removing stubborn smells from old furniture

Two of the pieces I picked up last week smelled like cigarette smoke BAD.  The two dressers were in the seller's garage when I picked them up so I didn't realize how intense the smell was until about ten minutes down the road.  In my experience, cigarette smoke is by far the hardest odor to eliminate - but it's totally doable.

I started small.  I began by spraying down both dressers entirely with vinegar,

and left them outside overnight to air out.  Usually this step is enough to get rid of most musty smells, but it did nothing for the cigarette smell.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that several coats of paint will cover the smell - very few paints are odor blockers.

The next step was to try wiping them down with a TSP substitute.  Wipe it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it off.
Again,  nothing.  Darn.

So I pulled out my trusty shellac.  The zinnser shellac and (this primer) are widely used odor blockers.  They are also very hazardous, so I use them as a last resort.
I was planning to distress these pieces after I painted them, so I didn't want to use a pigmented odor blocker.
The clear shellac can be applied with a brush, roller or a rag (or sprayed).  I opted for a lint free cloth.  It dries very quickly so you have to work fast to avoid any drag.

The minimum recommendation to block odors is two coats.  The smell was so strong for these pieces that I applied three to every inch (inside and out) before the smell was gone.

Lightly sand with a 220 grit sandpaper before applying paint and you're good to go!

(Clear shellac is also a tannin bleed blocker.  If you're experiencing any bleed as you're painting and don't want to prime with a white primer that will show through when distressing - this shellac works great).

before and after :: red and faux bamboo

The vintage Bali Hai dresser is finally finished!  Bad weather, and more bad weather and a contaminated can of paint made this project stretch on for much too long.  But in the end, it was well worth it.

Here it is before...

Red paint can be quite tricky.  Especially trying to get a deep, deep red.  I've tested many colors and have tried to have this exact color matched.
No go.
To get coverage (not sheer), white needs to be added to the formula, but to get this deep, deep red, white can't be added.  It becomes muted and loses it's umph.

So, Rustoleum's premixed Sunrise Red is the one I turn to over and over (even though it's intended for auto painting).  The color is amazing.  You can find it in the paint section of any big hardware store.  The paint is formulated for brushing and because of that, it's self levels like a dream.  

Not all oil based paints are created equal in that department.  Some don't self level well at all and the result is serious brush marks.

You will still see some brush marks, but nothing major.  I recommend thinning it a little for easier application.  Definitely not necessary though for those who don't want to deal with the mess.  It goes on plenty well straight out of the can. 

Because it's oil based, you might be tempted to pull out a throw-away foam brush or roller to apply to avoid cleaning your brush with mineral spirits.  But it's sooo not a good idea.  Foam brushes have a tendency to incorporate air into the paint which creates small bubbles and we all know those are never good.

milk paint & glaze

In yesterday's post I went over my preferred clear coat for milk paint.

I love the original green of the antique high boy I posted here, but wanted to give it additional depth and movement by applying a glaze.

My preferred glaze isn't a typical glaze or a tinted wax, but an oil-based wiping stain.  The Old Masters is my favorite and can be found at your local Benjamin Moore retailer.  Make sure to pick up a china bristled stain brush to use for blending while you're there.

  (You can find the step by step glazing tutorial here)

To deepen the movement of the glaze, I avoided applying the same amount to the entire side or drawer.

I wiped the stain on the outside of the drawers and used my brush to blend inward, creating a lighter glaze in the center of the drawers.

I did the same on the sides and top.

If you prefer the green without glaze, skip this step and apply your clear coat of choice.

I picked the shape of the hardware to keep the piece a little more modern looking.  I originally painted it a bright gray but ended up not liking the intensity next to the final green, so I brushed a light coat of glaze on those too. 

To finish it off, I wiped on two coats of oil-based poly and she was done.

milk paint & clear coats

A few weeks ago I finished my first milk paint pieces and I mentioned that I loved working with it.  It's the closed thing to a magical no-fail paint for anyone who wants to try their hand at refinishing.

Wax is generally used as a finish coat for milk paint and while I'm a fan of the paint, I'm not a big fan of wax.  I'm all about the hardest, most durable, long term finish and opted to use oil based poly instead.  (I know there are many devoted wax users out there - this is just my preference).

Instead of wax, I went with this oil based poly - hard, water proof and very durable.

The directions say this product is for spraying or brushing, but I reeeally like wiping it on.
Dip a lint free rag in the can and wipe away.

 See the difference of the richness of the paint in the drawers below...

