…blue egg Q&A’s

Here are your Q&A’s! Some of these are from June so I appreciate your patience, Dear Friends. Got questions? Email me at cbensten@blueeggbrownnest.com

I’m having a hard time finding lye soap to clean my wax brush. Is there something else I could use?

You can find lye soap at your local hardware store. Ask if you are having trouble finding it. I also soak my brushes overnight and then use Dawn or dish washing soap most of the time!

Me and my big mouth… Old and not in great shape kitchen cabinets in a rental property need painting. First pass three years ago was just done in black latex over the existing original… which may have been wood stained… or white painted… not sure. I piped up and said that I thought ASCP in graphite with distressing would look better and be easier than repainting with latex. Am I crazy? This is not an upscale property… but of course we want it to look passable. Thoughts?? Advice?? 

Well, is cost a factor? ASCP is about $39 a can. I do not know your budget, but this is a factor. Secondly, Graphite is not a true black. Is looks like graphite found in a pencil so it definitely has some gray undertones. It is also difficult to make this color look “clean”. It is a good paint color if you are looking for something aged. If this is a property that you are renting and if it were me, I would do latex to save on cost and effort to be honest.

I really like how the vanity turned out on your July 20th blog.  You showed before and after views and I am wondering about the drawers.  Do you paint any of the inside of the drawers, ie the inside lip part and any of the edges inside or do you only paint the outside of the drawers?  I have seen it done both ways and have painted the inside of doors but it seems to be a lot of extra work.  I am going to begin a dresser and desk set and I am wondering if I should be painting any of the insides.  

I never paint the interior of drawers. It is not necessary and I like to see the older, original wood contrasting the paint.

I was hoping to try the white wash technique on my kitchen cabinets. I have cleaned them really well but there is still a little bit of a sheen/clear coat on them. Do I have to sand it off or can I put the chalk paint right over the top?

I would really do a sample and see what it looks like. I am not sure that a watered down Chalk Paint will work too well on anything “shiny”. You will be able to tell pretty quickly if you like the look by doing a small test.

My second question is when you are buying pieces that you will resale, do you have a limit on what you spend on a piece? I know every piece if different, but an average. I have been looking at antique pieces and many are priced so very high they would not be worth purchasing and trying to resale.

I never spend more than $250 on a vintage piece if I am looking to resell it. I think it is hard to recoup the cost of pieces that are too expensive. However, if there is a piece I see that I want for myself and my home I will spend more. Possibly much more!

I watched one of your tutorials today where you were working on a round pedestal table.  I want to chalk paint an old round library table, however, it has been coated with polyurethane and probably has old wax buildup.  My question is, do I need to remove or treat the old surface before using chalk paint on it??

Is the piece oak or a textured wood? If so, you can go ahead and paint even with poly on it. If the piece is not texture, you cannot get this overall look. You could do a white-wash, but not this weathered look as it needs crevices to seep into.

Does your client sell these pieces or are they her own? I have been looking everywhere for a trunk like this one for my little one to put her toys in.

This particular client is a really good hunter of all things vintage. I would do a search on Etsy!

We just love your garage doors!  Can you let us know the manufacturer, style and stain color?  

I found these doors online and it turned out the my SIL also ordered from the same place. I do not know the name off hand, but I will look into it.

I am new to gilding (sp?) chalk painted furniture. I want to know how to achieve  the distressed look with it. Do I chalk paint the piece first, apply the gold gilding before or after it’s waxed? When do I distress? I’m afraid I screwed up my antique liquor cabinet trying to do this technique. I chalk painted it first and then applied the gilding. No wax yet. Not sure what to do next. 

If you think you’ve messed up, go back and touch up those spots that you gilded. Should be no problem. Then you will want to clear wax and let that dry for at least a day. You will want to go over with edges sparingly with your gold gilding wax. You can use the tip of your finger or a Q-Tip. Here is a video tutorial that I did on the method.

I’m looking for burlap to cover 4 chairs that I have been working on: where can I go to buy burlap fabric?

I purchase all my burlap from Online Fabric Store.

Do I have to paint primer (B.I.N.) on the notts before painting so that they don’t shine through?

No.

I would like to paint a coffee table. The top I would love to have in a darker wood colour and the down part in old white. Problem with the top  – it’s an orange kind of pine with a vanish on top. How do I achieve a nice dark wooden colour which is also shabby chick?

