Last year, I purchased a long iron sofa and matching outdoor chair from our local antique fair.  I love the look of those iron outdoor sofas from Restoration Hardware, but was completely unprepared to pay those prices. 

I bargained the vendor down to $300 for my set – she didn’t want to have to load it back up on her truck, so it came home with me.  My next mission was to have custom cushions made with Sunbrella fabric, but I had sticker shock at the amount the local upholstery shops wanted to charge me for foam, batting, fabric and sewing.  So I decided to make them myself. 

Last year, I found an online retailer to custom cut high density foam and wrap it in Dacron. 

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For years, I’ve wanted to bring some glamour and elegance to my foyer.  It’s the first impression for guests, and it has been nothing short of dull for quite some time.  Since our entry is only ten feet wide, I also wanted to bring reflective light and shimmer to the space as well.

Last week I hinted at the fabulous highboy dresser I picked up at the Goodwill for $35.  Lucky me, it had only been on the floor for thirty minutes before I snatched it up.  SCORE !  With a bit of stain and some new hardware, I brought this wonderful vintage piece into the modern age, and gave it a special new glow.

Here’s the foyer Before and After:

Here’s how it all happened.  As you know, I frequent the local thrift stores looking for treasures.  I chanced upon this solid wood new arrival and hustled – no I seriously ran – to the cash register to buy it before anyone else could, with my poor little boy shouting “Mooooommmmiieee waaaaiiiit” as I dragged the poor little guy behind me.  I spent part of my weekend giving this piece the TLC it needed.

Re-staining Previously Stained Furniture:

Step One, Sanding:  Give your piece an all over good sanding, removing all varnish that may exist.  Wear a disposable mask so as not to inhale any microscopic dust.  In my case, I sanded the highboy by hand with coarse, and then medium, grade sandpaper.  (My electric sander, although faster, would have been too rough on this delicate piece.)  Work with, not against, the grain of the wood.  It took over an hour to fully sand this dresser, but hey I look on the bright side:  I got a great upper arm workout.

Step Two, Conditioning:  I’m a Minwax fan, so if you want to create better absorbency in your wood, you can consider using a wood conditioner like Minwax Wood Conditioner.  Grainy or gnarly woods like oak or pine should definitely be conditioned beforehand.

Step Three, Staining:  To stain this piece, I used a staining pad and Minwax Gel Stain in Walnut.  I truly madly deeply love this stuff.  The gel formula is thicker, unlike regular stain, so you don’t need a brush, and it doesn’t drip.  I recently used it to re-stain my entire two story oak staircase (reveal coming soon).  How convenient is it to be able to stain upside down without drips?  Brilliant !

The imperfections in the dinged up dresser soaked up this stain and were transformed into those ‘distress’ marks you’d pay so much for at a top retailer.  This gel stain buries itself in the ridges, and translates into deep character, just like a glaze on painted wood.  One caveat: this gel product dries a bit more quickly, so you must work fast to get your stain strokes right.  And don’t forget to wear gloves, cause this stain really stains !

Step Four, Reapply:  If you desire added depth from your stain product, then reapply a second coat 24 hours later.  Here’s what two out of three drawers looked like after just one coat (I applied two coats).

Step Five, Protectant:  If you’ve used a regular liquid stain product, then you will probably need to apply a polyurethane to protect your piece. I’ve used Minwax Wipe-On Poly with success in the past on several projects.   However, this gel based stain gave my piece such a nice glow that I didn’t find it necessary to add poly this time.

 You can see how the ‘Before’ piece had a washed out honey color, plenty of dinks, and old-fashioned hardware.  Just by staining the piece and adding new oil-rubbed bronze hardware from Home Depot ($12 for a set of ten), the dresser now looks like something out of a new furniture collection.

So now I need your input, playing a bit of multiple choice.

I played around with a few preliminary vignettes, and I have a favorite, but I’d appreciate your vote.  You’ll notice the flea market silver pitcher remains a constant.  I love fresh flowers in the foyer, so it stays.  And you’ll notice that a white ceramic bust makes an appearance (antique store find).   Your opinions please.

