Let It Talk To You

Yes – it’s been awhile!  Okay, so ridiculously longer than awhile! 

So much has happened tho over the last couple of years, some of which I will share eventually no doubt here in resuming the blog about all things family related.  But, in essence, I was really missing writing and sharing, as even the most amateur of writers like me like to do, so thought this was a good time to get back at it!

As much as MUCH has changed tho, some things simply haven’t!  I’m still always on the hunt for a project in my undying itch to paint and refurbish - enter this next project!

One Man's Trash... 

Joe (sweetest hubby ever) drove down our street a couple of months ago in coming home from work, and said “----- (namely neighbor) has a table at their curb.  It looks solid!”.

Always up for a refurb project, I couldn't leave it alone. "But darling, bring it in!"

I do have to say tho, that once he did, it wasn't pretty!!

Altho seeming of solid wood from the distance, that tired shiny high-gloss varnish/lacquer from decades ago wasn’t doing it for me.  But for sure, neighbors would have noticed that it was my husband dragging it from their trash pile to my home. So now, the pressure was on. It can’t possibly go back out to OUR curb!  I was now committed!

It sat on our porch for about 2 weeks or so, and every time that I walked by our mudroom door, I would peer out at it through the window while thinking “What the heck am I going to do with that thing?” I would either work on it, or let it go.  But it just wasn't coming to me!

Until one day, when the sun in the fall sky was shining brightly and I was itching to “project”!  Out came the materials  – the paint clothes, dropcloths, brushes, sandpaper, sander, gloves, paints, and stains.  "Let's do this as it can't stay on our porch forever!" 

“But seriously!  What can I do with this thing?  It’s just downright sad looking!”

I could have opted for a Shabby Cottage look, and gone with a white paint finish, sure!  But no,  I definitely was not feeling that!  The lines were all wrong.

I could have gone with straight black – my fave accent furniture color still, but nope, wasn’t feeling that either for this piece.

Learn To Listen 

So I stood back, looked the piece over, and listened.   

And the darned thing was talking to me!

“I’m not Shabby Cottage, and I’m not all black.  Show off my detailing, show off my solid wooden top, consider my lines - dress me!!”

I knew then what it called for as not every piece is destined for my wants, but in compliment to the piece itself - its origin, age, construction, details, intended use etc.

So I started - with a scraper. Ugggh!  But was this thing even salvageable?  And did I even WANT to salvage it?

But okay, I’ve started it, and I will finish it! It may not be my thing, but can always be someone else’s, right?!  

I just couldn't stand that it was ready to be picked up as trash - or worse yet, firewood for a backyard pit!  A perfectly good and solid table that could possibly be salvaged and turned into something that someone could love and still enjoy - and for generations still to come!

 

So I sanded. And I sanded, and I sanded, and I sanded!   

With the top now down to the bare wood and void of all lacquer, I headed to the base. 

And There It Was 

As I struggled to turn the awkwardly heavy table upside down on the drop-cloth, there it was!  The most GORGEOUS solid piece of wood staring right back at me!  Massively thick, of major substance and just, well, SOLID! This was not engineered wood, or veneer, or mdf. This was a genuine find! 

So now, not was I only committed. I was invested, determined and dedicated!

 

I continued to sand the base in knowing exactly where I wanted to go in clarity and in that "Aha!" dawning.

And after getting ALL down to the bare wood, the fun began!

The Paint Finish - A Black Wash 

I blended a mixture of 25% water based Early American Minwax stain, 25% black acrylic regular water-based house paint, and 50% water into a wash in a plastic margarine container.  You know the kind - from your local grocery (it’s a beautiful word 😏) store!

With a regular old 1.5 “ paint brush, I began brushing on the mixture haphazardly as I do all wash finishes, while directly following it with a damp cloth to remove the excess and see the color worked into the grain. It's a super messy job so disposable gloves, drop-cloths and a damp cloth are essential in seeing you survive the mess.

And I did that twice.

Once dried, I applied a dark wax with a wax brush (the AnnieSloan kind of wax brush), and then buffed it with a clean rag.

The Table Top 

Finishing the base, I turned the table right side up, and decided that a white wax would work best on the beautiful bare natural wood top once seeing the result of the finished base. 

Applying that liberally with the same cleaned wax brush in a circular motion, I worked it into the grain of the top, and buffed it  –  working small areas at a time.  If you let the wax sit too long without working it, it then becomes REALLY difficult to work with the wax prior to buffing.  Eventho there are ways around that, I simply didn’t have the time for it that day.

The Finished Piece 

My plan was to sell this piece once it was finished as a “Vintage Victorian Pedestal Walnut Table with black wash finish” which is a much desired finish in the current world of home decor furniture and refinishing, and for approx. $600.  But it would have to continue to sit in a corner in our den for now until I was ready for that. 

Because, apparently, as much as I have a crazy amount of patience for creative projects, I have ZERO patience for photo taking, writing listing descriptions etc. So my thought was, "I'll get to it when I get to it!"

But then THIS happened!  

And I now think it's not going anywhere any time soon! ♥

Stay tuned to learn the destiny of the refurbished curbside-find table!