!

I’m happy with this last minute project.  I think she turned out to be quite unique and quite the happy piece!

I am so happy to report that there is one less piece of furniture in my garage.  Now to decide if I am keeping it or selling it.  Yikes!  Decisions!  An of course, I hope you have learned a bit about how to upcycle furniture.

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