I find so many things on the side of the road. I also have a great crew of supporters who text and call in when they spot furniture on the side of the road. Most of the time it comes to me damaged and in pretty bad shape. Repairs can most of the time be made to restore the piece to a usable item. Sometimes only pieces can be savaged. I never pass up anything with hardware. If the furniture is unusable I at least grab the hardware. I have quiet the collection of hardware that I keep in an old metal cabinet. It was once used in a garage to hold parts. I loved the old rusty look so I just left it in its natural state and used it. It helps me keep organized with all the small parts of collecting hardware.
Some times I get a piece off the side of the road that isn’t really anything special. I know that it can be something special but I have to think through its creative avenue. Many months back a neighbor put out a small half-moon side table. It had gotten wet and had a slight bow to the top of the table. It was painted a very ugly creamy brown. So starting out this little table was really nothing special at all. I knew I had to replace the top or add something that would hide the bow. I had this small wood box in my stash of finds and I pulled it to attach it to the top of the table. It was perfect it hid the bow in the center of the table. Not only did it hid the damage but it added storage and new life to this little table. The added hardware on top of the box let’s just call that the cherry on top. Before it was way to short, way to damaged and really out of style. Adding the box, a bright beautiful turquoise by Chalk Country Paint and a little sanding this table has now been restored. I had this at Doc Holliday’s Sidewalk sale this past weekend and it was one of the first things to go.
All this week I’m going to be showing how I’ve taken things forgotten and restored them. These projects are so fun to do and easy if you just try to think out of the box. I have so many people tell me I want to paint but I’m scared to. Don’t be, just pick a color and go for it. I love chalk paint it is so easy to use and so forgiving. You really can’t go wrong painting with it. I’ve used them all even that original one that everyone talks about. I found that Chalk Country Paint was just a good and gave the same results. Oh and the price is more than $10 cheaper at only $28 for a quart. Chalk paint goes a long way I used one quart and restored a dining table with a leaf and a hutch with a lower cabinet and a drawer.
Here is a sneak peek at one of those restored items I worked on to day. I started this project today with the help of Greg. He made a new top and secured the base legs. Tomorrows blog will be all about this piece and how I finished it out.
Many things can be damaging to furniture. I find things with water damage, nicks, scratches and spills. Trust me all kinds of spills that I’m not sure what it is all dried on the piece. I sand quick and move on without thinking much about what that was. I’m sure you have a piece in your home that has seen better days. Maybe this is the summer to tackle that piece and give it restored life. Right now you are thinking about what piece you want to redo aren’t you?
