Step stool DIY project

I picked up this little footstool for $12 in the as-is section of this great shoppe in Guelph - Time After Time (a must for those who love interesting furniture and home decor finds!) - and decided that this would make thd perfect stool to help me reach the items at the top of my closet. It would nicely fit under the bed so would be out of the way but if it were left out, I wanted to make it 'pretty' and able to be used when guests were over.

This little guy is over around 100 years old or so as straw was used to 'stuff' or 'cushion' the stool. The best thing about really old peices is that it's make with mature hard woods, so after 100 years, it should last 100 more. Why? The more nature the wood, the stronger the fibers that bind the trunk together. That's why IKEA peices crack so easily after only a few years. Young trees (5 years or less) is used in production of their furniture and therefore just doesn't have the strength to last. 

So here's where I started with the stool with the careful removal of the nails whic many I will save to use again to refinish this stool.

Straw! Great back in the old days but breaks down over time as air gets to it, so new foam and cotton on batting replaced the old. There were 3 layers if old worn fabric, indicative of its age so were using that in another small project as one was a beautifully preserved peice if gold and blue damask silk.

Moving on, a plywood peice was added for strength.

Krylon 2-in-1 primer and paint spray paint is fantastic for jobs like this! Canadian tire carries a great selection of colours. I used a classic gloss black.

The finished peice, complete with designer fabric from Toronto and vintage cyan blue upholstery tacks as little details and a hint if colour.

The dresser table transformation phase 3

So with the table portion nicely coated and in its curing stage, it's time to work on the tri-fold mirror. My original intention was to turn the mirror around and spray paint chalkboard paint (yes, it comes in a spray for a nice smooth covering!) and fill the other two side mirrors with cork board. After a long search for a cork board that was both thick enough and big enough to fill the frames. I also intended to use a special artists spray paint that coats such porous materials without a hard 'shell-like' coating so that it remains usable and pinable. BUT, after hitting the restore, I found a great office fibreboard that filled the bill. But paintable? Nope. Wouldn't work with the artists spray and look clean and refreshed. So my studio partner, Catherine, suggested fabric. And what a great idea it was! We chose a designer fabric from Toronto, a large houndstooth woven - not printed - upholstery. It turned out fabulous!

The drawers got a Louboutin inspired colour - which will be 'hidden' in the desk until you open the drawers. Liking the crystal knobs and thinking this is best way to go.

The dresser table transformation phase 2

After much prep, here is phase 2 of the dresser table. I don't like to paint with a paintbrush as you don't get that quality looking smooth finish. So I opted for a new primer and paint in one spray paint by Krylon. A tough acrylic which coats beautifully to a lovely glossy shine. I use my airbrushing skill and technique to evenly coat the wood and take the time to put on 3, even four coats, days apart, to allow for proper drying time between coats. It then sits to cure for 30 days to harden the paint before putting in drawers or remounting hardware. Next phase, the trifold mirror!

The dresser table transformation phase 1

I've had this antique dresser table for nearly 20 years in the garage, waiting to be refinished, the same fate it had from its previous owners but just never happened. After such neglect in a damp garage, this poor peice of furniture needed quite a bit of work, including stripping the veneer and some pretty serious warpage to fix, but still a surprizingly solid peice ('They don't make 'em like they use to!' comes to mind). Paint had already been stripped as much as possible when I first got it, which in hindsight would have saved the veneer from the damage incurred by condensation over the years. But voila! After much elbow grease and patience, this is its state thus far. From a faint possibility to possible potential.

Cracked and peeling veneer stripped, wood filler sanded as smooth as possible but left a few dents and chisel marks as I love the idea of the stories they could tell from the abuse it might have endured over its 92 year lifespan. It was once in high fashion, circa 1921, New York State, when Americans would travel a fair distance to Jacksonville NY to the furniture 'Fair' to get high quality, high fashion furniture (more on that in the next post).

Come back for phase 2 to see how it's coming along!

Antique dressing table gets new life as two side tables

You don't see too many dressing tables in use anymore in modern decor but that doesn't mean you can't modernize it for today's needs in the home. This once single dresser table was missing the mirror component so what do you do with it? You cut out the middle peice to separate the two ends and voila! A pair of bedroom or living room side tables complete with drawers for storage. You just have to add a fourth leg in the inside rear of the cabinets to complete them as individual, free-standing peices of furniture. Paint as you like, refresh the knobs or add new ones and you've got a great pair of side tables that will last for years.

Surveyor's tripod and clamp lamp

There's been a big trend on the lighting scene to incorporate old and vintage items into creative lighting options, from mason jars and hats to giant balls made out of string and paste to create a lampshade to all sorts of found objects to make a unique free-standing lamp. 

My favourite this past year is the surveyors stand, or tripod if you will, used as a base. This style looks great in large open spaces and funky lofts. I have neither, but wanted to try this out for myself after finding a great tripod at a quaint antique store. 

What I needed, however, was a pole that would act as the mid structure of the lamp in which I could thread my wires and would hold the lighting fixture and lampshade and still look cool. So, the restore provided me with lots of ideas and after I found this sawed-off clamp with great bright red clamp components, I knew I had to make it work!

So after much tinkering and thought and trips to the local hardware store to check out lighting fixture component options, here's the end result:

Silverware box gets a makeover

Old silverware box gets a makeover

There are lots of ways to recycle old furniture and items if you just think outside of the box. Speaking of which, here's a fun update of an old silverware box I did at the studio with acrylic paint, photocopies of old cards and some artistic skill. The inside was stripped of its old velveteen and replaced with some heavy duty felt for a new and improved lining. A fun and decorative peice for storage!