Furnishing your private home with antiques doesn’t need to be costly — not should you’re keen to do some restoration work. Take it from Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon, higher often known as the Brownstone Boys.
“When you get a bit somebody has already spent a whole lot of effort and time restoring, it’s going to be costly,” mentioned Mr. Bordelon, 43. “However there are lots of items on the market that want a whole lot of love, and to be restored, you could get for lots much less. We do this loads.”
The Brooklyn-based designers — whose new ebook, “For the Love of Renovating,” is out subsequent month — are at all times on the hunt: in classic retailers alongside Atlantic Avenue, in architectural salvage yards, even amongst piles of trash on the sidewalk.
“We’re lucky to reside in New York, the place stooping is a factor,” Mr. Slocum, 41, mentioned.
Not too long ago, they rescued a wooden facet chair with a ruined seat and gloppy paint from the curb. To revive it, they employed lots of the identical strategies they use on woodwork in historic brownstones.
Peel the Paint
Begin by eradicating any upholstery you don’t plan to maintain, so you’ll be able to work on the picket body. Then use a warmth gun on the outdated paint and peel away as a lot as you’ll be able to with a steel paint scraper.
“You warmth the paint, and then you definitely scrape,” Mr. Bordelon mentioned. (Simply watch out to not burn the chair.)
“That’s going to get many of the paint off,” he continued. “It’s going to return off in globs, but additionally go away some remnants.”
To cope with any tenacious paint, use a liquid paint stripper, like CitriStrip. Unfold it on generously with a paintbrush — and be affected person.
“We’ll let it sit for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes,” Mr. Slocum mentioned. “After which assess the way it’s scraping off.”
Work cussed areas with metal wool and wipe them with a rag.
Sand It
Now that many of the paint is gone, spray the chair with denatured alcohol and scrub with extra metal wool to wash off any residue. Then sand your complete chair to take away any remaining flecks of paint and refresh the floor of the wooden.
“We do need to get right down to the uncooked wooden,” Mr. Slocum mentioned.
Begin with coarse sandpaper — perhaps 80 grit — and work as much as progressively finer grades, ending with 400 grit. The Brownstone Boys generally use an influence sander, however to get into curves and crevices, Mr. Slocum mentioned, it’s usually simpler to work by hand with odd sandpaper.
“Typically we tape it to a wooden block if we have to get somewhat extra power into the furnishings,” he mentioned.
Stain It
With the naked wooden uncovered, add stain in a shade of your alternative. The Brownstone Boys wiped Varathane Early American stain onto their chair with cheesecloth.
For even coloration, Mr. Slocum mentioned, “you need to work with the grain.”
After the stain dried, they sanded the chair once more to clean out any raised grain.
Select a Alternative Seat
An upholstered seat is at all times a pleasant choice, however Mr. Slocum and Mr. Bordelon had been feeling bold. So once they seen a groove across the seat of the chair, they determined to make use of pressed-cane webbing they purchased on Amazon as an alternative of material.
So as to add cane to a seat, reduce the fabric somewhat bigger than wanted and soak it in water for about 20 minutes.
“That may assist us not solely apply it, however do away with stiffness we don’t need,” Mr. Slocum mentioned.
Use wooden wedges or a screen-rolling instrument to drive the sides of the cane into the groove and trim off the surplus. To carry the cane webbing in place, add wooden glue and a reed spline — a steady strip of fabric that fills the hole.
End It
To finish your restoration, add a transparent coat. The Brownstone Boys utilized Varathane matte polyurethane. It’s greatest to make use of a contemporary paintbrush or rag, Mr. Slocum mentioned, to keep away from brushstrokes.
For his or her chair, one coat was sufficient. But when the end seems uneven otherwise you need higher safety, you’ll be able to apply further coats.
Then all you must do is work out the place to place your new piece of furnishings.
“We’re going to place it in our workplace,” Mr. Slocum mentioned.
However the chair, he added, might finally find yourself in a house they assist another person renovate: “Then they’ll take pleasure in it for the following hundred years.”
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