{createinspire}: table

Showing posts with label table. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Vintage Console Table

This was a custom piece. It looks so basic, pretty outdated, and a little rough around the edges.

I constantly have this debate with myself about continuing to refinish furniture or just to move on and do something else (I love politics!). Sometimes I am so overwhelmed by all the projects I have that the stress seems to outweigh any benefit I get from painting. But, I still can't see a piece of furniture like this and not think it could look so much better and make someone happy! And, that, my friends, is why I am still painting!

Before

The top is pretty rough and has some pretty deep water stains. The veneer is chipped off the front piece, and it's just looking a little drab.

This piece is actually all cherry veneer. The finish on it hid all the grain.

This is what the top looked like when I sanded it down. I know, right?! I'm not sure if the top is cherry, too, because I've never seen a grain like this in a cherry piece, but it sure did feel and act like cherry when I stained it.

I was a little sad because my client wanted a dark top and I was afraid the dark stain would hide a lot of the grain. It did, but it is still a beautiful piece of wood!

After

She said her kitchen was pretty neutral and we decided a little color would be nice. She showed me an inspiration picture and we went from there. I love how this table has so much more character and presence now. I don't think you would walk by it and not notice it.

Can I tell you a little secret? These side angles are always my favorite. I've done about 500 pieces of furniture in my day and a smooth finish still makes me want to reach out and touch it. I always run my hands over it because I just love how it feels under my fingertips!

The grain isn't as pronounced as it was before, but it is still gorgeous. I used to freak out if there were any marks in the wood after I stained the top (you usually can't see a lot of things in wood until you get the stain and clear coat on). But, now I just embrace those small imperfections and tell myself this piece of furniture is not new. It has a history and a story to tell. I don't want to erase all of that with my orbital. ;) Anyhow, when you're working with veneer you can't sand too deep or you'll go right through and that makes me cry. I don't like to cry.

I love these antique brass knobs. I'm always amazed what a difference hardware makes!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Antique Pedestal Table in Linen

This table was another piece destined for the dump, It had been sitting in a storage unit for a while and it was pretty rough. It's quarter sawn oak and was really dry, so the grain was really open. I don't like oak to begin with and when it's dry it's even worse! The drawer was stuck tight and took some major muscles (not mine!) to open it. Once open I had to sand down the top edges and sides so it would slide freely again.

I had a vision for this piece and when I was part way through was not liking it at all. I finished it, stared at it, hemmed and hawed about it, fretted about it, and then decided to undo what I had done. I was so much happier when I did and new inspiration struck. Love when that happens.

I haven't distressed anything too heavily in a while and got a little carried away on this one and had to go back and repaint parts of it. Lol. It's still more distressed than I normally do, but I like it that way. Especially with all that dark wood showing underneath the light paint. Still makes my heart go pitter patter.

I love how it is soft, but still has presence. I'm loving the pedestals and chunky feet. But, my favorite part is THE KNOB! It's amazing! It was the only one. If any of you shop at Hobby Lobby you know they have their knobs in bins and on the front of the bin there is a little hole drilled with the knob (that's in the bin) attached to the front of it so you know what's in the bin (did any of that make sense?). Well, there were no knobs in the bin, but I just could not walk out of there without that knob, so I unscrewed the one from the front of the bin and away I went. I was looking around like a ninja because I felt guilty. I don't know why, it was a sale for them that they wouldn't have had otherwise! :)

BEFORE

You can see the damage on the wood of the base (icky spots) and the top looked the same. My sweet hubby started sanding on it with the grinder (I normally do my own sanding but this table happened to be in his shop so maybe he was feeling a little possessive or maybe he just wanted to see what was under that nasty stain or maybe he was just being a super nice guy!) and stopped about 30 seconds in and says, "We didn't get a before pic!" Awww...love that guy!

AFTER

I can't believe how good it turned out!

I had originally painted the drawer front, the feet, and the trim at the bottom of the pedestal a deep greige and heavily distressed them. It just didn't look right. The dark drawer messed with the slim profile of the table skirt (visually chopped it in half) and the dark trim at the bottom of the pedestal made the legs look short. Kinda reminded me of the rules of What Not to Wear. Lol I decided to use paper on the drawer front instead and found one in my stash that just happened to be the color of the table! I love how there is a balance of the green and cream so it draws the eye right across the front without making it look like a block in the middle. Know what I mean?

The. Knob.

. It draws the eye down from the dark top to the intricate bronze inlay, and the rustic cream edge allows it to pop against the green paper. I would sleep with it under my pillow if that didn't make me the biggest weirdo ever!

Chunky feet!

Thank you Sausha from Sweet Pickens for making me aware of chunky feet!

One of my most favorite things is light paint over dark wood.

*sigh*

The top actually wasn't too bad once we sanded the bejeebers out of it. We started with 80 on the grinder and then I smoothed it out with 150 on the orbital. I hardly ever use two coats of Java Gel from General Finishes but this puppy needed it. There were a few dark spots, but now they're hardly notiecable. It's pretty Tiger Oak and the little hole in the top (see it on the left side?) just adds character. I didn't want to fill it because I wasn't sure how it was going to stain and with all the grain it would have just looked like a dark spot anyway, so I left it.

I'm happy. ;)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Freshening up a Target Table

I do a lot of antiques. Almost all antiques! I love them, but sometimes it's nice to get a newer piece of furniture that needs no work, just a facelift.

I wanted to do a little post on how you can make a generic, store brand piece of furniture your own with a little paint. I love how it has a modern, clean feel now. And, no distressing--that doesn't happen very often!

Before

After

This color is so fresh looking. Love how it gives a little pop, but is still subtle.

I just sprayed the original hardware in Oil Rubbed Bronze so it would stand out.

Hope ya'll are having a great week so far!

color = Blissful Blue SW

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Antique Table

This table was a bonus when I picked up this hutch. Love when that happens!

Them: "Would you like to see some other stuff we have?"

Me: Inner voice "Ummm, of course I do. Where is it? Oh, please let it be good!"

Outer voice "Sure."

Before

It was a little wobbly when we picked it up, but nothing the handy man couldn't fix! Love that guy!

After

You know I have a minor obsession with "frenchy" stuff right now. Couldn't pass up this fabric and it just looks stunning with the black.

*There were three kinds of nasty under the top fabric on these chairs. Seriously? It was like the people who keep adding another layer of shingles to their roof. Just take the old crap off already! I kept pulling off layer after layer...who knows what was living in there!