When my clients chose this beautiful beast from my inventory, I did make them check a few times to make sure it would fit in their house! Colours and design were chosen, and after a lot of prep and many hiccups (trying to be polite, there may have been some swearing involved ) here we are, and yes, I have forgiven the beast for being such a pain!
Colours used
Fusion - Bayberry
Mylands - FFT-003
General Finishes - Hickory Wood Stain
Restoring an Eastlake has been on my furniture bucket list and bringing the life back into this family heirloom for our client was a dream!
Circa 1870-1890, Eastlake furniture is marked by geometric shapes and simple lines, much different from the flamboyant Victorian styles of that era.
The dresser came to us having previously been slightly refinished. The top, small drawers, had been refinished in a cherry stain that didn’t match the rest of the piece, hardware had been changed and had...
I had a really hard time dating this incredible piece. I couldn’t find any writing, makers mark, or dates on it.
What I could find is the hand cut dovetails telling me it’s likely before 1880. The overall style also leans towards Neo-Greek with the intricate foliate carvings and fluted columns. This style was popular around 1850-1880. I could be completely wrong because I’m still learning, but regardless✨she’s OLD and she’s GORGEOUS.✨
When I got it, it was an insanely dark...
"I loved the unique style and shape of this chest of drawers, but I was not a fan of the traditional pecan finish. So I decided to strip and sand it down to the bare wood before staining it in a new ebony dark finish. I used General Finishes water based wood stain in the shade “Tobacco” and finished it off with new antique brass hardware." - Rhett’s Refinishes
"Antique oak will always be one of my favorite styles! This solid buffet is a great storage piece and definitely makes a statement with the gorgeous original beveled mirror (can be used without mirror).
Stained in General Finishes water based stain “Antique Oak”, and finished off with antique bronze hardware." - Rhett’s Refinishes
"This antique maple buffet was hand crafted and signed by its original craftsman in 1912. Pieces like these are always worth saving to me and bring so much more character to a home. I started by sanding off the old orange finish. Then used General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Stain which gave it a warm brown finish." - Rhett’s Refinishes
"This antique Boone Hoosier cabinet is constructed of solid oak. Boone cabinets of this style date back to the 1920s. And this one is in amazing shape for its age.
After stripping and sanding the old finish off, I used General Finishes Water Based Stain “Antique Oak” to revive the wood tone with a classic warm oak finish. The interior hutch top was painted Lilly Moon Paint “Black Lace” for contrast." - Rhett’s Refinishes
"Another stunning antique oak piece! I got a great deal on this antique Boone Hoosier cabinet at a local estate sale. These cabinets date back to the 1920s - oh the stories this piece could tell.
After stripping and sanding the old finish off, I used General Finishes Water Based Stain Antique Oak to revive the wood tone with a classic warm oak finish. And used Lilly Moon Paint “Black Lace” on the interior for contrast." - Rhett’s Refinishes
"This little beauty came to us with water spots and a crackled, failing finish. We stripped this quartersawn oak gem down to bare wood and sanded up to 180 grit sandpaper. Our client chose General Finishes Hickory Water Based Stain and the top coat is General Finishes Enduro Wood Coatings Pro Series Polyurethane Clear.
Our client will be able to enjoy this heirloom piece in all its delicately crafted glory for years to come." - JF Refinishing Co.
"Sometimes a piece just needs a little refreshing to bring back its original beauty! ✨
Ashley reached out to me looking for a dark wood desk/table. When I found this unique “lady secretary desk” from 1945, we were both sold! Although we wanted to keep a dark stain, it still needed a good sanding/scrub down to raw wood to get the new stain to adhere (and to freshen it up after 78 years of use!). Thank you Ashley for trusting me with your vision!! Now she can live on for another 78 years ...
"Solid Oak…. It’s my favorite wood! I love the grain pattern, no mistaking it.
I love the color, rich and warm. This table top needed a refresh, but only the top; the skirting and the legs were in great condition. The top had some sun damage, and a failing sticky finish.
But, when you only refinish one part of a pice of furniture, you can easily run into a mess of unmatched finishes. Old finishes have years of sun oxidation (fading) and oil based clear coats yellow over time, between the...
Bigfoot Fun! Made from pine and poplar woods, stained with General Finishes Brown Mahogany, and protected with our most favorite product - General Finishes High Performance Satin Topcoat! Michigan made from start to finish!" - Knots & Grains Woodworking
"The American Empire furniture era pulled a lot of style ques from French and Grecian designs while maintaining cleaning lines with less gilding. This allowed the focus to fall primarily on the variety of side pillars and predominantly walnut and mahogany veneer. The style found popularity beginning in the 1820s and carried throughout the 1870s with a small revival in the 1890s. Based on construction methods of this chest, I estimate it to be circa 1850 - 1880.
Featuring the iconic...
