General Finishes

This Classic Revival Buffet must have been a show piece in its youth. The original hand-stenciled design on the doors and drawers were still mostly intact, but the wood finish had become faded and dull.  The top of the buffet had been damaged by sun and wear.  To revitalize this beauty, very light layers of General Finishes Gel Stain in Java were applied to the doors and drawers until the finish came back to life while preserving the original stenciling.   The  top of the buffet was and refreshed with Java Gel Stain, as well.

This vanity was so deserving of a makeover!  The shape, carved detailing, wooden appliques and embellishments were just waiting to be discovered.   I painted the entire piece in General FInishes Milk Paint in Linen.  I then applied a coat of General FInished High Performance Top Coat in Flat to provide a slip coat for the next step .  General Finishes Glaze Effects in Van Dyke Brown was then applied to with a sponge brush and allowed to settle in the carvings and raised embellishments.  The excess glaze was wiped off with a soft cloth.

This buffet had beautiful detailing and design elements but they seemed get lost in the original, all-over  stained finish.  To accentuate these details, I chose a combined finish of paint and stain.  After stripping the top of the buffet, I applied one coat of General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain followed by one coat of Java Gel Stain.  I painted the base in General Finishes Milk Paint in Antique White.  I then applied the combined gel stains to the design elements on the front of the buffet and backsplash.

We wanted to replace the old pedestal sink in our very small powder room but had limited  space for a cabinet with a vessel sink.  Being a long time upcycler, I found a perfectly sized  vintage music cabinet for this project.  I removed the back of the cabinet and center drawer. Two holes were drilled through the top for the drain and faucet.   I painted the cabinet in General  Finishes Milk Paint in Linen.  After distressing, I applied General Finishes Van Dyke Glaze.   A stencil was applied to the door using Rub-N-Bufd Wax Finish in Antique Gold.

This Mid-Century 9 drawer dresser by Burlington Furniture had beautiful lines and original hardware.  However, the original wood finish was bland and outdated.  General FInishes Milk Paint in Coastal Blue was applied using an HVLP sprayer to acheive a smooth, even finish.  General Finishes High Performanance Top Coat in Flat was also sprayed on to protect the finish. The original hardware was reattached further enhancing this statement piece. 

This 1920's table was well crafted with self-storing leaves and beautiful detailing.  Years opening and closing of the table to place and store the leaves had taken a toll on the original finish leaving it with deep scratches and gouges.  After stripping the top, General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain was appllied using two coats. The legs, base and skirting was painted in General Finishes Milk Paint in Linen and lightly distressed.  General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Flat was applied to both finishes.  

This amazing piece came from the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA.  It was in the secret apartment inside the theater and owned Joe Patten, the Phantom of the Fox.  Although in overall good condition, the top had multiple scatches and worn areas.  I stripped the top and applied a combination of  General Finishes Java and Antique Walnut Gel Stains to match the existing finish on the cabinet.   I refreshed the rest of piece by applying the combined Gel Stains over the existing finish.

A throw back from the '90's, this CD cabinet was very dated with a light oak finish.  After cleaning and prepping, I applied General Finishes Java Gel Stain over the exisiting finish.  Two coats later and some new hardware was enough to transcend this CD cabinet into a beautiful card catalog of yesteryear.    General FInishes High Performance Top Coat in Flat was applied to protect the finish.

This unusual secretary desk lended itself to something different.  I choose stenciling, but with a twist.  Rather than using layers of paint to create the stencil effect, I stenciled General Finishes Milk Paint in Linen over the existing wood finish.  As a result, the warm wooden finish shows through the stencil.  All-over distressing further enhances the effect creating a one of a kind design.

This vintage extension table with two leaves had beautiful lines and was wonderfully made, but the finish had seen better days.  The chairs had exquisite carved detailing, but alas, they were all lost in the original brown finish.  To begin the tranformation, the top of the table was removed from the base. After sanding the top down, two coats of Java Gel Stain was applied. The seat bottoms of the chairs were refreshed in Java Gel Stain, as well.  The base of the table and the chairs were painted in General Finishes Milk Paint in Lamp Black.

This finish was inspired and created in anticipation of the Solar Eclipse of 2017.  Like the upcoming celestrial event,  warmth and light shimmer through darkess at varying degrees across the surface.  The circular design on the doors of this 1920's Art Deco Buffet mimic the sun and moon making it the perfect selection for this project.  General Finishes Milk Paint in Klein Blue was applied as a base coat to create depth.   One coat of General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin was then applied as a slip coat for the subsequent layers.

The berber carpet on our rear stairs was old, dirty and worn, so we decided to rip it out.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but like a scene from the movie, "What Lies Beneath", the stairs were scary, ugly and rough, really rough.   I wanted the look of dark hardwood floors, but the cost of replacement stair treads was way out of budget.  As a long time furniture upcycler with General Finishes as my "go to" for products, I thought why not use it on the stairs?  Epiphany!   So I filled and plugged all of the gaps and what seemed like millions of nail holes with wood filler.