~ Painting more furniture ~

Amazingly, I purchased these chests at my local Goodwill for only $30 each.  Since I lived in China and was in the antique Chinese furniture business ~ I know ~ these items are REALLY old.  

If I took a client to China to purchase them directly from the factory ~ they would cost $300 each in a raw form.  About $1500 refinished. 

I was hoping to get these down to raw wood. 

They're not exactly the same but I'm not using them together... and no one would notice if they were. 

Outside my office is a large paver patio where I do much of my work.  My garage is also next to it where all my supplies are stored.

A first coat of stripper was painted over the entire thing.  Oops, it's dries too fast in the sun... not a great idea.  So, I dragged over an umbrella to save me and the project.  It would be best to do it in stages ~ but I like to work fast and fix later.  

Mine doesn't have as much brass hardware ~ but you get the idea of it's value.  And this one above is country style ~ not a refined finish. 

Realizing ~ to achieve the 'raw' look ~ it was going to take a lot of stripping and sanding and days of labour.  There was also the step of steel wool and/or stainless steel scouring pad.  

This is what they looked like after the first attempt of stripping.  For me the last. 

I gave up and went to plan B.

I decided to paint and leave the top stained. 

I asked the Chinese factories to strip and paint old items all the time.  It didn't devalue.  An item is only a value when someone is willing to pay for it. 

From my factory tours....

my company name:

Zhuhai, China

1. 2-3 coats of paint

2. shake a toothbrush with burnt umber over it to make 'spots'. 

3. use a sander in spots to age it. 

4. next a mixture of antique and clear wax applied

5. Stain directly over the old stain top 

6. Clear coat the entire thing.

The antique wax darkens the off white and makes it creamy.  And I think it still looks 100 years old. 

 

The lamp I brought from China

The Chinese urn and stand - I purchased at a thrift store and painted the wood stand.

The fake plant was $10 from another church Thrift store. 

Because I stripped it - there's a 2 tone effect on the top ~ love the look.  I tried a pine first and finished with a walnut to deepen it. 

$30 and some paint and stain that I had in my stock. 

The other one is located in a hallway outside my master bedroom. 

Here's the top of this one. 

I'm satisfied and you can't believe...

* cabinet $30 - Goodwill

* lamp base $10 - Goodwill

* Lamp shade $25 - Homegoods

* Enamel flowers - $12 thrift store (last auction $600)

* Enamel plate - $10 recycle shop

* Wood painted mirror - $40 - thrift shop

Total $127 plus tax for everything!

I had the glass bowl. 

I paid $12!

I think this is a mid century handmade copper enamel plate.  Not sure of the value, but I was glad to pick it up for $10. 

OK - paid a little more for the lamp because I had to rewire it. It's painted with white chalk paint, rewired and added a stone finial (I made) below. 

I made the finial from a stone disc from China and glued it to the brass finding.  

Originally these shades at Anthropologie were $128.  I purchased this knock off at Home Goods for only $25.