A) Botanical Print with bust and clock

B) Paris Print with bust and clock

C) Silver Candlestick with bust and clock

D) Wedding Print with pair of busts

So friends, give it to me straight.

Which scene do you prefer ?

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I once publicly proclaimed that I would never buy a sofa second-hand unless I knew the owner.  I declared that if I was going to lay my head on it, well then it would certainly be new.  Kind of like that time I said I didn’t like burlap, but now find myself completely fixated on it. 

Funny how sometimes when you draw a line in the sand, you get that sand thrown in your face. 

I confess I have browsed at used sofas on Craigslist, but was always afraid to invest in someone else’s rejected couch.  In fact, I skip merrily past the sofa section at the local thrift stores, because “Ewww” is all I have ever seen in that department. 

But as fate would have it, I was at the St. Vincent de Paul last week

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For me, 50% off day at the St. Vincent de Paul is the definition of excitement.  Not only do I love the treasure hunt, not only do I get giddy at the thought of a big discount, but I relish the opportunity to transform found objects in a way not contemplated by others. I found a little lost footboard, sitting in the dust, behind all of the other large furniture, scratched, neglected and alone. This poor little end of a bed had no mate.  From the cobwebs surrounding it, I could tell no one had glanced at it in awhile.  It was $25, but then 50% off, so I brought it home for $12.50 for a complete makeover.

Please say hello to the new and improved version of my footboard.  This little lady can multitask.  Not only is she able to sit outside and be charming as a chalkboard, she is also a unique home message board and organizer, complete with chalkboard center, and ceramic knobs for hanging sweaters, umbrellas, and hats.

Before and After, outdoor style:

Before and After, indoor style:

How to Transform a Footboard into a Message Center:

Supplies:

1. Footboard
2. Medium grade sandpaper
3. Primer
4. Paint color of choice
5. Chalkboard paint
6. Knobs of choice
7. D Ring Hangers
8. Screwdriver

Step One:  Sand your footboard to remove all traces of varnish.  Prime your piece with spray or brush on primer.  With these smaller projects, I prefer spray primer for faster application and drying time.  Apply two coats and allow to dry.

Step Two:  Cover your footboard with your paint color of choice, whether by brush or spray.  Again, I chose to cover with spray in a favorite color: Rustoleum’s Heirloom White.  Apply two coats and allow to dry.

One nice thing about this particular kind of spray paint: it is for outdoor use as well.  So when you paint with this product, you may use your transformed footboard outside !  (See photos below.)

Step Three:  When your paint is dry, tape it off so to allow for application of chalkboard paint.  There I go again with the spray version for faster application and drying time.  Apply two coats and allow to dry.

Tip:  This particular brand of chalkboard spray I chose was very sensitive to whether there was a good coat of primer underneath.  In one corner, it started to peel up since the primer there was too thinly applied. I had to go back in just that corner, sand it again, prime it again, then apply the chalkboard paint again.

You can use this project to add an interesting element to your outdoor decor.

I like how this particular footboard already had curved pencil trim that made the placement of chalkboard paint easy.  If you find a plain footboard, you can easily add your own trim with molding and a miter box. If your intention is to use your piece indoors as a place for hanging hats or handbags, then follow these additional steps.

Step Four:  Drill pilot holes with a drill bit.  Attach knobs to the bottom of your footboard.

I chose to use two kinds of cream colored ceramic knobs to complement the paint color:

Step Five:  Locate your wall studs, and line up your footboard with the studs.  Mark the location of the studs on your footboard.   Attach D ring hangers to the rear of your footboard, then hang on your wall.

This recycled footboard now hangs in the hallway as a place for handbags, umbrellas, sweaters and winter hats, for our family’s use and for guests as well.  I like that I chalkboard center allows me to change the wording depending on the occasion, or the season.

Here’s just another way to change up an ordinary piece of furniture, and revamp it in a unique way.

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