Whelp. Lets see here. I have been working/playing a lot in the basement “studio”. A couple weeks ago I refinished this little stool. It is a friend to a sewing table and just needed a new hairdo.
Here is a peek at the torture it went through:
::Before
::In progress
I disassembled the bench and used 220 grit sandpaper to remove all the old varnish. With sanding, I developed more of an appreciation for straight simple designs in furniture. Curvy details are definitely a bugger to sand.
Linseed oil brings life to wood. I applied 2 coats of linseed oil and then 2 coats of wax. A nice natural finish. Beautiful rich walnut with warm red tones. It is amazing what sometimes lies beneath a stain or varnish.
I find it very interesting how traditional upholstery used animal hair (such as horse hair) for the guts of furniture. Here, it was intact and in good condition, so I kept it as the guts of the seat cushion. Then, I topped it off with synthetic foam for extra cushion and height.
::After
I love how the curves reflect light. It gives dimension and class to this good little bench.
I know the fabric isn’t the most trendy – the local fabric options are a bit lacking here for decor weight. But it was cheap. I’m a fan of the frugal factor.
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On the fabric note, there are quite a few places online to find killer deals on designer fabric. One great site is www.fabric.com. There, I found fabric for my next project: The Grandma Chair. Here is a sneak peek at the fabric I’ll be using:
P. Kaufmann Indoor/Outdoor Soho Sorbet
Geometric. Fresh. Simple. Makes me thirsty for orange juice…
Good Job Hanna! You should check out Hobby Lobby, their upholstery fabric section is really small, but they have more trendy stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm itching to dig in the earth too! :-)
Hanna, the little bench is exquisite! You have done a superb job of giving it new life. I love the concept of fixing what you have instead of discarding and buying something new.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys - it was a fun little bench. I like the challenge of using what you have and improving it a bit. That way it doesn't own you - you own it! (as Marvy Snuffelson would say)
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