85 Years Young

By Kristen, Owner/Creative Designer at thatFLIPPINFURNITUREgirl in Portage, IN.

This Art Deco Era waterfall sideboard had definitely lived life, and the original finish was certainly showing its age.  Updating the look to compliment my client’s decor was on the agenda as well as enhancing the beautiful veneer patterns.

The delicate curved waterfall top and drawers were sanded back to bare veneer while each piece of trim was carefully removed to be painted.  The rest of the body was prepped for a painted finish.

A custom blend of General Finishes Gel Stains was created to give a deep rich tone.  Older veneers tend to pull red from Stains, not the look we envisioned, so I used black as the main base of the custom stain.  Working in sections on the large top, the stain was applied with a foam brush and wiped back with a paper shop towels with the grain being careful to remove all excess stain. Veneers have such amazing grain patterns and this custom combo was just perfect to highlight all the variations.

Two coats of hand painted Linen Milk Paint, by General Finishes was the perfect balance to the rich wood tones.  Slightly distressed to accentuate the stunning details.  

The entire piece was given 3 coats of GF HPTC in Satin to hopefully last this beauty another 85 years!

Project Category

Upcycling Merit CategoriesCombination

Color Recipe

  • Custom Stain:
  • 1 part Antique Walnut Gel Stain
  • 2 parts Nutmeg Gel Stain
  • 3 parts Black Gel Stain

Products Used

  • General Finishes Gel Stains (custom blend)
  • GF Linen Milk Paint
  • General Finishes HPTC Satin

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