You all know that I love to paint furniture. I especially love to use chalk paint to give old furniture a new look. But sometimes, painting is just not the way to go. I’ve been searching for a sideboard for my dining room for a while. I knew what I wanted and I knew what my budget was. Trying to find one I love and that fit into my budget turned out to take a while. A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting one of my favorite Charleston stores, Charleston Attic Mall and there it was!
I should have purchased it on the spot, but it was a little over budget. I thought about it for two days and decided to return, hoping it was still there. I made an offer below the asking price and it was accepted. I could not wait to bring the piece home.
Overall, it was in very good condition. It’s solid wood and very sturdy. It did have some spot damage to the surface.
The inside of one of the cabinets was pretty gross. Something sticky was still in there and it left a pretty ugly spot.
The felt lining in the drawers definitely needed to be replaced.
The problems with the piece were pretty minimal and I knew I could make it shine again. This was going to be the piece of furniture that had been missing in my dining room. All it needed was some attention to the problem areas to give it a fresh life.
I started by cleaning the entire piece inside and out with TSP. I used a micro fiber cloth to apply it and another one to wipe it down. I’m not sure what that sticky stuff was, but it cleaned up, leaving some discoloration of the wood. Since this is inside of the cabinet, I called this good enough.
I wiped down the green felt drawer liners and removed all of the loose particles. I found some pretty cream colored patterned felt at Michaels to use as drawer liners.
I measured and cut the felt to fit into each section of the drawers.
As I was cleaning the interior of the drawers, I saw a manufacturer’s medallion. It says Huntley Furniture. I wasn’t familiar with this company, but after doing a little Googling, I learned that it was a company, based in North Carolina until 1961 when it merged with Thomasville Furniture. The pieces made before 1961 have the Huntley Medallion and those made after the merger are etched with the phrase “Huntley Furniture by Thomasville.” I love that I was able to determine that this piece was made no later than 1961.
The last thing I needed to do to refresh the sideboard was to work on the spots on its top and to bring back its shine. On the recommendation of my brother who loves to give old furniture new life, I used Howard Restor-A-Finish.
This is so easy to use. I wiped it on with a micro fiber cloth and rubbed it in circular motions, one small space at a time. As I rubbed, those ugly spots faded and the shine came back.
I did the entire piece and allowed it to sit for a couple of hours before repeating the process. Look at that shine!
I have a Duncan Phyfe style dining table and china hutch that was made in the mid 1950s. While this sideboard is not the same style, it fits in beautifully. The wood tones are so close and I think the styles work well together.
I love how the piece looks now that it’s all cleaned up. I’ll be using Restor-A-Finish again on other projects.
I’m so glad that I didn’t settle on a few other sideboards that I saw during my hunt. Patience paid off!
We party with some awesome bloggers. We share at these great parties!
Beverly shares easy, inexpensive craft tutorials, diy projects for the home, coastal decor projects, & thrift store find makeover projects all designed to help you create a beautiful home on a budget.
Shirley Wood says
What an awesome find Beverly! Wow, the after pics are gorgeous. It matches beautifully with your dining table, no matter they are different, close enough. How cool to learn that it’s vintage Huntley too!
Beverly says
Thanks, Shirley! I was super excited when I found it. I was happy that it cleaned up so nicely, too.
Gail @Purple Hues and Me says
Your refreshed sideboard looks amazing! In fact, from the photos – brand new! What a great find! And you did a fabulous job in restoring it. I’ve seen that patterned felt at Michaels and often wondered what to do with it. Now I know thanks to you and it looks great in the drawer!
Beverly says
Thank you, Gail! I was thrilled that it didn’t take a great deal of work to get it all cleaned up. That felt is so pretty. I was surprised to find it at Michaels. Glad to give you an idea!
Laurie says
Oh, I love the sideboard! I’m amazed that it was so easy to refresh it. I have a couple pieces that were from my Grandmother’s bedroom set that could use a little restoring. I may have to look for that Restore A Finish. The sideboard really looks nice with your dining room set. I have not seen that patterned felt before, but what a great idea for a drawer liner! Thanks so much for sharing! Pinning to share.
