So often, folks are appalled when others update vintage or antique furniture using paint. It’s easy for them to blame us for “ruining” a piece, however they often don’t stop to consider that perhaps someone else ruined it already and we are just reviving a well-built piece so it can be recycled and enjoyed.
If folks collectively took such great care of their furniture, then we wouldn’t end up with things like the following:
Discolored or Water-Stained Wood
Sometimes it’s the old linseed oil finish aging gracelessly; sometimes it’s sun bleaching or water leaching; sometimes it’s crusty, fragile shellac. Any way you look at it, it’s not pretty.
Damaged Veneer
Surprisingly easier to fix than you may think – if painting. However, it’s an enormous endeavor if you hope to patch with matching veneer and stain. Most of these pieces aren’t going to be worth the time and effort of replacing with stain-quality veneer, so the choice is often to cut, patch and paint in order to keep it’s life going!
Chips and Gouges
Life Happens
Paint Splatters and Mishaps
Oh the stories some of these pieces could tell!
Burns!
Cigars or cigarettes left on the edge of a table “just for a minute” only to burn down to a nub when forgotten; ashtrays that spill their flaming contents; and don’t forget the occasional candle left seriously unattended….
Barns
(AKA Droppings & Mildew)
Don’t get me wrong – barns are great places to find buried treasure – you just need to be prepared for some serious cleaning….and then some more. Think sparrows, bats, cats, moist hay, rodents….but don’t think too hard about it or you may miss a real gem.
So, why did I paint that piece?!
Revive. Refresh. Restore. It’s all about Sustainability.
Because Reviving beauty doesn’t always mean bringing it back to original condition;
Because Refreshing is restoring strength to piece of furniture;
Because Restoring function is what keeps a well-made piece in circulation and out of the landfill.
We would LOVE for you to share pictures here of some of your most desperate-looking diamonds in the ROUGH!
All of the products to complete these projects are available at our Online Shop, at our Rochester, NY location Lakeside Restoration 1833 Monroe Ave 14618 and our Sodus, NY location 7060 Ridge Road 14551
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Explore other posts in our blog for more transformations and tips – and don’t forget to venture into the second page of oldie but goodie posts!
If you haven’t yet tried painting with milkpaint, it’s a must-try! It is capable of such a variety of finishes; a solid stain on raw wood, a solid rustic finish using binder, and a chippy farmhouse look – it’s so much fun! Lakeside Restoration and Vintage Matters will be offering milkpaint workshops in February, so keep an eye out on the events page on Facebook for your chance to play 
True to it’s milkpaint roots, this color mix also distressed beautifully and chipped where we had strategically pre-applied a light wax before painting. 
After making and adding a wood latch to pull the warped door in further, it was time to seal the exterior with hemp oil and paint the shelves with durable Fusion Raw Silk to create a clean and inviting space for storage.
