I’ll admit it: If I saw a refinishing project like this in front of me, with every inch covered in thick, glossy paint, I’d probably turn and run the other way. Refinishing furniture has never been my favorite thing to do, even though time and again I see Before & After projects where the patience…
In many ways, “makeunders” are much more difficult than makeovers. I’ve passed up many a promising chair or table simply because I cowered at the thought of all the stripping and sanding required to bring the piece back to life. I admire those determined individuals who follow through on a refinishing project, and I love…
Lately, we’ve been really into metals here at D*S, but there are a few instances where metals can go wrong, and no metal walks that thin line between beautiful and tacky quite like brass. I’m sure we’ve all seen examples of good brass and bad brass. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what throws off the…
I’ll be honest; when I see pieces painted over in this fashion, I usually want to run the other way. Just the thought of trying to tackle a project like this credenza from Meagan Luhrs and her husband, Ryan Thompson, makes me break out in a preemptive sweat. I am amazed at their results and would…
Our second pretty painted-furniture piece today is this gorgeous metallic herringbone desk by restoration expert Ann Marie of Twice Lovely. It’s incredible what some elbow grease and a good wood stain can do for damaged wood, and if you can believe it, the pattern on this desk was drawn freehand with a simple metallic paint…
I know that painting or drawing on wood continues to attract controversy, but today I’m excited to share two* of the prettiest painted furniture pieces I’ve come across recently. First up is this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired table by Jesse Dresbach, owner of the furniture-restoration shop Nine Red. We’ve featured some of Jesse’s skilled restoration work in…
I have avoided painting a piece of furniture in my home for a long time, opting instead for a mix of natural woods. However, if I were to bring a solid colored piece into the mix, I think something along the lines of this electric cobalt blue dresser from Natalie could be the way to…
I see desks like these in thrift stores and on the side of the road all the time, and honestly, I can’t say that I feel inspired when I look at them. However, now that I’ve seen this refinishing job from Rebekah Disch, I’m reminded yet again that every piece of furniture can have potential…
Furniture pieces like this dresser redo make me think there are tons of you out there who could live double lives running successful furniture design or restoration businesses. I’m still sort of amazed that Renee saw the “before” dresser above and had the vision to create the stunning two-tone piece below. I adore that dark…
Metallic leaf is one of my favorite craft materials, but I’ve never used it on anything larger than a vase or a small wood project. This copper-trimmed vanity table from Nicole has inspired me to do more with the medium, especially after seeing how it sets off the fine wood. The warm, rich tones on…
i’ve got an afternoon of before & afters coming up (i’m posting until 2pm today, rather than 1pm) today, so i wanted to start things off with these fun projects from stacey and stephanie. first up- stacey‘s make-under. stacey’s boyfriend phil found this old desk on the side of the road covered in graffiti and…
we’ve got a PACKED before & after day today so i wanted to kick things off bright and early with emily’s credenza makeover. emily, an art teacher and designer in denver, received this old credenza from her parents’ house and decided to give it a “lighter, cleaner” feel with some new paint, a bold purple…
today’s first before & after comes from d*s readers krist + travis. they found this “pile of sticks” on roadside garbage night and thought there was something of promise waiting to be created. a lot of love and a little bit of elbow grease and the pile of sticks has turned into a lovely new…