You will need to strip, sand and stain in order to get this look of a darker wood. This is acheiveable, but will create a big mess and the fumes and dust are not good for you to breath in indoors so be sure to do the work outside. You can buy a stipping agent to loosen up the poly, then you will need to sand with an electric sander until you reach the natural wood. Select a stain from the hardware store and apply it in a straight manner with the grain of the wood with a soft rag. You can do this with some elbow greese and determination!

I went out and bought an oak dining table and a smaller oak table to do this whitewashed finish. Unfortunately, it will not work on “orangey” oak furniture. It just looked like an orange table with old white in the wood grain. I tried to leave it longer and if wiped down at all it was still orange. I ended up painting it French Linen and doing a white wash over it. It turned out lovely, but it cannot be done with the whitewash technique alone on old orange oak. The orange still shows and will not be a pretty grayish. I guess it takes a dark oak stain for this. I am trying to warn readers. I will continue to look for darker pieces to use your method. 

Hmmm. Interesting. I would keep working with it if it’s not too late. Maybe you could take a light sand paper and try to sand off some of that orange stain. Maybe you could put down a thing white wash before you try the weathered wood technique. Maybe strip the color off with a chemical. If you are up for it I would really experiment.

How to clean the furniture after I’ve refinished it and waxed it? The dressers are wood, but I don’t know if any cleaning products would be safe to use with the wax coat. 

Everyone says something different to this question. I guess the safest would be soap and warm water. I, however, live a different lifestyle with little kids and pets and have not time for special treatment. I use everything to clean my painted pieces. When painted pieces wear it enhances the shabby look that I love. You can tip toe around your pieces or you can live with them.

 I know you used gray, but the darker highlights. Is that color or dark wax? 

The darker areas are me not painting the crevices and letting the wood show throw. I love this look too.

I would love to know how you took out the “inlay” piece beside the glass, that is the thing that intimidates me…just don’t want to “mess it up”.

These delicate inlays will typically have tiny nails that hold them in place. The trick is to pull these out carefully without damaging the piece. In all honesty, DH did this work so let me go ask him and I’ll get back to you! Ha!

I have watched your videoblog online and have a Chalk Paint question I hope you can answer. I was looking to refinish my kitchen with white paint but the sales person at my local shop recommended the Old White. Now that it is on my kitchen cabinets it looks yellow – like butter yellow. Without removing all of the cabinets and starting all over, is there a way to lighten the color? Can I add the Pure White to some Clear Wax and use that to cover all of the surfaces then buff it off in the hopes that it lightens the yellow color? I don’t really need to do any distressing or anything, I just want the butter yellow to go away.

Yes, the Old White is like an aged white, which is lovely, but if you are not happy with it I’m sure very disappointing. You could try to do a white wash over it, but I’m afraid the original color will still come through. Color is color and there is no way to really change it without…changing it. Terribly sorry.

I am getting ready to finish a round oak table but I heard that if I seal it with AS clear wax it will show any scratches or water marks from normal use.  I hear that Polyvine wax finish is awesome.  Do you have any thoughts?

If you really want to seal your piece you can use a poly. I love the clear wax because it offers some protection without changing the look. I am not afraid of some wear. Furniture is not invincible!

Where do you buy your lovely applique moldings?  

Van Dyke’s sells some great appliques!

I am getting ready to tackle a china cabinet very similar to the one shown on your page. Only the middle glass pane opens. I want to of course paint the inside and am wondering if you have any tips to do this? I am so nervous about being sure I get full coverage having to reach around inside to paint. Can you please give me any advise to make this task easier?

I will be posting on this very thing next week. Stay tuned.

I was curious what type of camera you used for your photos.

It is a Canon that is actually several years old.

When selling pieces, do you paint the inside/outside of the drawers and the inside panels of the furniture? With a Vintage piece, do you typically fix the drawers inside if it has a break or do you sell it as? 

No, I do not paint in the interior of drawers and I do not fix them. They are vintage and if a customer does not like that look then they may not want to buy vintage to be blunt.

Could you please tell me where you got those adorable stuffed animals on wooden platform with the wheels? I see you have a lion and a giraffe. 

Yes! I heart these too! Restoration Hardware Baby & Child.