“Hannah” has been undergoing her makeover and is now ready for her big reveal. Being an older gal with good bones, this solid oak antique dresser has traded in her orange tones for an updated look while maintaining a soft vintage style. After a thorough cleaning, the work began with sanding, staining, paint, a beautiful decor transfer on the drawer fronts and a little hardware bling for that special touch. It’s all in the finishes! She’s a classic piece with a modern twist and will continue to...
General Finishes American Oak stained top - gel stain for the win!!!
5’ round white oak dining table stained with General Finishes Brown Mahogany Gel Stain and finished with Arm-R-Seal satin.
"Holy moly was this a big project! Stripping these babies down, getting in all the nooks and crannies, pre-stain treatment, 3 coats of stain and 3 coats of top coat... to reveal the fresh new look for this custom bed frame. Stained in General Finishes Java and Black Gel Stains, top coated in Arm-R-Seal."
"When my friend Mary approached me about surprising her husband and redoing his dad’s desk, I was so honoured. When I went to look at it in person, I was shocked with how big it was - 6 feet wide by 4 feet deep . It was going to be the biggest project I had ever taken on. While originally intended to be a surprise, Rick was looped into the process.
The desk was brought to my house and literally *juuuust* fit through my front door. There was no way that it was going to go downstairs (where I...
Nutmeg Gel Stain
**Bases is a custom mix of blues
"After some solid sanding and repair work it was painted inside and out in...
"This was more restoration than refurb! Sometimes you aren’t really sure what you are dealing with until you get started. I originally thought I was dealing with severe veneer issues but I am beyond pleased with how much of the natural wood I was able to salvage.
The body of the buffet was spray finished in General Finishes Enduro Black Poly in Satin and the wood was stripped, sanded and stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stains. Look at the beautiful spindle legs that were lost...
This table is just an instant classic, am I right???
We were approached by a larger business to create a farmhouse style with a traditional twist sofa table. We custom built this table from the ground up just for them! We used General Finishes pre-stain wood conditioner and followed with the General Finishes Antique Walnut gel stain and sealed with their Arm-R-Seal in a satin finish.
"3 stages and the final product is American Oak Gel Stain by General Finishes!" - Sugar Creek Furnishings
"TA-DA This beast is all done and back at his home! This was Maria's grandparents piece and she wanted to just give it a good refresh to bring it into their home. After wrestling with the doors more times than I care to admit to try to get them off the tracks, only to have come to the conclusion that they were built into the piece. This did complicate things a bit but I worked around it. Sanded down inside and out, primed and painted in General Finishes Snow White and stained in General...
Making a color palette for all my favorite gel stains from Maple plywood cut outs
GF Gel Stains: Java, Gray, Black, Nutmeg, Georgian Cherry, Prairie Wheat, Candlelite, New Pine, Antique Walnut
Video on making this set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWEKxNveSZk
"From stripping lead paint to repairing the top that was cracked in half this one was a challenge. Once all the prep was finally complete I let you guys vote on which color to paint her. The winner was...
It’s been quite a journey for Beatrix. She originally started as a record player, then gutted and kicked to the curb. Now she’s a bold and beautiful TV stand with storage where her speakers had once been. Her top was damaged beyond repair, so It got replaced and stained in...
"These end tables were once a vanity that was taken apart. I knew I wanted to add some height to them so I purchased some wood legs and sanded them down along with the tables themselves. Painted in Mélange Artisan Mineral Paints Basalisk and the drawers and legs are stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain and the entire piece is sealed. The handles got a deep cleaning to remove the tarnish and have been clear coated." - Upcycling by Amy
"Some of my clients do a better job at designing furniture than I could even imagine! This piece sat for years in my storage unit waiting for just the right home. My client saw it and then sent me a sketch of a mock up for refinishing this piece and I loved her ideas! This dresser is ready for it’s new home! Paint: Lamp Black by General Finishes Stain: Prairie Wheat Gel Stain by General Finishes" - Flipping Unbelievable
"This baby has been with Renee and her family for generations and had a run in at one point with some nail polish remover (see before photo)
After a good sanding, I painted it in General Finishes Lamp Black and stained the top and drawers in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain. The entire piece was lightly distressed and sealed." - Upcycling by Amy
Black Gel Stained Pine Frame
"This original Lane mid century modern cedar chest has been completely restored and is ready for another 60 years in its new home! We striped it down to its bare bones, fixed the minor veneer issues and then gave it a facelift with a beautiful coat of New Pine Gel Stain by General Finishes. Once it was dry, we went ahead and gave it multiple coats of High Performance Topcoat to protect the wood and make it shine like it was 1965!" - First State Vintage
"WHEW!! This beauty really started as a beast (see the original "knobs"- can you see the bolts )
This piece was clearly handmade in someone's home to use in a workshop. It was dirty and makeshift when it came to me from Habitat for Humanity ReStore Racine. I sanded it down completely, painted inside each 54 drawers in General Finishes Lamp Black, stained each drawer and the new wooden surround in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain, each of the 54 drawers got a new antique brass knob...
"Using my DEWALT orbital sander, I carefully uncovered this beautifully textured grain. To ensure clean lines and that no paint mistakenly ended up on top, I use painters tape- a lot of it! I like being able to freely paint without worry. I used Annie Sloan’s Athenian Black with Annie Sloan’s clear wax to seal the paint. This is my go-to paint because of how rich the black is.
Carefully, I taped the stencil to the table top. I used General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain for the design. I...
Antique farmhouse buffet was made over in Dixie Bell Sand Bar and the top was refinished in General Finishes American Oak gel stain. We love the calming color combo!!
