In recent months, I have morphed into the salvager of street strewn antiques. Although my tiny apartment cannot bear another thing, the horrific thought of a dump truck crushing the potential in these one-of-a-kind items, is well worth the space loss in my digs; hence the latest addition to my closet/office.

On a routine drive through my neighborhood, my sister (b.k.a partner in furniture-recovering operations) came across an antique desk that some unimaginative person discarded. One phone call and a borrowed mini van later, and the desk was on its way to my place. I had no idea what I was in store for, all I knew was that an antique desk had been dumped on a street corner--that was all I needed to hear. When it arrived, I found it to be the perfect workspace for my computer and sewing machine.

The only visible wound was a crooked door (which a new hinge would easily fix) and a few paint splats on the top (perhaps the reason for its untimely disposal). In my excitement, I neglected to take a photo before I got to work on it, so you'll have to use your imagination. The base was a forest green and the top a worn out maple.

Bringing this baby back to life took only four steps; strip, shellac, prime, and paint.

Tools Needed:

• Chemical stripper
• Paint brushes
• Paint scraper
• Fine grit sand paper
• Soft cloth
• Eye protection
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Paint primer
• Paint

Good to Know:
Go with the strongest stripping solution you can find, it will cut down on the time and reapplications needed to break through old coats of polyurethane. Also, ask your home renovation store for an empty paint can. Pour the stripper into the can when using it, the chemicals will eat through any other flimsy material like plastic.

The Steps:

• Make sure that the area is well ventilated
• Brush on one layer of stripper and let it sit for about 20 minutes
• Use the scrapper (while the stripping solution is still semi-wet) to scrape off the loosened coating
• Wipe clean with a dry rag
• Apply a second coat of stripper and follow the same process as before until all of the polyurethane is gone.
• For areas that will be re-shellacked, once the surface is wiped clean, sand it with a fine grit paper.
• Use the soft rag to thoroughly dust the area clean
• Paint on two coats of polyurethane (using a tinted one prevents having to stain the wood first)
• Prime all other areas the be painted
• Paint with color of your choice

Do you have an antique piece that you would like to restore? Let's see it! Or if you've redone a piece share that as well.

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