Remember the table I refinished for 4 men and a lady last year? (Still my most difficult undertaking to date!  I can't tell you how many break downs Zac had to endure during that one :/).  I used the same wipe on method with amazing results and the same product, only tinted.  (I went over making your own DIY poly-stain here).

Most oil-based clear coats have an amber tint to them so I wouldn't recommend using them with lighter paints.  Go with a water based poly instead - I really like Benjamin Moore's Stays Clear.   Water based polys dry faster and don't have the same "open workable" time.  Because of this,  I wouldn't recommend wiping it on - spraying or brushing would be best.

And the finished dresser after two thin coats of poly...

Tomorrow, I'll go over how I finished the green milk paint dresser!

PS  Did I offend any of you devout wax users out there?  :)

Tutorial :: Disguising Wood Filler when Distressing

I tried Milk Paint for the first time last week…and LOVED it!  I was able to paint, distress and clear coat two dressers within three of Charlotte's naps.  And the total bonus was that I got to do it inside!  Awesome.

There were several places along the edges of the drawers where the veneer was chipped.  I filled them with wood filler, painted the drawers and distressed them.  As I sanded the paint off the edges of the drawers, the wood filler began to show through.  It's a much lighter a color than the wood and I didn't like the way it detracted from the overall look.

It was an easy fix.  Before I applied the finish coat, I grabbed some basic brown, acrylic paint and a cheapy paint brush. 

I painted over the wood filler with a light coat of the brown paint and the wood filler disappeared.  

You can see the before and after on the corner veneer chip below…

After applying the finish coat you'd never be able to tell how many places the wood filler should've shown through.

Photos of the finished product will be up next week!

Oil Based Paint Tips

For those of you looking for the depth and sheen only achieved with oil-based paints, but are a little hesitant to try, Rustoleum makes a great pre-mixed product sold at most hardware stores.  It's a great place to start and comes in several basic colors.  

My first "oil" project was the sideboard in my dining room.  It took less than a quart of paint and a half a dozen foam brushes.  Cleaning paint brushes when using oil paint is such a pain, I try to use foam brushes whenever I can.  Keep in mind that oil paint takes much longer to dry than latex so it drags out painting projects quite a bit, but in the end it's worth it.

The added benefit of this product is that it doesn't require primer or a clear top coat.  

If you're feeling a little more adventurous and want to have your own oil mixed, Benjamin Moore makes a great product:  Impervo Alkyd High-Gloss Enamel.

Also, as solvent paint products become more "green" they tend to not self-level as well or go on as smoothly, this creates more noticeable brush or roller marks.  To reduce this a little paint thinner or Penetrol can be added and mixed with the product.

My secret time-saver weapon…again

A couple readers came up with this most fantastic idea of reusing a few of my old posts until I get to feeling better.  This one is highly applicable to any paint project, so for those of you who haven't read it, I hope it's useful.  I've added a few new primer tidbits at the end of the post as well.

My secret time-saver weapon is none other than my Kilz spray primer.  It's pricey - like 5 x the price of the stuff in the gallon, but for me it's totally worth it.  (I've actually gone through 8 cans within the last week!)

This spray primer can be sanded within 30 minutes of applying and then quickly painted over.  If I roll on the other non-aerosol type, I have to wait until the next day to sand and paint.  It dries to the touch within 30 minutes, but clumps like crazy if you try to sand it within 12 hours.  If any of you have applied oil-based primer, you also know that it's difficult to work with and requires quite a bit of elbow grease to sand smooth.  Not my spray Kilz - it sprays smooth and only needs a light sand with a 220 grit paper.

Because of its hefty price tag {$5-$6 a can}, I try to skimp where and I can and only prime the tops of low usage furniture, such as these end tables; the body does fine with a light sand.  If I'm working with wood that has a tendency to bleed, then the entire piece has to be primed to prevent the tannin from coming through the paint.  Your regular old water-based primer won't block tannin bleed... and neither will re-applying your paint over and over - believe me, I've tried.

I roll on 2 coats of oil-based primer if I'm working with a grainy wood like oak and I want to fill in some of the wood grain.  It doesn't get rid of it, but it definitely reduces it.

It worked like a charm on my oak dining room table.

Try it on your next project - you'll never go back to rolling primer again...I promise.

The key to a quality paint job is how well the paint adheres to whatever it is you are painting.  Who cares if your paint job is smooth if the paint scratches off because the surface wasn't prepped correctly?  Sanding helps grip the primer and primer helps grip the paint.  

