Have you turned a dresser or other item into an island?
Sueb20
8 years ago
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rjs5134
8 years agovoila
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Useful and Not So Useful Items You Have
Comments (6)I love perusing Lee Valley's website but don't buy much there. I'm too 'frugal' and have gardened long enough to know I don't need or want every gadget. One very useful item they sell is The World's Kindest Nail Brush. I have one near every sink and besides being kind to hands and getting nails clean, I also use them to scrub veggies, gently scrub at stains before laundering, and rest my natural vegetable oil soaps on them to dry so they last longer. I 'try' to always wear gloves when gardening but somehow my nails get filthy and these brushes work really well. Good for feet also for those, like me, who wear flop-flops. I agree those green plant tags from LV are not the best, I've broken almost every one I bought. I think they have tin inserts that aren't as obvious as the white ones, or at least they used to. They have some nice copper tags that are good for trees. I also like their velcro plant ties. I only use shepherd's hooks for light decorative stuff in the garden, otherwise I have to pick them up off the ground too often! My least fav garden cart is the one with small wheels and a deep bucket that does not wheel well over rough ground. Good thing I only paid $5 at a yard sale. I use it to hold my small tools, plant stakes, and empty pots and don't move it around much, it just contains things so I can find them easily. My fav 'haulers' are my 2 children's wagons. They don't hold as many weeds as a large wheelbarrow but are easy to move around. Especially good for moving potted plants or heavy bags of amendments. Also have a couple of large wheelbarrows. One's always full of soil/mulch/compost/amendments during planting time so need another for weeds. I'm a simple gardener, just need a shovel, rake, hoe, and a few small hand tools. Do like my big lopper for cutting branches and those willful aspen sprouts. Here is a link that might be useful: The World's Kindest Nail Brush...See MoreWould you rather have one larger island or two smaller islands?
Comments (9)We are in the midst of building and our cabinets just went in. We have two islands. The inner island is the prep island with a sink. The frig, cooktop and ovens are all within a step or two. The outer island is the entertainment/clean-up island. It has the dishwasher, single bowl sink and accesses the drawers where our dishes will go. There are also three seats at the raised bar. The idea for us was to have a zone for me to cook uninterrupted when we have company over, but still be open to anyone getting something to drink or setting the table or just visiting. We originally planned for a U with an island, but turned it into two islands instead for better flow. You can't see from this angle, but there's a command center where I'm standing taking the picture, with a large walk-in pantry right next to it. Source: dejongdreamhouse.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest Here's the Parade of Homes kitchen that made us change our minds. (I need to see things to visualize them). There's a hidden walk in pantry behind the dark cabinetry. Source: Uploaded by user via Jen on Pinterest Source: facebook.com via Jen on Pinterest Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen cabinet installation...See MorePicked this dresser up cheap, comments on how to repair a few items
Comments (7)Technically, that "condition" you see on the finish of the top is "alligatoring" not "crazing" and it's there because there is already waaaaaaay too much finish on the top. I think your best plan is to strip the top, as you suggested. Step 2 will be to repair the veneer damage, and without all that finish it will be easier whether you send it out or attempt it yourself. Step 3 will be a finish that will approximate the sheen of the original finish. I suspect that the original finish was lacquer so if you send it out to a pro for finish as well, the mahogany color match will be mixed in the lacquer itself, not done as a separate step. A lacquer finish needs to be sprayed by someone who knows what they're doing; don't attempt it by hand, using retarders, not on a top, and not as a first-time project. If the finish is shellac, and it could well be that someone in the past tried to revive the surface with a coat of shellac, there's still, IMO, way too much finish on that top. (If it is shellac, over lacquer or over some other finish, it should have been thinned... and several thin coats applied. That would avoid alligatoring.) Linda has suggested the possibility of reamalgamating the surface, and correctly describes the process. I would differ only by saying that lacquer thinner is appropriate for a lacquer finish and denatured alcohol for a shellac finish. (Personally, I would not mix them...) If there were not a veneer repair issue I would try a rather forceful reamalgamation, using steel wool and rags to remove much of that accumulation while it was in a softened state, knowing that I might have to add a thin coat afterward. But there is a veneer repair in the offing, and that's why I suggest a complete strip of the top....See Morewhat would you do with this dresser turned at stand?
Comments (12)YES thank you I totally agree, especially even more so as I slowly redo and rearrange other pieces, couch, light fixtures curtains etc. I like the look of blended chalk paint colors or using red as main color, green or sum contrast color as dry brush or peeking out under red after sanding. I'm STUMPED on actual colors tho, as living room has orange and green (art, curtains) but purple (couch, used to be blue). red wud tie rooms together w dining (rug, light fixture) but actual shade or color examples would be a godsend...See MoreUser
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