1948 Lane Cedar Chest

Cedar Chest Before

Cedar Chest After

I found this lovely Lane cedar chest at an estate sale on my way to the grocery store. It was the last day of the sale and everything was half off! I was thrilled that this cedar chest was still there after a few people had expressed interest in it, but never came back to buy it. It was as though it was saved just for me. It was exactly what I had been searching for since spring. I was determined to find one that I could afford since I still had to put work into it to make it pretty again. My patience had paid off!

Cheap TV Stand Makeover

TV Stand Before

TV Stand After Paint

This corner tv stand was a very lucky find for me! I had been looking for something to replace the "too tall" temporary tv stand with something lower, since the antique cherry cabinet I had used was too high and blocked a significant amount of light from the window, making it hard to open and close the curtains.

We simply don't have the time to build an adequate tv stand right now with everything else we're trying to accomplish outside before the weather turns cold, so finding this little gem was an unexpected surprise, especially since it cost me only $5.00!

1940's Hutch Makeover

Hutch Before

Hutch After

This 1940's hutch caught by eye at a local antique shop here in Marine City. I fell in love with the great lines and gentle curves of this unique piece of furniture. A plain glass door was functional enough, but I could envision something much more suited to this beauty, so I added a leaded glass panel with bevels and glue chip glass to enhance the hutch adding classic, timeless styling.

With relish, I peeled off hideously sticky contact paper circa 1965 from the interior and painted the shelves with serenity blue chalk paint to give it a modern flair and fresh appeal to today's contemporary styles. I replaced the broken back with a section of bead board, which added vertical lines and created additional texture. It looked great! The exterior was in overall terrific shape, but needed refinishing, no easy task. Section by section, I carefully detailed
and stripped, using my special set of tools to remove many years of old finish which hid the beautiful cherry beneath.

Beautiful Oak Table Refinish

Oak Table Before

This great oak table had strong "bones," but the surface had minor surface scratches and required gentle sanding and a new finish of golden oak stain to create a better than new look. Oak is one of my favorite woods to work with because it handles sanding well, allowing the grain, commonly hidden by layers of grime and

Oak Table After

wear, to come to light. 

Decent sized, this table was the couples' primary dining table, so I made sure I put a "rush" on it and got it done quickly. Lots and lots of sanding and three coats of polyurethane, this little gem was once again a great piece of furniture that can be used for years to come.