Liming Finish on Rough Antique Pine Dresser

I’d been itching to use Fusion’s White Stain & Finishing Oil as a Liming finish, and when I came across this previously stripped antique yellow pine dresser, I knew I had found the perfect piece! The previous owners had it professionally “dipped” to strip off the existing paint with every intention of refinishing it.  That’s a familiar prelude for many of us! After years of sitting and moving from residence to residence, they finally needed it out of the way.  By then, it was quite musty, battered, and generally “rough”.  A liming finish would seal and protect it, but also highlight it’s character rather than try to mask it.

The overall construction was fantastic, but definitely “rustic”.


Fusion’s Stain and Finishing Oil (SFO) is a penetrating oil stain that soaks into the grain, in addition to an oil-based topcoat to seal and protect.  Stain and Sealing in One step!

To use SFO on raw wood, I simply brushed it on, let it penetrate the wood for a few minutes, and then wiped back the excess.  Below you can see the process and half of the drawer wiped back with one coat.  I decided this was still too yellow, so I simply waited a day for it to dry, and then applied a second coat – brush on/wipe off.

Below, you can see the difference one coat makes on the drawer front and the dresser top.

Now for that musty smell…every single interior surface got a generous shellacking! Shellac is the only surefire way to seal smells away from your belongings.  The important part about sealing musty dressers is to brush or spray shellac on the underside, interior, exterior of each drawer (every side but the front) in order to completely trap odors away.  The interior body of the dresser should also be sprayed or brushed because it can also trap smells.

Here is the finished piece after it’s second coat.  It was That Simple!  One step Stain & Finishing Oil and a bit of shellac! It was a great way to update and bring out some of the details while preserving the character of this piece.

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This piece found its new home quite a while ago, but we have more unique refinished pieces available on our Facebook page Furniture Albums and our  Online Store

Fusion’s Stain & Finishing Oil comes in a variety of stains to highlight and show off your wood grain. SFO Colors

Family Heirloom Updated for Generations to Come

Once in a while, a piece of furniture comes into our workshop that is truly an honor to work on.  This particularly large hutch was definitely one of those as it defines the importance of family and preserving memories.

This gigantic hutch was handmade by our customer’s great-grandfather, grandfather, and father.  It is a piece of this family’s history as it has a consistent presence in childhood memories and even in the background of countless family photographs through generations.  We found it stored neatly in a locker where it was waiting for both a new family home it could fit into (did I mention it’s HUGE), and a little bit of updating to fit into a modern home.

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This was such a fun, quirky piece to work on with lots of decisions along the way to make sure it’s character was preserved while the finish was updated to fit into it’s new home.  For instance, we found a ruler built into the top of the upper doors (it must have been just the right size to fill a gap).  Of course, we made sure to preserve this bit of historical character and not paint over it.

 

We also understand that the scallops along the front were traced using a handy dandy coffee can so they were also kept intact.  The mirror along the back had warped over time and provided for a curved, fun-house appearance, so the decision was made to replace that with an updated shiplap.  And, while my first inclination was to sand off all of the drippy shellac layers and fill and sand smooth all of the dents and divots…I needed to stand down and go with the character of the piece to preserve those bits of history.  Ultimately, I hope we balanced preservation with modern utility.

 

This turned out to be like working on two large pieces of furniture at once. For the hutch top, the large, curvy “fun-house” mirror needed to be removed first and the space updated with shiplap.

 

Then, doors were removed, crown molding was installed, and a few areas tightened up.  Unfortunately, the hinges had been shellacked over at some point in the past, so they were incredibly difficult to remove intact.  We went hinge shopping! A bit of Midnight Blue paint started to pull the top together nicely.

We worked on the doors, drawers and hardware separately. The owners decided to keep the original hardware for historical integrity and simply update the look with paint, so the hardware was cleaned and painted with Fusion’s Vintage Gold Metallic.

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Next, we see the process for prepping and finishing this piece.

