To paint or not to paint

If you have spent any time at all reading comment sections on the subject of painting furniture (or kitchen cupboards), you know those are fighting words. 

"NO! Don't paint over original woodwork! No one wants that! You will ruin its value! Are you stupid?"

Goodness gracious. Here's a tip: reading comment sections are hard on blood pressure.

My thoughts: if someone thinks "no one wants painted furniture", they have never looked at Pinterest!

Personally, I'd rather not see a "nice" piece of wood furniture painted, but if it has flaws & dings & stains, then why not? (And I also realize it's none of my business what other people do with their furniture or kitchen cupboards)

Anyway, much of the furniture we pick up benefits from an update.

The before. But not totally before. We picked this up at an auction, and when we got it home, we realized the dirt on top was more than just dirt. It was........ well. we're not sure what it was, but it was nasty.

Soap and water didn't touch it. So George took the orbital sander to it, and got rid of all the nastiness. But there were still plenty of areas that didn't look so great. I don't normally paint oak furniture, but....

This time I did, and it went from being drab to fab! And it sold quickly, which is always a good thing.

No before pictures, but I recently painted these pieces......

This table was a very dark brown. You know that old furniture that is very dark? Was that the color of stain and varnish they used back in the day? Or did it darken with time?

The red makes it much, much cheerier.

I've had this table in the shop for a LONG time. Too long. But I liked it so much, I hung onto it. It was a light brown. I finally put it on clearance, but for whatever reason, it didn't even sell at half off. Okay then. I used the same red paint on it. We'll see if that draws more attention.

While I had the paint out, I grabbed this table too. It was a medium brown, but all scratched up and tired looking. Again, I think the paint gave it a new life.

Should antiques be painted? The best advice I ever heard was an antiques expert on a TV show. He said to make the piece something you love, and something that will make you smile every time you look at it. Whether that is leaving it in its original condition, restoring it, or painting it. 

A wise man.

The Chest of Drawers That Wasn't

When we saw this at an auction, we thought it was a chest of drawers. 

And then they opened it up!

How cool is that? 

It's a desk!

I had never seen a piece of furniture quite like it.

 We bought it, and now it can be yours for $165.

Auctions are such fun treasure hunts!

Gossip bench

Are you old enough to recognize this?

 

I admit that I am.

 

It's a phone bench, AKA gossip bench.

 

Back in the day, before cordless phones and cell phones, most homes had one phone. Imagine! And that one phone was either attached to the wall, or had to stay close to it. I'm sure the young folks can hardly believe that. lol

 

The phone would sit on top of the desk part, the phone book would fit neatly inside. And the person would sit in the seat and gossip chat.

We picked this up at an auction, and I gave it the prim treatment. I forgot to take a before picture, but it was plain brown. The original seat must have gave way at some point. When we bought it, it had the piece of plywood you see in the photo for a seat. But, it was unfinished, just a plain piece of plywood.

This brings back memories of party lines, and long and short rings. And the days before answering machines. I remember many times when everyone was outside, either in the yard or garden. Through the open windows of the house, we would hear the phone ring. Someone would go running to the house to answer the phone. More often than not, the caller would hang up just as you were breathlessly running through the door.

Ahhh, the good ole days.

The 70's cupboard

I bought these 2 book cases at an auction. I know you're looking at it, and saying, "I only see one piece". It's actually 2 pieces, stacked on top of each other.

They were plain jane brown. And very 1970's looking.

I dubbed it the 70's cupboard.

And when I called it that on my facebook page, a friend from high school said, "what's wrong with the 70's?"

Why nothing, nothing at all!

We both graduated in '80. The 70's were some good times.

But the bookcase/cupboard? The 70's weren't doing it any favors.

I wasn't sure anything I did to it would help. I didn't want to put much more money in it.

I found a can of sorta bluish/greenish paint in my paint stash. I put one coat on the whole thing, then went over all of it with the orbital sander.