"Can you believe it’s not antique?!? I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day looking for some new furniture designs to build and found this one! I think I literally went to Menards the next day to get all of the wood and supplies to build it! lol The octagon panels were my favorite part about this piece but I couldn’t imagine cutting out all those angles so I asked another local business to cut them out and they are perfect!!! We stained in a mix of General Finishes Provincial and...
"This pine tall dresser has been sanded back and refinished in a walnut stain and sealed and protected with a hard wearing topcoat, new brass handles have been added, my first time trying General Finish products, love how they turned out !" - W.Holme Design
General Finishes Walnut Water Based Stain and High Performance Topcoat Flat.
"Sofa table was stripped down to bare wood, stained using a combination of General Finishes Antique Oak and Graystone Water Based Stain, and then sealed in High Performance Top Coat. I’m so glad my client decided to have these pieces refinished and stained so that gorgeous wood grain could be highlighted."
"Got this one a few weeks ago off marketplace and it was pretty beat up but still in good structural shape…I really wanted to do a full wood refinish but the top is the only part that wasn’t solid wood so I decided to go with the dipped look look and I’m pretty happy with that decision! I Painted the upper section in melange paints Antique Black and stained the wood section in General Finishes Antique Oak and sealed it all up in a super smooth layer of matte top!"
"Isn’t that wood grain fantastic?!! When I purchased this piece it was stained in a medium brown color but you couldn’t really see the wood grain so when I stripped it down I knew a light natural finish would show off all that beautiful grain!
We gave it a wash of General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Stain then sealed it in matte top coat and sprayed the original hardware matte black for an updated look!" - NB.Restorations by Nathan Bridges
"Who doesn’t love a beautiful mid century piece?!? The quality of this piece is perfection! 100% solid wood and the drawers work perfectly! We decided to refinish this piece to show off that fantastic wood grain! We used General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based wood stain then sealed it in our favorite matte top coat! I love how this warm natural wood tone pairs up with any color pallet and it will always be in style!" - NB.Restorations by Nathan Bridges
I always enjoy doing these building projects! Earlier this year I built the arched bookcase then I saw this piece on a few different high end accounts and I loved that raw antique wood look so I decided we could maybe-possibly build it! I started by drawing out the plans then headed to Menards to get a truckload of wood so I could get started! It took a total of three days to complete this piece…I achieved the antiqued wood look by ruffing it up quite a bit with a handheld garden rake, a...
Isn’t this piece absolutely spectacular?!?? This piece would make such a huge statement in any room it’s placed in! It stands at nearly 8ft high and approximately 5ft wide…
When I saw this piece on marketplace over a month ago I knew it had sooo much potential, but it was a little out of our budget for a flip piece. I thought about it for a few weeks then decided to get it! It was in pretty decent shape but it needed a new back…I started by stripping the original finish then I sanded it down...
"Another gorgeous stained buffet is finished!! This was stained in Espresso Water Based Stain from General Finishes." - Sweet Blossom Chic Furniture and Decor
Circa 1885 this solid oak buffet was manufactured by Olbrich & Golbeck in Chicago. 138 years has passed since it's inception and it has stood that test of time effortless with quality craftsmanship. It features three drawers including one velvet lined silverware drawer and two doors concealing open storage. The light oak stain is complimented by William Morris Strawberry Thief liners and the original brass hardware. All interior components have been cleaned and oiled for excellent...
"Here are more gorgeous stained chairs. These were stained in onyx by General Finishes. These are just 4 of 6 along with a huge gorgeous table stained the same.
You can find these same pieces and more unfinished furniture at Four Sisters Furniture & Custom Framing. They can be custom finished in stain or paint." - Sweet Blossom Chic Furniture and Decor
"A little late in sharing, but I was able to refinish this dining room table for a client just in time for their Thanksgiving celebrations! I disassembled the table in order to make it easier to strip everything. After removing the old finish and stain completely, I combined two General Finishes Water Based Stains (Onyx and Walnut) for a dark brown color. I sealed everything with High Performance Top Coat for durability and put it all back together. Love the new look!" - Flipping Unbelievable...
"This buffet was generally in pretty good shape, just had some fading from the sun and some small scratches. After sanding it all down, I stained it in General Finishes Black Water Based Stain. Sealed it with a satin top coat to give it a nice glow!!" - Upcycling by Amy
"Stained it with General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Wood Stain. The hardware was boiled in vinegar and water to remove the junk and get it back to its original beauty. The paint was stripped off the legs and they were stained too. Everything was sealed with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat." - Amanda Jones Furniture
Adorable, antique lowboy. This piece dates to the late 1800’s/early 1900’s and is solid oak.
The top and drawer fronts were sanded to bare wood, and then stained with a mixture of...
