...Before & After: Paris Grey Antique Chest

Todays Before & After was inspired by Round Top! 

I have the most wonderful clients, and that is not even an exaggeration! The client I created today's piece for described her home as "chippy, shades of gray & white, with grain sack pillows, etc. It's basically Round Top in a house." If you have ever been to the Antique Show in Round Top, TX you know exactly what she means. So, I set out to find her the perfect chest to complete her decor.

This is was the first time I saw the piece:

I'm sure most of you are thinking YIKES!! And you would be right, this piece needed a lot of work. This chest had great "bones" making it a fabulous piece to paint and bring back to life. 

So, I loaded her up in my SUV and couldn't wait to get started!

The top veneer was bubbling & peeling and was not going to be salvageable. So with a chisel in one hand and hammer in the other, I went to work. I then gave the chest a simple sanding due to some rough spots. Once all the prep work was complete, I could finally put the first coat of ASCP "Paris Grey."

aka ugly stage...

Once I had about 2 good coats of paint on the piece, I sanded it down to a nice smooth finish. I then sanded some strategic places on the drawers and sides to give the piece an aged look. I topped the piece off with clear and dark wax by ASCP and some good old fashioned buffing. The piece came together beautifully in my opinion. Here is the finished product... 

Sorry about the poor photo quality. The weather in Houston, TX has been 

too bad to take the pieces outside to photograph {sad face}. I just

hope it clears up in time for all the trick or treaters tonight!!!

Here are some close up shots...

 I rubbed a tiny bit of ASCP "Old White" on some of the details.

I am delivering the piece to the client today! I can't wait to see what the piece will look like 

in her "Round Top" inspired home! 

Ready for delivery...

Placing the piece in the clients home... the mirror will need to be raised. 

The perfect fit!  So glad the client loved her new piece!!!

The Dreaded Smell of Musty Furniture

Today's blog is all about saving furniture from the dreaded aroma of must!

A client recently asked me: "Is it smelly? Some of my really 
old pieces have a musty smell that makes them not too 
usable. I know that's weird, but I have got to know." 

If you are buying an antique piece of furniture that has not been well maintained
I'm sure you've come across this problem. Here is how I get rid of that 
terrible odor and prevent it from coming back.

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First it is important to understand the root of the problem.

Why do older piece of furniture start to smell musty? Wood is porous and therefor will absorb moisture from the air. This process causes the wood to grow BACTERIA. In order to get rid of the odor you have to kill the bacteria. Simple right? That is just the first step. Next you have to properly moisturize the furniture with oil to prevent the piece from absorbing moisture from the air, thus preventing the bacteria from returning.

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You will need:

Two Spray Bottles . Clorox Bleach . Vinegar . Furniture Oil {Spray} . Clean Rags 

Coffee Beans .  Small Tupperware Containers . Knife

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Step #1: Mix 1 part water with 2 parts Vinegar in a spray bottle. 
Repeat with the bleach in a separate spray bottle.

Step #2: Take the drawers out of your furniture and lay them out in the sun.

Step #3: Spray all the drawers with the Vinegar solution to kill the bacteria. 

DO NOT saturate the piece in the liquid.

Step #4: Wipe down the inside of the drawers to make sure they are evenly coated with 

the Vinegar solution. Let fully air dry in the sun.

Step #5: If the drawers still have a strong odor follow up with the Bleach solution and repeat step #4.

 {only use the bleach solution if the piece has a very strong odor after steps #3 - #4}

Step #6: Spray the drawers with the Furniture Oil to rehydrate and moisturize the old wood properly. 

DO NOT saturate the drawers in the oil. A nice citrus scent doesn't hurt!

Step #7: Make sure to oil all sides of the drawers. Including the outside bottom and sides.

Step #8: Work the oil into the wood with a clean cloth. Making sure to wipe away any access oil.

Step #9: Don't forget to oil the inside of the piece of furniture itself and repeat step #8.