1) After washing thoroughly with TSP Alternative,

2) the shiny shellacked surface was lightly scuff-sanded to provide some tooth for the paint to adhere and then cleaned again to remove sanding dust. After that,

3) two coats of Midnight Blue were applied using microfiber roller and Staalmeester brush.  After 3 weeks cure time for the paint to evaporate all water residue,

4) two coats of polyurethane (FUSION Patina Gel Stain and Top Coat) were applied.

This is an example from the cabinet doors; the whole process was applied to the entire piece.

Now onto the bottom half!

One side had originally been built-in to adjoining cabinetry or a wall, so it wasn’t finished on the end.  This is a good view of the plywood sheets the piece was largely constructed from. Patching, painting, and building out the trim to match as well as possible came next.

SFO and Gel Stain were applied to the top to get the best possible color and finish.  Keep in mind, this top is made from a sheet of rough plywood, so trying to update the look without losing the character and charm of the homemade piece was a challenge.

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A piece this large shifts and adjusts under it’s own weight each time it is moved.  While this may have been level at one time, by this time, the plywood bottom wasn’t even or finished off in a way that I would want dragging across my wood floors.  We added adjustable metal feet to help level it and protect the floors in its new home.

Once we flipped it back up, finished up paint and started reassembling, it really came together nicely!

Just a few odds and ends like adding magnetic latches to the bouncy lower doors and this piece was ready to be delivered!  And that’s where it gets scary! Anyone who lives in the Northeast understands the state of the roads by the end of winter after a season of plows and salt has opened gaping potholes all along the roadways.  We double-triple wrapped, strapped and tied these pieces in our enclosed trailer and crossed our fingers for the entire 45 minute drive!

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BEFORE

Here she is in her permanent home!

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AFTER!

This wall looks like it was made for this piece of furniture; and the customer’s color choices are spot on for the interior of this home!  Thank You so much, Stacy, for trusting us with updating your family heirloom for the next generation!

Revive. Refresh. Restore. Lakeside Restoration.

 

All of the FUSION products used to transform this piece are available (along with personal instruction!) at both our brick and mortar locations and our online store.

Lakeside Restoration 1833 Monroe Ave Rochester, NY 14618

Vintage Matters 7060 Ridge Road Sodus, NY 14551

Online store:  Online Shop Link

Please leave us comments, read our other blog posts, share our blog and be sure to Like our Facebook page so we can continue to bring you these stories about our furniture revival adventures!

1920’s Dressers – So Versatile!

The Before

This is one of my favorite styles of furniture to work with; well made, lots of storage, easy to repair and open to any style of finish from traditional to rustic.  These pieces of furniture can be used in just about every room in the house too.  A server in the dining room, entryway storage, bathroom vanity, and of course, for clothing or winter blanket storage in a bedroom. 

This particular dresser is Enormous (50 inches wide!).  It had definitely seen better days. Although the wood veneer was beautifully grained, there were lots of scratches, a few gouges, several spillage or burn marks, and a few other hard-use scars that would require complete stripping and thorough sanding to bring back to beautiful wood – with no guarantees that all that work would save the deepest of the stained areas.  Not to mention, sanding something this size is an outdoor job; but not during the winter in Upstate NY.

The Top

With the level of discoloration on the top, I opted to use FUSION’s Double Espresso Gel Stain, which is a nearly opaque, tinted polyurethane.  It leaves a nice, durable wood finish while blending in some of the color variations. While it isn’t necessary to sand before applying, I hand-sanded as many of the stains out of the top as I could for a more uniform final finish.

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BEFORE

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AFTER Gel Stain

The Body

Homestead House Milkpaint carries a line of historic colors that look fantastic on antique pieces.  The finish can also be very rustic and chippy, which gives an authentic modern farmhouse look without having to deal with furniture originally painted with dangerous, lead-based paint. I love blues, and have been wanting to try Rideau Blue on a large piece! Keep in mind, authentic milk-paint must be in powdered form.  If it comes pre-mixed as a liquid then it is not actual milkpaint and contains all sorts of other fillers that are not part of historic, authentic milkpaint; this is often referred to as “simulated” milkpaint – and it won’t perform nearly as well as the real deal from Homestead House or Miss Mustard Seed.

