Repair/Repaint/Reupholster & Neighbours

Small communities are great.  If you have been following my last few posts you know that I live on a dead end road on “The Bay.” Up on the hill there are ten seasonal cottages that are home to some of the greatest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.  Also in my community - off the hill - are another great group known as the year-round homeowners.  We look out for each other, check on the winterized cottages, lend borrow a cup of sugar from and spend time with.

So, here’s the thing….

I’ve had a few challenges with my little cottage over the last few years, so living in a small community, filled with wonderful people has been a huge support.  Someone is always available to help with a leaky roof, a broken door handle, a disconnected gutter or a fallen tree. One neighboring couple, in particular, has my back…..always.  Never asking anything in return, refusing to be paid – just willing to help in a time of need.

So, when the Mrs. of this lovely couple arrived at my doorstep with a chair (and homemade cookies) rescued from the local Community Hall asking if there was any way to save it – here was my chance to do something for them.  We looked through paint colors and my stash of fabric until she found what she felt would work with their home.

Let’s call a spade a spade – this little baby had seen better days.  But I love a challenge and a chance to learn something new. When I find a piece of furniture to refinish I look for uniqueness - character.  Everything else can be fixed – glued, turned, sanded, caned, reupholstered or built. I love finding a piece that has bumps, dents and scratches – character.

The little chair BEFORE:

What you will need for this project:

Wood filler, Paint, Stain, Putty knife & Brush

Sanding Blocks

Cotton Rags

Upholstering Supplies

The first step was to fill the gap on the back side of the chair where a strip of wood had broken away (you can see the gap in the BEFORE photo - top right hand side of the back of the chair....a big gap). 

Using LePage Wood Filler and a putty knife I filled the gap and allowed it to dry completely.  I used my trusty orbital sander and 220 grit paper to sand the wood filler down level with the original wood (you can use a sanding block if you don't own an orbital sander).  I then changed to 400 grit paper and sanded to a smooth, level surface.  The chair was now ready for paint.

PAINTING

I painted  this chair with two coats of Benjamin Moore, Colonial Brick -  in eggshell latex, allowing each coat to dry completely and doing just a quick, light sand between coats.

After the chair had dried I used a 220 grit sanding block and distressed in places I thought would have been worn over the years.  When you are distressing remember to sand the surfaces where backs and arms have rested, feet have landed and backsides have sat. If your goal is to create an old piece of furniture - expose the nail holes, deep scratches and dents.  This gives your piece a more authentic look. It gives it character. 

After I had the distressing finished I applied one coat of Minwax, Early American stain.  I left that to sit for 30 minutes. I wanted the stain to set in the details and soak into all the wonderful exposed imperfections.  Once it had dried I used a clean cotton rag to remove any excess stain and gave it a good polish.

UPHOLSTERING

 To begin I used a piece of scrap brown paper and traced out the seat of the chair for my template. I used my scissors to cut the template down by 1/4" all the way around. Had I not cut it down, once the foam, batting and fabric were in place it would overhang on the seat - and I didn't want that! 

I placed the brown paper template on a piece of ¾ inch plywood and traced it out. Using my jig saw, I followed the line and cut out the base for the chair. A quick pass with my sander to remove any rough edges or possibility of splinters and I was ready to upholster.

The next step was to cover the plywood base with foam and then batting for a soft sit.  These were attached using my staple gun making sure when the base was in place I would not see the staples from the underside of the chair - about 1/4".

The final step was to attach the prewashed, ironed fabric. I found a beautiful flower in the fabric that I wanted to placed in the middle of the seat.  By eye, I lined it up and cut a circle leaving enough to gather and staple into place, over the batting staples on the underside. Ta-Da!

This once dumpster destined accent chair is now proudly living in my friend’s home – and I was thrilled to save this little beauty.

Here's the little chair AFTER:

The perfect little accent chair

Tomorrow I'll share how I turned an sweater into a great pillow.

Do you have a piece of furniture you don’t know what to do with or think is beyond repair?  Send me a picture and I will provide a free consultation for you!


“When we give freely and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

                                                              -  Maya Angelou

       Until next time – Live Simply!
                   Mary Elizabeth

                                                                                                               

Create An Old Beam Mantel

I love working with wood.  The grains, texture, smell and character from worm holes to weather beaten seashore finds – what we can create is limited to only our imagination.

 So, here's the thing…. 

The homeowners of a new build cottage asked for their fireplace mantel to be an old beam. Not only was I searching for a rather large specimen, I also wanted a good quality beam with hand hewed details and character. The fireplace was the focal point of their cottage – it needed to match my criteria and not cost an arm and a leg.  My search proved fruitless and pricy – so, knowing I could do better - I did the next best thing, I created! I purchased a 10’ x 8” rough beam from a local lumber mill for $20.00. 

DISTRESSING

With a draw blade I shaved off the edges giving it the hand hewed details I was looking for.  I attached the beam with a chain to the back of my truck and drug it up and down a gravel road a few times to add bumps and dents – to further age the appearance and give it character.

SANDING

Back in the workshop I used my trusty orbital sander and a 150 grit to remove any pieces that would cause splinters and then followed up with 220 grit paper to smoothen it out.  I didn’t use a higher grit paper as I wanted to maintain the appearance of an old beam.

STAINING

I treated the beam with a coat of Prestain Wood Conditioner from Minwax.  This penetrates the grain of the wood to promote uniform acceptance of the stain. Without it you may end up with streaks and blotches from where you started and stopped applying the stain.  I always recommend treating any raw surface before staining. 

We chose Minwax Early American and Natural stains.  The first coat was a mixture of  ¾ Early American to ¼ Natural.  I used a chip brush for this project to ensure the stain soaked into all of the crevices, let it sit for 20 minutes and wiped off the excess.  Once the beam was installed and the rock work completed, I applied two more coats of straight Early American, allowing each coat to penetrate for a few minutes followed by wiping off the excess with a cotton rag.  If you want to retain the color you have achieved on your wood I recommend a coat of polyurethane.  The home owners for this mantel chose not to do this so the beam will darken over time.

Here's are some before and after pictures of the beautiful, rustic mantel piece.

Installed using brackets

Final coat of Early American stain

Fabulous!

"Believe you can and you're half way there!"  - Theodore Roosevelt

Tomorrow I will show how I turned an old bench into a "sofa" for two little fur babies.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions about products used on this project. I’d love to share them with you. Do you have a renovation project or can't find what you are looking for?  Send me a picture/description and I will provide a free consultation for you!

  
Until next time – Live Simply!
            Mary Elizabeth