Let piece absorb the oil for a couple of hours.

Step #10: Pour the Coffee into small Tupperware containers. Place the lids on the containers 

and punch many holes in the lids with a knife. {BE VERY CAREFUL}

Step #11: Once the oil has had a couple hours to absorb into the wood, 

place the drawers back into the piece. Place 1-2 coffee containers in each drawer 

to absorb any moister and any remnant odors. Keep in drawers for a day or two. 

Step #12: After a couple of days check the drawers. Do they still have a musty smell? 

If so leave the beans in the drawers a few more days.

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NEVER seal the drawers in a piece of furniture. The wood needs to be able to breathe. 

If you seal the drawers the wood will dry out and crack. 

There is no reason to toss out antique or vintage furniture. If you love it, just get rid of the smell.
Cleaning and oiling the piece is great way to bring old furniture back to life.

Share your furniture revitalizing stories with us. We always love to hear from our followers!

My 10 Must Have Tools

Writing was never my favorite subject in school... but I have had followers ask me about my tips, tricks, & experiences. So, here goes nothing!

I always seem to get the question "What are your favorite tools?" The answer to this question is simple: Any tool that saves me time and my arms from going limp. I have looked through my tool box, which is my living room, or at least what used to be my living room, for my favorite Must- Have tools. Here is what I have come up with:

Counting Down:

10. Tuff- strip is a must for those flea market finds. I can't tell you how many times I've found a gem covered in 10 layers of peeling paint that just needed a little love to bring it back to life. Make sure you also have chemical gloves and a good metal scraper!

9. Clorox Wipes not only clean up messes, but they can be used to distress edges and smooth out paint. I always keep a bottle on hand no matter the project.

8. Everyone must have a DRILL! I am lucky enough to have a husband that lets me borrow his power tools. A drill makes removing old hardware quick and painless.

7. Ok girls don't freak out! A good blow dryer can go along way in cutting down drying time! This may sound crazy to some, but I have found that my Chi dryer is actually the best for the job! It doesn't blow a lot of air like other blowers, but the air it blows is very HOT! This makes it the perfect dryer for projects you need to speed along. I'm sure some are just cringing at the idea, but I am extremely impatient!

6. Who doesn't need a VERY LARGE paint brush?! A thick 4" paint brush is great for brushing sanding dust off of a piece before painting and waxing. There is no alternative for a good dusting brush.

5. If you wax, you will need an electric buffer. After you wax your piece with a wax brush, it is a lot of work to buff the piece by hand. I recently purchased an electric 6" buffer and it was the best $25 I've ever spent. I'm not going to lie, the vibrations from this baby are intense, but it's definitely a great time saver!

4. Steel wool is a great tool for Dark Wax. Most people are terrified of Dark Wax, but if you use Steel Wool to wipe it off instead of a rag, you achieve a similar look with half the work.

3. An Electric Sander will save you time and keep your fingernails well manicured! I use a rotary sander, and yes it does have a mind of its own! But when I need to get old paint off of a piece, it eats through it with minimal work on my part. I also like to use my electric sander to smooth out uneven surfaces.

2. Do not buy sheets of sand paper! I always buy sanding blocks: 80, 120, 220. I can't tell you how many times I tried to get a little piece of sand paper into a tight corner and ended up cutting myself or shaving off half my fingernail. Sanding blocks get into tight spaces and make sanding much easier.

1. My top MUST HAVE Tool is the old fashioned White Rag. You always need a good white cloth or rag around. When I'm painting and see a drip I can wipe it away or when I'm waxing and need to blend colors- nothing beats a good ole' white rag! They are also good for wiping down a pice after sanding as well.

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There are probably 20 more tools I could tell you about, but these are by far my most used must-haves! So the next time you go to Home Depot, Lowe's, or your favorite home improvement store, pick up some of these items and share you experience with me. I'd love to see how my favorite tools compare to yours!