"My client brought me a worn and well loved rocking chair to restore back to its original condition or as close as possible. I spent a good amount of time stripping every speck of the previous alligator finish on this. Then I stained it using General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and sealed with High Performance Top Coat. It looks brand new again!" - Flipping Unbelievable
"The chunky nightstands are complete! We added some feet to them to give them some additional height. Painted with Fusion Mineral Paint’s OAKHAM. The tops and the handles are stained with General Finishes Espresso Water Based Stain." - T&C Re-Creations
We finished up this adorable dresser/secretary yesterday. it will be going to its new home Sunday.
The top drawer is unique. It has a drop down front on it and opens up to serve as a secretary
The bottom 3 drawers are spacious for clothing or extra storage.
The top is stained with General Finishes Black Cherry stain and the body and drawers are painted with Fusion Mineral Blue Pine.
Custom buffet in Lilly Moon Black Lace and General Finishes Provincial Water Based Stain. I’m so glad my client chose to showcase the doors and drawer fronts here - how stunning is that wood grain!
VINTAGE SOLID WOOD BUFFET / CONSOLE
Stained in Antique Oak from...
"Isn’t it spectacular?!? Just 3 weeks ago it was a sad little hutch with a bad paint job now it looks like a antique cabinet that came from a old mercantile a hundred years ago but in reality it is probably only 30 years old…lol
This cabinet wasn’t very attractive when I purchased it but I thought it was pretty unique because of the 4 upper doors that gives full access to the the interior unlike most china cabinets….I wanted the cabinet to have a grand feel so I made it about 12” taller by...
My new favorite black base coat
General Finishes I love your Gel stains but your rep convinced me to...
General Finishes Water Based Black Stain and High Performance Topcoat in NEW Dead Flat
General Finishes Black Water Based Stain
"An interesting plainness is the most difficult thing to achieve. But this china hutch displays those values effortlessly. Originally from New York City, circa 1960s. The fine grain walnut construction features oak drawer interiors, tapered legs, vintage brass hardware on the drawers, oak doors pulls and two sliding glass doors. After a full strip, new stain and new hardware it's like new again!" - Saved By Design
General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and High Performance...
Before and after of this 1920’s secretary. The finish was worn off and uneven when my client inherited it. I stripped it down to bare wood and used...
"Built from solid maple and maple plywood and stained with General Finishes Provincial Water Based Stain and clear coated with General Finishes Enduro 1K Clear Poly."
"I can not say enough great things about General Finishes Lamp Black and WB stain in Antique Brown. Smooth finish every time, seals fantastically with hemp oil. These products make me look good!" - Coat of Charms of Southwick, MA
Custom built ring toss game
"We are LOVING the Graystone Water Based Stain color from General Finishes!"
This unique vintage dresser was refinished in an olive green, distressed and black waxed. The original hardware was waxed in an antique bronze with black and highlighted with white gold.
The top was lightly sanded, stained with General Finishes Tobacco stain and top coated.
"What to do with an empty nook? Add built-ins! The customer provided this unfinished oak cabinets and we did the shelving. Stained General Finishes Onyx Water Based Stain and the countertop piece was left natural. A great mix of materials and colors makes this a one of kind piece!" - Reclaimed Michigan of Waterford Township, MI
"Cheers to comfortably seating 5 or 14 around this table and church pew for Christmas.
Build details:
Top—solid reclaimed 8/4 ash, recessed center on the bottom for weight management, dominoes used for alignment, steel c-channel installed for generational panel flatness, custom engraved with Ephesians 3:17-19, stained with 2 coats of General Finishes Tobacco Water Based Stain and sealed with Total Boat Halcyon Satin
Church Pew and Base—solid pine, SW Natural choice,...
"The antique oak looks soooo good in the light new looks we have it! This piece was made in 1928 and it had probably never been refinished so it was pretty dry and crusty so I started by stripping the entire piece down and sanding it down to the natural wood…
I wanted to give this piece just a hint of color so I gave it a wash of General Finishes Graystone Water Based Stain then sealed it in a smooth matte finish! We also replaced the random hardware it had before with new vintage style...
Gorgeous SOLID maple buffet by Leslie Diamond for Conant Ball. This piece was originally an unattractive yellowish orange. It has been completely stripped and sanded to remove that pesky old orange toner. I would normally use an oil based product but this time I used...
"Stripped the finish and stained in General Finishes Walnut Water Based Stain. It’s a great stain color, a pretty brown with black undertones." - Flipping Unbelievable
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"Staining furniture can bring out its rich texture. This piece is no exception. First I removed the existing orange finish down to bare wood, then I used a custom stain mixing Walnut and Graphite water based stains, both by General Finishes which enhanced the gorgeous wood grain." - Flipping Unbelievable
"We received a call from a local farmers Co-op. They had a desk they were planning to take to the dump. But they knew we restored furniture and thought we may want it. We went to pick it up not really knowing if it would be worth our time. What did we find? An authentic secretary desk, not the standard teachers desk we see more often.
It has been restored to the traditional look with General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and High Performance Top Coat in Gloss. Complimented by...