A coat of wax, (or was it varnish? I forget now what I did) and it was done.

Not bad, but I still wasn't sure anyone would want it. It got a decent response on facebook, but I still wasn't sure about it. I didn't bother putting a price on it, thinking I would just use it for display purposes.

Then someone sent me a message asking if I still had the 70's looking cupboard. "Yes I do", I said.

And within a month it was sold.

Shows how much I know about what people want!

Trash to treasure pumpkins

It's been a busy summer! Again! Between the summer harvest and the shop doing very well, (thank you!) I haven't had much free time. I'm trying to squeeze in some fall crafts. 

A good place to do that is with some trash to treasure projects!

The two square ones are the ends off a large crate.

The one in the middle is a slab off our sawmill.

While I was painting pumpkins, I grabbed a couple old chairs........

Pumpkins are one of my favorite things to paint!

And to eat!

Love pumpkin pie!

Long views of the shop

 

It's been awhile since I took "long view" pictures of the shop.

 

 

I tend to focus in on particular items, so I decided to stretch out a bit.

 

 

I didn't get it all, that's not an easy task!

 

 

But, I tried to get enough shots to get an overall feel for the shop.

 

 

These were all taken a few days ago, and things have changed already.

 

 

New treasures come in pretty much daily.

And, I'm happy to say, things go out daily as well.

 

I'll try to get more "long views" to show other areas from time to time.

 

We're constantly changing it up so to speak.

Rearranging is just part of the game.

 

The heavy part.

 

Thank goodness for those little plastic sliders

that make moving furniture on carpet a piece of cake!

 

So to speak.

A Rotating Table

This table from a recent auction seems ordinary enough.........

But it has a unique feature...............

It rotates! It will turn all the way around.

Not sure why though. Our guess is for playing cards or some other game. But that may not be right because it's more end table size than card table size.

The legs were pretty distressed looking, but I liked that. I just cleaned them and put a wax sealer over the old varnish. The top was more scratched up than distressed, which made it rather ugly. A coat of black paint, some sandpaper and more wax solved that problem.

What do you think it was used for originally? Why the rotating top?

A hidden surprise in an old dresser

I had plans to paint an old dresser that came from a recent auction. But, the more we looked at it, we decided it was too far gone to paint. Old furniture often has some issues. We lovingly call those issues "character". But, this one had way too much character! As in it's falling apart and beyond repair.

We decided it was worth more to take it apart for the wood. It will make great sign boards! We have learned to look at furniture as a whole, and also as parts. A whole new perspective.

The dresser was filthy, an indication that it had been stored in a barn or shed for years. When we started tearing it apart, we found more evidence of that..........

 

Deep inside the dresser, on the back wall behind the drawers were the usual cobwebs. But it's the first time we've ever seen footprints. See them on the right side? A raccoon had taken up residence in the dresser!

 

If that doesn't add character, I don't know what does?

 

Not sure that's a good thing though!

Hidden treasures

Here is the church

Here is the steeple

Open the doors

And see all the people

Did you do this when you were little? I remember my mom teaching to me, and then when I was all grown up and had my own little ones, I taught it to them.

I was reminded of it recently when we were out "picking" and found this:

Isn't it a pretty cabinet? I would have never guessed what's inside: Open the doors and there's a...

television!

How cool is that?

Actually, the story gets even better. This was in a barn on a customer's farm. She and her husband moved back to the farm after it had sat empty for 10 years. The farm had been in the family for 200 years, and is filled with keepsakes. They have restored the house, updating it, but keeping it's original flavor intact. It's absolutely beautiful.

The house is filled with family antiques, but, it's just not possible to keep everything. At some point, the first TV the family owned got moved to the barn.

When my customer showed the TV to us she saw that there were a couple boxes stuck in the back of it. After much tugging, we finally worked them loose. The boxes turned out to be 2 more antiques! An old radio, and an old record player. Both with the wood box frames.

Talk about hidden treasures!

Excitement filled the air. How fun!

One of the rooms in their house is a music room, and is filled with records & CD's. I'm sure by now the radio & record player have found places of honor.

Well, you don't run into that kind of hidden treasure every day. But if you have little ones in your life, be sure to teach them about those hidden people right inside their very own hands.

Precious memories!







More trash to treasure before and afters

Ready for more before and after projects?

This bookcase is nice and sturdy. Well made. Rather heavy. A nice solid piece of furniture. It just left a little lot to be desired in the looks department.

I don't prime furniture when I'm repurposing it if I don't have to. More time. More expense. And, I usually want the old surface to show through after sanding for the primitive look. Primer defeats that purpose.

But, because of all those stains on the bottom, I decided I better forget the primitive look on this one, and prime. Who knows what those stains are. This was probably in someone's garage. I sanded them down well, then primed.

 

I decided on neutral tan with an off-white for the inside. But, the white looked a little too stark.

 

 

So, I dry brushed some of the tan on the white. I think that softened it up a bit. Hard to tell it's the same piece of furniture!

 

How about one more? 

 

 

I had already taken the drawers out of this dresser before I thought to get the camera. I could have put the drawers back in for the picture. I could have. I should have. But I didn't.

 

This was a case where I definitely wanted the old surface to show through. This is a perfectly primitive piece! So, no primer. Just the same tan paint that I used on the bookcase.

 

I love, love, love how it turned out! If I had room in my house for it, I would have been very tempted to keep it.

 

But, I don't. So.... it's now in the shop, waiting for a new home.

Oh, what a little paint will do!

Table brought back to life

Do I regret not having a "before" photo!

Kevin & Katie went to an auction, and brought back a little table. A very sorry looking little table.

The top was a piece of pressed something or other. Filthy. And loose. I could run a scraper under it around the entire table.

The legs were dog-chewed. Some puppy out there has developed very strong teeth on that table!

But these were the minor problems. Instead of a picture, I should have taken a video.

It had no bracing, so the table was a bit fluid. You could push it lightly with one finger, and the whole table would sway away from you.

But 4 small pieces of wood for bracing, some black paint on the legs, and tan on the top, and then some sandpaper brought this sorry little table back to life!

If you want perfect, high quality furniture in your house, then this table is not for you. But if you like furniture with a personality, with a story, with character, then this table might be a perfect match for you!

The shelf and the top are plywood. That loose pressed something or other was not loose in the middle. Oh no, it was stuck extremely well there, and the table now has some minor gouge marks from my efforts to remove the remaining glue. (oops)

The dog chewed legs are still dog chewed, but not as noticeable now that the legs are black and distressed.

Katie was apologetic about buying the table, but now, if she had the room, she said she'd like to keep it. But she doesn't have the room, so it's available in my shop.

Most folks probably would have thrown the table on a burn pile. But now, it's ready for many years of service. Will those years of service be in your home?

"Junkin" finds

 

Always on the lookout for more sleds!

Oh, by the way, that school desk on the left?

 That's the kind I used in grade school.

Ahhh, memories.

 

 

I love this old chair with arms.

Perfect for your porch.

 

 

Note part of the wagon wheel spokes are missing on the left lower side.

We call that "character".

 

Another school desk.

We've been finding several different styles lately.



We bought this park bench mainly to have a spot where customers can sit

and rest a spell. But, a couple people have shown interest in buying it, so......

I may be on the lookout for another seat for customers to sit and rest a spell.

 



 

My favorite thing about this chair is the way it folds up.

Which I didn't get a picture of.

Oops.

 

 

These sold within an hour or so of being put on the floor.

With 2 other people also wanting them.

Where can I find a dozen more?!?

 

Can't you just see them this time of year

with pumpkins and mums spilling out of them?

 

Or ferns in the summer?

 

 

Windows, windows, windows.

Always in demand.

 

So many uses for old windows!

Planter chairs

We bought these chairs at an auction last summer. I have had them in the shop ever since, and only one sold. They are very pretty, but also rather uncomfortable. A little too straight backed for comfort.

I thought about putting them in our up-coming clearance sale, but then I had a better idea...



Planter chairs! A little spray paint, a little sanding, a little chicken wire and a coconut shell.

No more dark and formal. Now they are cheery and fun! (Obviously, the one in the middle was not part of the set.)

I'm selling them just like you see them here. I'll let my customers plant their own flowers in them. All they need are some potting soil and plants.

How pretty the woodwork is on them! I think the paint really brought the character of the chairs out to light. Antique purists might not approve, but that doesn't bother me. Furniture should be enjoyed, and I think these chairs are much more enjoyable now than before. Besides the discomfort of sitting in them, they weren't in that great of shape. The closer I looked at them, I realized they had been glued several places, had cracks here and there etc. They needed new life...what better way to do that than with flowers?

Looking for...antiques

I saw a post on another blog the other day... the shop owner had made a list of things she tries to find when she's out junkin' - not things for herself, but for her to put in her shop.

We too have a list in our heads we take with us whenever we're out on the hunt. The trick is, we have to find it at prices that allow us to raise the price enough to make a profit on it. After all, we have bills to pay.

Chairs are always on our list. If they are sturdy enough to sit on, it's a definate plus. But we also buy them if all they can be is a "porch chair that holds flowers".

 

And tables. Farm style tables in particular. I can't sell a "nice" piece of furniture. A fine oak piece? A beautiful mahogany dresser? A graceful cherry cabinet? Nah. My people want chippy paint.

That's what we call our customers when we're out on the hunt. My people. It's a term of high praise and endearment. We are very, very, very thankful for my people.

Wheels are always fun - any size will work in flower gardens. We tend to find smaller ones like these more often, but we've also had some monsters.

It's tough to get old mantles at a price we can afford, let alone make a profit on. But once in a while we get lucky. Old ladders are also in demand.

 

Windows, windows, windows. I'm ALWAYS looking for more old windows. One time George bought almost 200 old windows at an auction. That was a bit much, because almost all of them were big - 8 pane and larger. That was a couple years ago, and I'm still selling those windows. He took a chance, and bought them sight unseen.  If they had been 4 and 6 pane windows - like in the above photo - they would have all been gone by now. It's harder to sell the big ones, but I have sold the majority of them. Just guessing, I'd say there's 40 or so left. When the last one is gone - we're going out to celebrate!

Old wood boxes. Another thing we constantly look for. When we first opened, we just used antiques for props. I went to an auction one evening, and there were dozens of wood boxes. They sold for rather low prices, and I bought just a few for display purposes. Boy...would I love to catch another auction like that one now that I sell them! Many times at auctions, boxes sell higher there than I price them in the store! Just depends on who is at the auction, and how badly she wants those boxes.

Who doesn't love the coziness of an old quilt? How adorable is this one with cats in the middle, and paw prints around the edges? It sold very quickly. I wish I would have had several of them, because it sold within a day or two of putting it on facebook and this blog. Several other customers asked about it after it was gone.

Crocks are very hard to get at a price we can make a profit on. A fellow who has an antique shop in a neighboring town is usually at the auctions. If he's there, I know I won't be able to buy any crocks - he's willing to pay much more per crock than I can. I wish he's stay home more often!

We like to find unusual items - this heavy, heavy piece sold before we even got it inside the store. We unloaded it out back - because it was so heavy, we were going to have to move some stuff around inside in order to place it close to the front door. That would make it easier on whoever bought it when it came time to take it out. While it was sitting out back, one of the girls who works next door saw it. She bought it to plant flowers in. And we didn't have to try to get it inside! A win-win!

This is just a short list of what we look for. We know our customers well enough now to have a pretty good idea of what they are looking for, and it's fun to go on the hunt with that in mind.

It's great to have an excuse to spend all that time "goin' junkin'!"