One of the most common questions we get in our Paint It Beautiful Facebook group is, “How do I know whether to paint or to restore my furniture?” The answer to that question is simple, and it all depends on your end goals. Are you looking to revitalize and modernize a piece of furniture in your home so it matches your décor? Or do you want to preserve and restore a piece of history that needs some work? Here at Fusion Mineral Paint, we support both needs and offer a wide variety of products to help you refinish your projects whichever route you decide to go. For this project, we wanted to focus on how to restore original finishes and preserve all the character and age of our piece without changing too much. Here is a look at the piece we are working on:
Below is a list of supplies you will need for a similar project:
- Fusion TSP Alternative
- Microfiber cloth
- Fusion Gel Stain “Patina”
- Fusion Beeswax Finish
- Staalmeester Natural Round Bristle Brush
- Foam Brush
- Casters
Proper Prep to Restore Original Finishes
Our piece is an antique steamer trunk made entirely of solid wood and iron straps. While this piece does have some sturdy bones, the finish is quite faded and shows a lot of it wear on the surface. We started by cleaning multiple times with our Fusion TSP Alternative solution and scrubbing with a microfiber cloth. Since this piece is an antique, it has been stored in a variety of environments, likely exposed to smoke, pets, sunlight and oils, etc. The best thing to do for finishes you want to save is to make sure you are starting with a fresh and clean surface. Cleaning multiple times is just one of those things that will help preserve the life of your piece even longer. We cleaned the trunk with our solution 3 times and let it dry overnight before moving on to the next step.
Bringing the Original Finish Back to Life
We chose not to sand this piece because we wanted to keep the original stain colour. We also wanted to highlight the wear marks, and sanding would essentially remove much of that. Our next step was to add our Gel Stain. Fusion’s Gel Stain is a high-quality oil-based stain and polyurethane in one. It provides all the durable protection of oil-based finishes while giving you a rich pigmented finish.
We chose “Patina” because it is a clear gel stain and topcoat with an amber tone that truly enhances saturated darker brow tones. This brought our original finish back to life with a simple swipe. Because Fusion’s Gel Stain and Topcoat is not a wipe-on/wipe-off product, we simply covered our entire surface with one coat (metal included) and let it dry for 24 hours. This product is incredibly forgiving since it is oil-based, so there is absolutely no worry about brush or lap marks.
Restoring the Interior of the Trunk
After our exterior was dry, we switched gears to the inside of the trunk. We vacuumed and cleaned with our TSP Alternative solution and let it dry. Since the inside tends to be rough wood, we simply wanted to add a layer of protection and to shine it up a bit. That’s where Fusion’s Beeswax Finish become the star. Beeswax Finish is the best of both worlds, hemp oil and beeswax in one small and powerful container.
A little goes a long way. We used our Staalmeester natural round bristle brush to apply the beeswax finish, swirling it so it gets in all the fibres. Then simply buff with a cloth. The interior looks brand new and smells amazing!
Final Touches to Restore Original Finishes
For our final touches, we wanted to add some heavy duty industrial casters to make our trunk mobile. The casters add just a layer of functionality as well as some industrial flair.
Even though this piece is time-worn and aged, preserving its history truly was the focus of the project. You can give a piece of furniture a completely new life, simply by working with what you already have, and ensuring durability for years to come. This trunk went from looking old and tired to classic and aged elegance.
Our favourite part of this makeover is simply how much each of these character marks tells a story. There is so much history revealed on surfaces like this, telling a story of its life and purpose. Using Patina Gel Stain and Beeswax Finish helped to bring out these marks, reflecting just how beautiful old things can be with a little elbow grease. Patina Gel Stain helps to bring out the beauty in all this character.
Whether it’s preservation or restoration, Fusion has you covered. Our products not only stand the test of time with durability and aesthetic, but they also give you options should you choose to change your look in the future. We hope you enjoyed the preservation project of this 1800’s trunk and hope to see more of these types of projects in our Paint it Beautiful Group. Comment below with the project you plan on restoring!