Java and sealed with Arm R Seal satin. Scuffed sanded the veneer top. Stain applied with a foam brush and wiped it back and I did get some lines… so my final coat was a thin amount of the gel with a roller (more of a paint method) and it turned out beautiful. Some areas did pick up slight texture from the roller, but nothing offensive or anything that I would try to fix.
"This ash coffee table had been well loved and in serious need of restoration.
The base was a bit wobbly so using The Gorilla Glue Company wood glue, I applied to the affected area. I clamped the base and removed the excess glue with a blue shop cloth. After letting the glue dry overnight, prepared to paint by cleaning the base and taping to avoid paint getting all over the underside. I painted using my trusty Annie Sloan’s Athenian Black and sealing with her clear wax.
The top was sanded...
Top sanded down and applied Ash Gray Gel Stain. And for the body, gorgeous Seagull Gray Milk Paint. The top also got several coats of High Performance Topcoat to help it’s durability.
I stained the top with General Finishes Ash Grey and painted the body with House and Canvas Rich Navy. Topcoated with Varathane polyacrylic in Satin. The paint was so easy to apply and I may have found a trick for applying topcoat! Was also my first time trying General Finishes and will be getting more stains soon. The handles were Franklin Brass adjusta pull handles.
"This chevron pattern came out fire. Matching dining table, bench and coffee table. Stain: Antique Walnut Gel Stain by General Finishes." - Hermanos Woodworks
Our client wanted to give her table an updated look with a gray farmhouse style and we are so excited with how it turned out. We truly love helping people love their furniture again!
"A Deilcraft dining table is such an amazing find! With the top a gorgeous walnut veneer and the skirt and legs ash, this table and it’s two leaf extensions exude mid century modern goodness.
I started by sanding the top using my DEWALT 5” random orbit sander. I don’t mention nearly enough that I use the corded type but I should! Have constant power running to this tool helps with consistent results. I find it more powerful and I never need to worry about a battery running out. It’s...
"How cute is this farmhouse mini? I created it by using a end table, and two barstools that i cut down to size. I sanded and stained the top with...
"How cool is this old desk! It was in pretty rough shape when we got it but it cleaned up beautifully! They took the main structure of the desk and added a new bottom, the side shelves, and a new top! Such a great idea and is going to look great in its new space! We refinished this piece in General Finishes Alabaster Milk Paint and Java Gel Stain. Gorgeous!!" - Duke Interiors and Restoration
"We updated this gorgeous pine table by stripping it down and staining it a much more modern black. (GF Black Gel Stain) - Our Taylor Made Home
"This vintage MCM set was used for generations by one family. It’s curves and frame make it one of the more unique pieces I’ve refinished.
I always start by seeing if I can remove the handles and base of a piece. It makes sanding so much easier when you can create flat surfaces. For the curved surfaces, my SurfPrep Sanding makes my life so much easier. With their foam sanding pads, I don’t have to worry about damaging those curved edges. I also make sure to label the back of the handles when...
Custom hand built desk stained with GF Gray Gel Stain
"I feel so privileged when customers trust me with the design for their piece. This buffet had been in the family for generations so I wanted to make it special. We agreed on a color and originally were going to paint it solid black, but I decided to keep some wood elements and surprise her. To say she loved it was an understatement. I wish I had filmed her reaction! Lots of clapping, jumping and shouts of joy. It was priceless." - Amost Simple Home
General Finishes Lamp Black Milk...
"After removing layers of yellow crackle paint we uncovered the beautiful original wood grain! Our client then chose to layer General Finishes Java Gel Stain over Antique Walnut Gel Stain to give this entryway table a show-stopping new look!" - Moses Restorations
Original vs. Antique Walnut
General Finishes Gel Stain
GF Oil Based White Gel Stain on White Oak
"It literally took me two mornings to remove the damaged veneer on the top. Don’t you love the woodgrain? General Finishes Java Gel Stain and Restore-A-Finish on the top drawer.
p.s. I always clean and recondition the drawers with furniture salve or beeswax. Sometimes I line them with beautiful wallpapers. It’s all about details." - Furniture Story
Thia is a 32x80 pantry door co structured from clear alder. Stained with a General Finishes New Pine Gel Stain, simply to take out some of the red. Then I clear coated the entire thing then worked some black antiquing glaze, also from my friends at General Finsihes over the entire door.
Farm house style dining room table, solid oak.The top was sanded down to the bare wood and stained in General Finishes Ash Gray then given a few generous coats of High Performance Topcoat. The base was painted in GF’s Seagull Gray a very subtle pale gray, almost white in appearance.
"Whew... this might have been my longest running project to date .Lori asked me to refresh her secretariat and honestly, from the picture, it didn't look in too bad of shape but if you zoom in you can see all the crackle texture on the finish that all had to be stripped off with chemicals and then sanded down. The outside was stained in a mix of General Finishes Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains and sealed in Arm-R-Seal. The inside was painted in General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint and...
The tabletop is stained in...
This one is in amazing condition and deserved my favorite color - green Custom paint mix with...
"Our Vineyard stool (S-142B-Stool) isn’t too big, isn’t too small. It’s JUST right! Find the stool here: ...
"This table was a HUGE undertaking. Not only is it super heavy to move around but it is ginormous!! After a full day of sanding we painted the base in Mélange Artisan Mineral Paints Jett Black and sealed it in General Finishes High Performance Topcoat.The top was a bit tricker having to custom match the stain on the existing chairs and bench they bought off line. It took several attempts and several combinations but I think we nailed it with a mix of General Finishes Carbon Gray, Antique Walnut...
When I first started refinishing, all I knew about stain is that it is watery and messy. I did research and came across a gel stain created by...
Blonde Maple stained with White Gel Stain