Milkpaint fun!

One of the fun things about using milkpaint without adding a binder, is that it will perform uniquely and chip where it wants to in a natural, authentic way.  It can also be used as a more solid finish by adding an acrylic bonding agent, however I like to see how it’s going to go on it’s own first.

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After it dries, a light sanding reveals where the paint would like to stay and where it would like to randomly chip off.  Application of a little FUSION hemp oil brings out the true depth of milkpaint color and enhances the chipped areas beautifully!image_b9457dc4-784a-43e6-baea-8134b1951b8e.img_9539If 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 www.lakesiderestoration.net

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After applying Hemp Oil on the Left; Before applying hemp oil on the Right. You can see how it deepens the color a bit and enhances the chipped areas.
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Just a few minor repairs along the way to make sure the drawers are working well!

 

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It’s starting to come together!
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Oh, yes….the GIGANTIC mirror! I tweeked my back hefting this one in to place. But look at how nicely the mirror finishes off the piece!

 

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LOVE THIS!!!

After a thorough cleaning, the drawer interiors were in pretty nice shape for the age of this piece.  I opted to re-hydrate them and polish the interior finish using FUSION’s new Lavender scented furniture wax.  Not only does this wax brighten up and seal the wood, but it also smells incredible!!!fusion_mineral_paint-wax-lavender-200g

All of the products used to refinish this dresser are available at our shops, Vintage Matters at 7060 Ridge Road Sodus, NY and Lakeside Restoration 1833 Monroe Ave Rochester, NY  – or at our online store at https://lakeside-restoration.myshopify.com/

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FINISHED!!

Revive. Refresh. Restore. Lakeside Restoration.

 

Please be sure to ‘Like’ our Facebook page www.lakesiderestoration.net and share this blog and our page with your DIY friends!  We also have lots of other posts if you haven’t explored our blog yet.

 

Farmhouse Pantry Refinish

Painting a Farmhouse Cupboard

It sounded simple enough; paint a farmhouse cupboard to be used as home office storage.  After searching far and wide for the perfectly sized and shaped piece, the customer picked up this awesome antique pantry cupboard at another local shop and brought it to us for refinishing to coordinate with her beautifully appointed modern farmhouse.  It turned out to be much more than simple painting and is one of the more interesting and satisfying pieces we’ve done!

As you can see, there’s quite a bit of history worn on this cupboard along with some water damage on the lower portion, to the point that the door became warped and kicked out at the bottom. Repair need noted.  You can also see the gouges in the side that was previously built-in but would now be exposed on a free standing cabinet. Repair noted.

There were also nail points poking through the side and a slew of general cosmetic needs requiring replacing fasteners, patching and sanding.  Most significant, however, was the fact that this massive cupboard would not sit flat.  In fact, it rocked so much on it’s uneven base that we promptly laid it flat on it’s back for our own safety.  Another charm of a formerly built-in piece; it was previously nailed to the floor and to surrounding walls/cabinets, so a flat bottom was not a priority for it’s original use.  Safely sitting level in a freestanding position was now the new priority for it’s next life.  Major repair noted.  Otherwise, we were in awe of how well-built this cupboard really was!

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We added large, square wood blocks to the bottom corners set back enough that they wouldn’t protrude and be obvious add-ons.  To those, we secured adjustable feet for leveling once in place at it’s new home.  The first and most important repair done and now we could set it up for other repairs and painting!  Oh, but first choosing the paint color…

Milkpaint or Fusion Paint?

So, if you check out the Instagram page, SimpleDecorWithAmy, you will see how beautifully appointed this customer’s home is and how intentional her color choices are.  So of course, we planned on a custom color mix!  What I hadn’t planned for, is that the perfect color would be a mix of a Homestead House milkpaint color (Cartier) and a Fusion Mineral Paint color (Brook)!  Can they even be mixed??!!  Time to research and experiment!  Turns out the answer is YES, these water-based paints can be mixed, and the finish turns out to be a glorious hybrid with the best qualities of both!

