Help Me To Let Go

Furniture refinishing 11 comments

Really… I’m not joking… even as I write this post I am still trying to figure out if there is anything I can move around or sell in order to keep this small blue chest… I WANT TO KEEP IT!! OK, enough whining… here goes the process…

The chest is a small side table or bedside table size, it is old but in good shape other than the veneer on the top… Great… I freakin LOVE removing veneer… REALLY… it’s like a million degrees outside why do I “need” to remove the veneer?! ARGH!!! Yes… it could have been repaired… but not if I wanted to stain it (which of course I did, when do I not?) and I was also concerned about the veneer having problems in the future, you could tell someone had put plants on the top as the water damage was pretty bad… which you cannot see because of the weird picture I took… so you’ll just have to trust me…

BEFORE

Looking at this picture it really looks like it is in VERY good shape doesn’t it? Other than the top it is… also I’m not a fan of oak… sorry!

0717120809a

I painted the chest in an unknown mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint… I say unknown because it literally was a mix of 4 different custom colors! I had about 1/3 of a cup to paint this with and I still have some left! I tell you a little of this paint goes a long way!

DSC_0027

I did remove the top veneer and underlying glue layer using a combination of a heat gun, scraper and coarse sandpaper. The transformation of the top really dictated the direction I ended up taking for the overall look of the piece.

DSC_0028

I painted about a coat and a half of the custom blue chalk paint and then very heavily distressed it. I sealed the paint with wax (Minwax) and then buffed it with a combination of 0000 steel wool and a soft cloth.

DSC_0042

Beautiful original glass knobs… be still my heart!

DSC_0036

I love the rusticity (yes… that is a “real” word Sarcastic smile) of the top, I thought the cracks would bother me, but the opposite of that is true… I think they add to the charm and character of the piece and I am so glad that they are there! I did sand the top down starting with 60 grit then 80-100-150-220 in that order… it is very smooth! I applied a Dark Walnut stain and then let it sit a day before waxing it with a dark soft wax.

DSC_0046

I think this piece has been given a new life and I truly could not be happier. I think this is one of my favorite pieces and it will be VERY hard to let it go… I hope you like it too… just not enough to want to buy it Winking smile! This particular “problem” of mine is the one downside of this little hobby… learning to let go of pieces or facing the very real possibility of my children reporting me to “Hoarders”… this is no joke people… I’m gearing up to do another show and my house/garage/basement looks quite ridiculous right now… but still I dream of finding a place for this here so it can be “mine”…

Thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble on and on…

Until next time!

My Signature

11 comments

  2. I won’t be much help either. Little cottage style pieces like that are my very favorites! And this one is really sweet! But if you really don’t have a spot for her, then finding a loving home for her is like giving her a new lease on life. … I guess it’s like raising children, we want them to grow up to independent happy people. It’s just a little hard letting go!

    Like

    Reply

  3. It’s gorgeous! Im no help either… I would totally keep it! I know exactly what you mean about letting stuff go. It seems I have a hard time selling anything lately because I just can’t bear to part with anything!

    Like

    Reply

  4. Isn’t it why we haul all that old junk home, so we can enjoy making it look presentable again? And keep it around because it’s as if we ‘birthed’ it?
    You have quite a dilemma. I humbly offer these ideas for you to consider:
    1-give it as a gift to someone you love/know who will love this piece as you do and will keep it safe, so you can visit it occasionally;
    2-let something else go that you don’t love as much and replace it with this little treasure;
    3-tell your children that you have only so much time left and you want to spend it with the things you love and if they have a problem with it, they should get over it
    4-get a bigger house;
    5- barring that, build a little shed/shelter/guest quarters in the yard and use it there as a side table;
    6-find a closet that needs a place to stash winter gloves, scarfs, etc….and make it fit in the space the closet has available;
    7–do what the Shakers did with chairs, hang it on a wall;
    8-if you have a very absolute favorite “cause,” offer it as an item in their next auction and let it raise money for your cause and find a home you will be happy for it to have….
    9-quit fixing things you don’t have room for!!!!!
    10-tell us the dimensions of your problem pieces so we have more info to work with….(well, that’s not exactly a solution to the immediate problem, so go back to 1– and start again.

    Good luck in solving this dilemma….it’s a nice one to have (too much for the space available)

    Like

    Reply

  5. I have a similar one and now is my nightstand,if you love it you will find space, I have a piece I love but very little room in my house too…it is in my closet for al the little things…love the color

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply