It's not ALL about paint!

Sometimes paint just isn't the way to go...and yes, I know what I'm saying. Case in point: this chair (scroll to the end of the post). It has been restored to it's 1884 glory, and that's just as it should be.

"D" also had this amazing coffee table. Once again, I don't have a before picture--but the finish was faded and the varnish was peeling, and the whole thing was very wobbly and shaky.


Stripping and sanding this table was a nightmare! Look at all the amazing details on the legs and on the top edge.

I took the whole table apart so it could be re-glued. I finally found a use for the two boxes of copy paper I bought a couple of months ago--they made the perfect weights! I stained the table with Minwax Dark Walnut stain, and then I used Minwax hand-rubbed polyurethane for protection (I love that stuff).


I told "D" she is NEVER allowed to paint it! I love it just as it is. It still looks old, but it glows now.

Then she had another little table that belonged to her mother (no before picture here either ). The original finish was some yellowish-fake-wood-grain looking thing--I'm sure there's an actual name for that style, but I have no idea what it is! Then, because that was unattractive, it was painted white. The original wood was beautiful underneath.


I finished this table with a different product: Minwax Polyshades in antique walnut. Ugh. I don't care for it, and I wish I had stuck with the winning combination on the other table! However, the end result is still pretty.

The marble is original to the table, but it's not the "in" thing right now. I think we need to find a vintage-y covering for it now!