Going Au Naturale - With Furniture, That Is

Sometimes I buy a piece with the full intention of putting a few coats of paint on it, but once we got this baby home, I had the hardest time convincing myself that it was o.k. to paint this one.  Believe it or not, Dean had actually agreed to me painting it! (For those that don't know, Dean is much more of a wood purist than I am and we disagree often in regards to furniture painting).

It was not particularly pretty in it's condition, but I really don't like the whole refinishing process.  After a little thought and a lot of procrastination, I grabbed the denatured alcohol and started wiping it down with steel wool, just to see.  All that gook started melting off and the gorgeous wood starting shining through!  After scrubbing it down for several hours (and in really bad light), I left it in a heap of mess overnight.

This morning when I saw it in daylight, I actually did the happy dance!  After several more hours of scrubbing and sanding, it was ready for a little stain.  I have to admit...I cannot stand the look of an old piece of oak furniture that has been stripped and refinished so much that it looks like new.  I LOVE patina and left some of the old "grime" throughout the piece, especially in places where I feel it would build up naturally.  I also used dark walnut stain to give it more of a fumed oak look.  I love this wood, but am NOT a fan of honey oak!

To finish it off, I used dark wax to seal and protect.  It ended up with a super smooth finish and gorgeous sheen.

When we began the business, it was based on the pieces that we bought and restored.  Painting furniture came much later when the "craze" really started (and seems to be here to stay).  It really does feel good to revert back to my roots and restore a piece - to the best of my ability.  Don't get me wrong....I still love to paint!  I have a gorgeous bonnet top linen press in the basement that's going to get several coats of milk paint tonight!

'til next time!