Beverly says
Thank you, Laurie! I was surprised about that, too! I recommend using Restor-A-Finish. It works great! I was pleased to find that felt liner. It was perfect for this. Thanks for sharing and for the great party each week!
Heart says
You’re amazing! I love how you put patience in cleaning the interior as well as the exterior. Look at that shine! It looks brand new!
Beverly says
Thank you, Heart! It was really the product I used that was amazing! The interior was such a mess, I was pleased that it cleaned up nicely.
Pili says
Your sideboard looks amazing now!! It fits perfectly into the dining room, and you got an old piece without knowing it, extra bonus!
I would love to invite you to share this with us at our new Sweet Inspiration Party, which is live every Friday, http://sweethings.net/sweet-inspiration-link-party1/
Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Beverly!
Beverly says
Thank you, Pili. It was a great find! Thanks for the invitation to your new party. I’ll be sure to stop by. Have a lovely weekend!
Joanne @ Sea Glass Cottage says
Looks gorgeous and fits seamlessly into your dining room! If you hadn’t written the blog post about your new find, it would appear that it was a beautiful dining set. Great find!
Beverly says
Thank you, Joanne. I feel lucky to have found a piece that fits so well.
Katrin says
Oh Beverly, this furniture fits right into your dining room, it was Kismet for sure! Meant to be! It pairs beautifully with your cabinet and the dining table and chairs! Great job! Thank you for sharing this at Sweet Inspiration #1
Beverly says
Thanks so much, Katrin! I’m enjoying it. I’m happy to share at the new party!
Sharon@BlueWillowHouse says
The finish on the sideboard looks fantastic and it looks great in your dining room.
Beverly says
Thank you, Sharon. I appreciate it!
Winnie says
Love to paint is one thing, your work is another – because again – you’ve done an excellent job!
This sideboard looks AMAZING !
Beverly says
That’s so kind of you, Winnie! Thank you so much!
Cindy says
So pretty! I love the felt liner u found. I didn’t know Michaels would have that(haven’t really ever looked for it there but good to know). 🙂
Beverly says
Thank you, Cindy! I was surprised to find it there, too.
Mary-the boondocks blog says
Beverly, you have done quite an amazing job! I’m glad you were brave and decided to nix the paint. I feel that sometimes it is better to keep the wood and not paint also. Especially with such a gorgeous piece. It is a welcome addition to your dining room and fits right in.
Beverly says
Thank you, Mary! Yes, some pieces just don’t need to be painted. A painted piece would not look liked it belonged with my other dining room pieces. I was pleased that this one cleaned up so well.
Keri says
Beverly, I’m glad you rescued this piece and restored it!! It looks so beautiful now!! I love those legs, so sleek and elegant!! The drawers look lovely with their new felt, and I love the shine you were able to give the piece!! Nice save!!
Beverly says
Thanks, Keri! I’m really pleased with how it looks now. It was definitely a piece worth saving.
Marilyn says
This piece came out so beautiful. Congrats! Thank you so much for linking at #overthemoon! I look forward to seeing what you share every week. Please come back for #WonderfulWednesday. Don’t forget to comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit. Pinned and shared.
Beverly says
Thanks so much, Marilyn! Thanks for hosting a great party each week and for the invitation.
Debbie-Dabble says
Beverly,
It looks beautiful and thanks so much for the insoiration on re-doing the inside of the drawers. I have similar paper and now I want to use it to line the drawers of my buffet and my hutch in the Dining Room. Also thanks for the tip on Restore -A- Finish. I will have to pick some up and try it on the hutch in my living room!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Hugs,
Deb
Beverly says
Thank you, Debbie! I was happy when I found the textured felt at Michaels. It worked great for this. I think you’ll love how great Restor-A-Finish works.
Joy @ Joy Love Food says
Great makeover, your side board is so pretty, love the cream patterned felt you used for the drawer liners! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend?!
Beverly says
Thank you, Joy and thanks for the party each week!
Sherry says
Beautiful! I love the finish side-board. Thanks so much for sharing at Merry Monday.
Beverly says
Thank you, Sherry. I always enjoy Merry Monday.