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The Roots & Wings blog has moved along with a new website, to www.rootsandwingsfurniture.com/blog

Thanks for sticking with us, see you over there!

No. 135 Drexel Chest of Drawers | Two Ways

I got my hands on a beautiful Drexel chest of drawers recently.  And it was refinished in two different ways, see which one you like best!

Here it is when I got it. 

I first painted it in Coastal Blue, that is my very favorite General Finishes color.  Navy, regal, masculine but neutral.  With distressed details and polished up hardware. 

A customer was interested very quickly, but she was looking for black rather than blue, and with gold accents!  So it was a repaint in Lamp Black!

Here is take 2...

This time instead of distressing, the edges are accented in Antique Gold Rub n' Buff. 

I usually apply this wax with a Q-tip (unless you want guilded fingers!), but it wasn't giving me the crisp lines I was looking for. 

So here is a little trick, first apply the Rub n' Buff to a piece of dowel rod (a stick or pencil would work too), then rub along the edges.  The hard surface gives cleaner lines. 

So, what has your vote?   Coastal Blue or Lamp Black?

This piece has sold, but check out what else is available in the shop here!

Blessings!

10 Furniture Painting Tips for Beginners

Hello!

I thought I would put together a little post to get some of you started.  Some of you have no idea where to start, so maybe these tips will help answer your questions!

There are whole paint lines that boast "no prep work", and I think sanding is a pain as much as the next gal, but it really doesn't take much. Just run some 220 sand paper over your piece to scratch up the existing finish.  Then use a damp rag to wipe it off. The whole ordeal only takes about 5 minutes, and it gives your paint a better surface to stick to.

Even during prep, this is a good idea.  And especially if you are refinishing the wood.  Go against the grain and you may get scratches you don't want to see.

It really makes all the difference!  I use the Purdy XL Cub, it fits well in my hand, and gives a smooth finish!  When painting always use long, even brush strokes to reduce the paint lines.  A good brush will also last you a long time!

 well loved Purdy brush

Because General Finishes paint is water based, water really is your best tool.  You can thin the paint if it gets a little thick.  You can make a wash (usually 50/50 paint and water) for color variations or for a wash over wood.  And of course, all you need is water to clean out your paint brush!

White Washed Buffet

 

Don't see the color you want?  Just mix it up to get the perfect color! Just make sure you make enough to paint your whole piece, it may be hard to get that perfect color match again.

Mix of Antique White and Patina Green

This paint is made to be tough, so unless you are painting a really high use surface (like your kitchen table top), you don't need a top coat!  How nice is that?  

 It does take 2-3 weeks for the paint to be fully hardened, so do be gentle during that time.  ie: don't go put your favorite heavy lamp on your nightstand you just painted - it may mark up the surface.  Patience.

 Coastal Blue Buffet

My Mother-in-Law recently watched my tutorial video, and when it came to the distressing section, she said - "distressing is sandpaper? that's all it is?".  I recommend using 120 grit sandpaper, and running it right along the edges.  Think of where the piece would naturally get some wear and tear over time, the edges, feet, corners, etc.  And then, if there are additional details you want to highlight, distress those too.  

And guess what, worst case, you get a little crazy with it and end up not liking it...you can paint over that section and start again!

And if you are really feeling crazy, try other tools to distress, like a paint scraper.

Glazing is a newer technique for me.  I was a little intimidated by it.  And can I just tell you, it is SO EASY!  Like brush it on, wipe it off.  No really, that's it.  Way easier than waxing.  

Again, since General Finishes glazes are all water based, worse case, you can paint over it!

Linen Milk Paint with Pitch Black Glaze

And lastly, and I think this is the most important tip of all - don't fear the paint!  Start on a little thrift store piece, or something you hate anyway that you are ready to toss (how much worse can it get?).  Then when you feel more confident, move on to something more impact-ful to your home.  

If you have the gumption it takes, try a RE-FINISH Box!  All the things you need to refinish a piece of furniture send right to your mailbox.  And, you get me as your backup - I'm happy to answer any questions you may have along the way!

Hope these tips are helpful - ready to start your weekend project?

Blessings!

Happy Fall Y'All Sale and a Giveaway!

Thank you to all who came out to the sale last weekend, it was a huge success!  We had a blast getting to know all of you.

And for those of you who are not local, or couldn't make it out, I thought we'd extend the fun online. 

All the pieces left from the sale are posted in the Etsy shop, so you can shop your heart out.  Here are just a few...

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We are also gearing up for the official release of the Re-Finish Box on Monday!!!!

So to celebrate, I'll be giving away a box to 3 lucky winners.  If you have a project you are itching to get finished before the holidays, make sure you enter here! 

Make sure you keep an eye on our Facebook Page on Monday for more fun too!

Blessings for a wonderful weekend,

The RE-FINISH Box!

You all. I am so excited, the day has come for this announcement.  The RE-FINISH Box is ready to be introduced.

Earlier this year an AZ friend emailed me asking for help and advice on how to refinish a hutch she had in her kitchen.  I spent some time writing her a long email with different options for paint, top coats, hardware, etc.  Told her where to shop for this, that and the other. And, of course it was a trip to Home Depot, a trip to a local antique store, and ordering a few products online.

This is when I stared thinking, wouldn't it be awesome if I could send her everything she needed to get it done.  So that's how the RE-FINISH Box was born.

It has been so fun to pull together my favorite products into this kit.  These are already the products I use and trust, so it was easy to choose what was going to be included.

Here's what the box has:

Now, you can be a furniture re-finisher too!  My goal has really been to simplify the refinishing process, and make it easy and accessible for someone to try it out on a piece in their own home.  Who knows, you may find a new passion!

These are the pieces I finished in the tutorial video!

You can choose any color you would like, and there is even the option to add hardware to your RE-FINISH kit!

How fun is that?!? I've been working so hard on this, and couldn't wait to tell you all about it. For the next few weeks, we are running a PRE-ORDER SPECIAL!  The normal price on the boxes will be $59, the special for the next few weeks will be $50, and all of the pre-orders will ship on October 5th. No coupon code needed, you can checkout with your box here. 

Of course with the launch of the new product, the website got a little revamp too, be sure to check it out!

Blessings,