There are many types of primer.  Oil-based has the highest adhesion properties and blocks all tannin bleed, so it is the one I use most frequently.  

Occasionally to cut costs, I'll spray Zinnsser's water based primer through my spray gun.  It works passably well, but doesn't block tannin, so I end up spot spraying my Kilz on bleed through spots where needed.  The water based primer also requires two coats to achieve the same coverage as oil.  Why don't you spray oil-based primer through your gun, you ask?  Because I hate cleaning it out and I try to avoid paint thinner wherever I can.

If something's not clear don't hesitate to leave a question is the comments section.  Make sure to leave your email address as well.

Poly-Stain DIY and Shelves for Madeline's Room

Remember that $12 remaining in "Madeline's room fund"?  I finally got around to spending it.  Well…adding a little to it, then spending that.

My #1 child (as in birth order) is my #1 pack-rat.  She collects everything and feels it all worthy of displaying.  Naturally, the last of the money for her room should be spent on shelving to display all this wonderful crap….err treasure.

I asked Zac if he could build a couple shelves for $12.  He said he could, but he was out-of-town for the week and I wasn't in the mood to wait.  A quick trip to IKEA's shelving department and I came home with the perfect solution for Maddie's "treasure storage".  They did cost $18, but that's what's nice about being in charge of the finances.  No one to answer to. :)

I started with two Ekby Tryggve shelves at $3 each and four Ekby Valter brackets at $3 a piece.  

My favorite method of staining is combining an oil-based polyurethane and a stain to make my own poly-stain in one.   (Water based poly also works, but I prefer the hardness and durability of oil).  Minwax sells a line of premixed poly-stains, but then you're limited to their colors.  Using a poly-stain saves on time and making your own allows the flexbility of creating your own custom colors.  (I mixed two stains together for this table here to achieve the desired color).

1.  I slowly mixed in ebony stain with the polyurethane until I reached my desired color depth.  There are many ways of applying poly-stain and mine happens to be wiping it on with a lint free rag.  Very simple, absolutely technique free.

2.  Lay out whatever it is you are staining.  I was using oil products, so I started at my kitchen counter just long enough to snap a few pictures and then moved to the back patio for better ventilation.

3.  Start wiping on your stain.  Start and one end and work your way to the other in long horizontal strokes.

4.  Then I stained my brackets.

If you're using this technique on something that is going to get a bit of wear and tear, you'll want to repeat the process.  Once you've reached the color depth you're looking for use only the poly so you don't end up with a darker color than you'd like.

Find your studs and install.

And style.

Madeline helped me style the shelves with things that are important to her and that she feels are display worthy.

I wanted the shelves to be low enough on the wall that she can easily reach her books from her bed for nightly reading time.

The last thing on the docket for Maddie's room is finishing up her gallery wall.  You can see the other posts on her room here, here and here.

How to Glaze

I just finished up an enormous king sized bed.  The owners gave me a photo of an Ethan Allen bed they wanted to copy - a very light glaze over a creamy white paint.  One of the things that can be hard with glazing is getting a light, streak free finish.  I have two huge suggestions in achieving this.  

One, Old Masters Wiping Stain sold at Benjamin Moore retailers.  It comes in half a dozen colors and the workable time is much longer than other glazing products I've used in the past.  It is an oil-based product, so make sure to apply it in a properly ventilated area. 

Two, a large china bristle brush for blending.  This brush works wonders and is a must-have for a streak free finish.  These can be found at any paint store and, to my knowledge, are not carried at your local hardware store.

First, wipe on your glaze with a lint free rag.  Second, wipe it off with a clean rag.  Third, blend with the brush.

Glaze away!

Customizable Paint Deck

Do you ever find yourself shopping for furniture or textiles for your home and wish that you had a your paint colors with you to refer to?  I know I do.  Here's an quick, portable, $2 project to remedy that.

Start by taping off a group of paint stirrer sticks from the hardware store.

Grab your different wall colors.  I keep a little of each one in labeled mason jars above my microwave.  They make for convenient touch up.

Paint the bottom portion of the stirrer sticks.  Let them dry and remove the tape.  An optional step is to cut some of the length off the sticks to make them more portable.  Then drill a hole in the ends.

Add a metal ring.  I picked up a pack from Walmart for under $2.

Write the names and brand of your paint on the backside of each stick.

Now you have your own customizable paint deck to refer to.  Throw it in your purse and you're good to go!