erianthe's Profile

we have three cats! In different colors- so there is hair that shows on all fabrics, rugs surfaces-light or dark! I can just picture that hurricane strength sucking all the hair up now......

Wow- Angie really nailed it- the green stripes are the cause of the anxious feelings- it was my first impression but i know what a pain it is to paint-yet, with all the truly interesting art work you have the walls need to stop talking so much- let the art speak- you've chosen it so well....i think all you're stuff is really lovely and inviting- I hope you can enjoy it! P.S.- not so hard to tone down the book cases- you can use a dark coat of minwax polyshades- just clean and sand the surfaces first- but really- with mellower walls it might not be needed- good luck and take it easy- mellow is as mellow does.

As a woodfinisher i would agree with Anna- you have 2 routes- DIY or pro. For DYI- first take warm damp cloth and clean piece(there is often surgary left overs from unclean hands left on furniture-only water gets it off!) then use naptha on a rag to clean off old wax and old glue, tape or oil residue. The use a paste wax(butcher's is fine) - apply wax with 0000steel wool or a grey 3M pad in the direction of the grain- wipe off soon if you like a lower sheen- or let dry and get ready to work for a higher sheen. Buffing dry wax is harder- you have to put some muscle in it and it can take a while to get a nice even sheen- the results can be lovely though. i use cheesecloth for all of this- I buy in bulk- you can usually get a measley little pack from the hardware store though- the weave gives a nice grip for buffing... back to the piece- you can buff off in any direction but always finish with the grain. Try a drawer and see if you like the results. Briwax makes a dark wax which can color in nicks and scratches on darker furniture- amber is good for your piece. This process is a good practice for maintaining all wood furniture- done yearly it keeps pieces from drying out and leaves them looking fresh. Stay away from pledge and other such silicone based things-they make things worse over time. if your results are still not satisfactory- then go to a pro- most restoration shops will charge $70ish and up hour- seems high but the costs of running a shop are also high- they will clean off the wax, fix veneer issues and reshellac and rewax - shellac is a beautiful thing- it can be redesolved and refreshed relatively easily- not as tough as poly but infinately more attractive and repairable- plus it's made by bugs! It is very tricky to work with though- not for the novice. (I know I said it was easy earlier- easier than dealing with old poly which can only be stripped)
your piece looks in pretty good shape- im guessing the wax will do wonders- and it's a good practice to learn to keep the good stuff in good repair... hope this helps!