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We started with a wash of Algonquin milkpaint since the piece was practically raw wood in spots, it soaked in beautifully, creating a color block that toned down the red to a more neutral brown and will never chip because it is incorporated into the wood.  

Then, we mixed up a batch of Homestead’s Cartier milkpaint and introduced just the right amount of Fusion’s Brook. You can see how much more opaque the finish becomes with this step.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.  image_1dabc659-d229-43da-853c-2a82d7463ff9.img_7384

Final Touches

image_282b4867-b022-442a-8e8b-533f310abdb8.img_7485After 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.

The final photos from the customer’s Instagram are of this cupboard in it’s new home and beautifully styled to show off how well it fits into it’s new space. I especially adore the winter decor photo!  Such a transformation from where we started!  This customer could clearly see this aged piece for it’s potential in her beautiful home.  Cheers to new life!

 

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Revive. Refresh. Restore.  Lakeside Restoration.

All Homestead House and FUSION products used to update this Farmhouse Cupboard can be found at our shops; Lakeside Restoration in Rochester, NY and Vintage Matters in Sodus, NY.  www.lakesiderestoration.net      They can also be purchased at our online store www.lakeside-restoration.myshopify.com

 

 

It’s Desk Season!

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I just started working on a commissioned desk and found I was ridiculously excited about it! Folks are heading back to school, back to college, furnishing new offices…It is desk-season, after all! So, I couldn’t help but take a little stroll down my memory lane of desk projects.

I have a soft spot for a good desk; always have.

49730850_2023448417733216_5307332160439451648_nAfter all, I have spent many, many years behind a desk studying, reading, writing, working… and now, refinishing and reinventing them!  Did I mention – I really love a good desk!

What did I ask for when I turned 18? You guessed it; a good desk!  One to get me through college, graduate school & beyond…of course I still have it – it’s a good desk!  We have at least 7 desks currently active at home…

After I refinished the desk below, my daughter announced she wanted it for her room.  A proud Momma moment if I’ve ever had one!  It’s a Beaut! And, of course, she has it in her room.

 

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Big desks, little desks, white desks, black desks, smooth desks, distressed desks, writing desks, executive desks, secretary desks, children’s desks, even coastal desks!!

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This is just a small sampling and doesn’t include some really bizarre, historic, and unique desks yet to be chronicled!

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Do you have a favorite type of furniture to hoard…ahem, Collect?  Refinish?

Is it Desks?!

Even if it isn’t desks, I’d love to hear and see what your favorite flavor of furniture is for collecting or restoring!

Also, please let us know if you’d like to know more about any of these pieces and the process that went into finishing them for future blog posts!

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Antique Secretary

From this,

To This:

I picked this up from a college student moving out of her apartment – she bought this with plans to paint it but it never even made it into her apartment!  This sweet compact secretary sat in her breezeway collecting mail and dust and now her lease was up and she needed to move on.

I really liked the texture of the wood on this piece and wanted to make sure it was accentuated.  FUSION Homestead Blue has such great coverage that one thin coat was all I needed so it didn’t flatten out the grain.  While you could see the wood texture close up, the color was a bit too uniform for what I was trying to do, so I used FUSION’s antiquing glaze with a little extra Chocolate paint mixed in to darken it up.  Finally, I added a tiny bit of strategic distressing so it didn’t look too new and further accentuated some areas with a bit of black wax.  While I didn’t need to use wax for sealing because FUSION has a built-in topcoat, I wanted some extra depth.  I LOVE how easy this wax is to use and how forgiving the black wax is.

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The interior was papered with some illegible script and a few of the organizers were painted inside with Soapstone to add some interest.

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With the new finish, the original hardware really stands out and makes more of a statement than before.

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Working on some rustic clock finishes.

After working on so many lengthy projects, it’s nice to sit down and bask in the immediate gratification of starting and completing a project in one sitting.  That’s why I’m enjoying wooden clocks right now.  Endless possibilities for finishes, colors, stencils, etc…and it can be completed and enjoyed within a couple of hours.

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