Peace Sign Mosaic Table

Table After Paint & Mosaic



Table Before Painting & Mosaic

I wasn't sure exactly what I had wanted to do with this table, but as I studied it, a plan took shape in my mind. The wood was nothing special, so I decided on painting it gloss black. Next, it needed a top. At one time there may have been a piece of glass in there, but it was long gone. After I replaced the top with a section of wood to fit the square-round shape, my idea became concrete. I would apply mosaic to the center and turn this old, worn out relic into a work of art.

As with all projects, it was necessary to first sand all the surfaces. I lightly sanded the entire table then primed it and painted it gloss black. It was the right choice as black lends itself to the most creative of choices for other applications. It also made my mosaic detail easy since I had decided on using mirror and cobalt blue glass.

Corner Before Painting

Corner After Painting

As the design took shape, I knew it needed a detail in the center so I selected a peace sign, an inspiration from my seven year old granddaughter. It was perfect. To complete the project, I painted the corner detail flowers with blue and white paint to accentuate the design, which was hidden until the paint revealed the hand-crafted detail that someone took a great deal of time to do a long time ago. The once worn and ugly table had been successfully turned into a usable work of art. I think you'd agree that this table took on an entirely different transformation and it only took two weeks!

Table Top Before

Table Top After
















Widdicomb Table

Widdicomb Table Before

Widdicomb Table After

This unique table was a special job I received shortly before Christmas. The client had extra tables he didn't need, but really wanted this one. Unfortunately it had been painted black, which covered up the gorgeous wood that lie beneath. He had started removing the paint, but didn't feel comfortable finishing it, so he called me. Of course I could take care of it!

He delivered it on a cold, snowy day. After he got it into the garage, I knew this table would be outstanding when it was done. I told him I'd have it done in a week, or possibly less. I got started sanding the table that afternoon and by the end of the day, it was ready for new stain. He wanted to go darker, so I suggested walnut. He loved the idea and agreed it would look good. While I applied the stain, I was amazed at how gorgeous the wood was. This table was made of solid oak, about 1-1/2" thick and had some weight to it. I applied two coats of semi-gloss polyurethane to protect the surface. The transformation was complete only a few days later, so I contacted my customer and assured him he would not recognize his table.

He picked it up the following Saturday and was astounded with the results. I mean, look at it! He was torn because his original plan was to eliminate some of the extra tables he had collected, but when he saw this one, he was undecided. Either way, he loved the way it tuned out. Ironically, later that evening, I received a text from him saying that if I wanted a good recommendation, he'd gladly give me one because he decided to sell the table on eBay and it sold only ten minutes after he listed it for $2,500!! I'd say it was the right choice. I love satisfied customers. It just makes my day!!

Widdicomb Table Before

Widdicomb Table After

Special Dresser Gets A Makeover

Dresser Before

Dresser After

This dresser belonged to my friend's mother who passed away in 2008. My friend had to put it in a storage unit after her brother passed away last October. She needed to empty the storage unit and asked if I was interested in this dresser. "Of course!" I told her. I liked the retro design and style of this piece, so I brought it home and began sanding it with the intention of staining it a shade or two darker.

Unfortunately, the wood wouldn't accept the stain and the piece got severely discolored. Before adding more stain and making it worse, I quit while I was ahead and made the executive decision to paint it instead. As much as I prefer staining to paint, at times it's the best solution, as it proved to be with this dresser. I chose semi-gloss white and after priming, I got busy painting it bright white. It was a good fit because it gave this old 1950's style dresser a fresh, clean and brand new appearance. I decided to have fun with it and add colorful polka dot knobs. The transformation was complete and the dresser was now a usable, yet smaller scale piece of furniture that functions well.

Dresser After

Furniture Goes to the Navy!

China Cabinet Before

China Cabinet After

I'm always up to a challenge, and this job was no different. I received a
call from a client who had an antique China cabinet and matching buffet she wanted painted a dark navy blue. When I arrived at her house, she showed me the two pieces, which were lovely, but worn out and tired looking. A new coat of paint was just what the doctor ordered!

She told me she wanted a very dark, almost black navy, so I gave her the Sherwin-Williams color palette so she could choose the color. She selected #6244, Naval. It was the deepest navy blue they offered. I told her I agreed it was the right color. She preferred a "high gloss" finish, which I also thought would be a perfect choice that would complement the original brass hardware.

The process was a long, tedious one which involved a lot of preparation. We removed all the hardware, which would have to be polished. All drawers had to be removed since they'd be painted separately. There was a broken center bottom molding on the buffet, which had to be repaired and reinstalled. Other than minor repairs, the furniture was in great shape.



Buffet Before

Buffer After

The next step was sanding all the surfaces smooth. Jim took care of this while I painstakingly removed the molding, glass and filigree wood inside of the China cabinet's doors. The glass was held in place with 1/4" trim molding and attached with 5/8" nails. Luckily there weren't a lot of nails, but the ones I removed were difficult, as I didn't want to damage the molding. I carefully slid a thin metal putty knife between the interior of the door and the molding and gently pried the molding forward, revealing each nail. When I was certain I could grab the nail, I used my vice grips and tugged, until all nails were out, then carefully peeled the molding away from the edge. This took over an hour for just two doors. After I had removed the molding, I then marked each edge so that reassembly would be easy. (When working on this type of job, it's important to think ahead!)