How to Paint Burnt Wood

I was recently asked by a client to rescue and paint a beautiful cabinet that had been involved in a fire. 

The cabinet was stunning but charred on the top and on one side and also the top had come loose on one side. It is an extremely heavy cabinet and and probably been lifted one too many times by the top surface rather than from underneath. Too much weight for the timber dowels to hold.

I had already done a fair bit of sanding before these photos were taken

I first repaired the piece using big clamps, heavy weights and Liquid Nails. When you are re-gluing timber joints it is necessary to not be impatient. Liquid Nails needs around 7 days to reach its maximum strength. I suggest you clamp or brace the joint for 24 hours and then be gentle with the piece for a week. Also when you are moving furniture it is always good to carry from underneath and not from the lip of the top surface.

To paint over burnt timber you need to:

Wear a mask to ensure you aren't inhaling anything dangerous.

 Sand well to ensure that you remove any flaking fragments of charred timber.Sand as much of the burnt wood off as possible. I used my orbital sander with a coarse grit. When using an orbital sander make sure you let the sander do the work and don't press down hard, else you will get whirl marks in your timber. You will not need to sand back to the good unburnt wood completely. Just concentrate on removing any loose pieces and getting a solid surface. Once you are happy with the surface give a final sand with a medium grit.

Wipe down thoroughly to remove all the dust, preferably with a tack cloth but a damp cloth will also suffice.

Depending on the depth of the burns, you may need to build up the timber with some wood putty. I didn't need to in this case.

The most important step in painting over burnt timber is to prime your piece. I used two coats of Zinsser BIN Shellac but any oil based stain blocking primer will do. Follow the drying times on the primer tin. It will most probably be around 2 hours between each coat. You will need to clean your brush with mineral spirits.

Paint your piece as normal. You can use any paint over the primer that you wish.  For this piece I used a custom mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Acrylic Paint. You can see my guide for painting furniture here if you need any tips.

I then gave the whole piece two coats of wax for sheen, durability and ease of cleaning.

This is the burnt section below. You can see a slightly darker timber where it is distressed but the wood grain is perfect and showing through the paint as requested by my client. Notice also the lovely sheen that the top coat of wax gives to the surface.

The whole cabinet came up beautifully and the white paint really picks out the details that were not as noticeable before.  My client wanted it fairly heavily distressed but very natural.

When painting handles on a piece that is going to be distressed, I like to not fully paint the handles. It is easier to not put paint in all the crevices in the first place rather than remove the paint with distressing.

This cabinet is fantastic. In the desk part, there are lots of little drawers that go in those cubby holes. My client wanted the inside left timber and I love the contrast.

You can see in the above photo that I have waxed the timber in the top section but not in the below. Timber needs feeding. It makes such a difference to how your furniture looks and wears. I polish my timber furniture at least once a month. If you aren't as obsessive about furniture as I am, I would do it at least yearly. My client said she would polish the inside of the cabinet once it was home as it was very windy and dusty the day it was picked up.

So hopefully you never have a fire or have to paint over burnt wood but just remember it is possible!

Fiona x

Painting Mirrors in Chalk Paint made easy

When I blogged a while ago about a huge ornate mirror I painted in a "Paris Apartment" style I had 17 people ask to buy it, but it was a keeper, something special for our house. So ever since then I've been on the look out for similarly shaped mirrors.

The one I've kept

I recently found a lovely huge cedar mirror and got busy painting it. Painting mirrors or glass panelled furniture is very easy with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. No masking or taping is required. I am hopeless at taking the time to mark off glass. BUT... then every time at the end of the shop I hate the task of scraping the paint off the glass or mirror with a razor blade, and there is always the risk of scratching the glass.

Not a problem with using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Just paint your mirror frame how ever you want it and don't worry about getting paint on the mirror. I painted this frame in two coats of ASCP Paris Grey all over the timber not worrying about being particularly neat.

and then used two coats of Pure White on the ornate trim to give it a little pizazz.

The photo above is after one coat, you can see I haven't worried again about being too neat with the white paint. I will tidy it up with a damp sponge and also more Paris Grey when I've done the second coat.

Go over lightly with a damp sponge any white paint you want removed. I went over the curved edge to remove bits of white paint like this below.

Wrap your finger in a clean damp dish cloth and wipe the paint gently so as to remove the white paint but not the grey paint. Keep using clean parts of your cloth so you aren't smearing the white paint around.

Much neater. The grey paint will dry out perfectly - it's just damp where I have rubbed it below.

When you have the whole frame painted how you want it but before waxing, wait for the paint it dry and then get a damp rag and dampen the paint on the mirror but don't bother trying to remove it.  

Use a wooden paddle pop wooden stick the stick as you would a razor and scrap along the glass. However because the wooden stick is so soft it will remove the paint but not scratch. The paint will lift off the mirror perfectly.

Once most of the paint is removed go over it again with a damp cloth.

When you have removed all the paint, wax your mirror then clean the mirror normally. 

I used two coats of clear wax and then antiqued the mirror's ornate details with some dark wax.

Isn't it lovely now!

The important thing to remember when painting mirrors to look like old French style mirrors is that neatness is not of paramount importance. I painted over dints and chips in the timber and didn't fully sand then out or fill them as they add character and authenticity to the age and finish. If you want perfection in your pieces then you will be happier buying imported modern pieces from Asia or Ikea.  I like the signs of years of use and some aged patina.  When I paint my aim is to make it look like it was painted years ago in Europe.  You might be aiming for a different look with your painting; and I hope you do find your own style.  The look that I try to achieve is something that has evolved over time and I'm sure will continue to change and grow as I gain more experience.

It's very hot in Sydney and I've got some home made raspberry and mint sorbet setting in the freezer as we have friends coming for dinner tonight. I'm also cooking chateaubriand and vegies. If you want to make the sorbet it's very simple (just four ingredient - frozen raspberries  sugar, water and mint) and you can find the recipe here.

have a good weekend!

cheers Fiona xx

Painting furniture white

Thought you might like to see a few pieces I painted white lately. All in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Pure White for a lovely crisp bright white finish.  There is something so classical and timeless about white painted furniture that has me shunning other colours most of the time. I love this look so much.

White is fresh and clean. It shows off the ornate detail. And white furniture will make your home seem brighter and lighter. It made such a difference to our home when I painted most of our furniture white! I find our home very fresh and pretty now with most of the furniture painted white and just a few natural timber to add balance.

Such beautiful carved details on this piece.

This solid mahogany little chest of drawers would be beautiful in a hallway, or as a sofa table or a girl's room. It's not very big (90cm wide, 80 cm tall and 45cm deep).

I buffed the wax so there is a lovely glassy sheen. You can see the reflections on the top surface. Did you see my blog post on using Chux (or J cloths) for waxing? I've had so many messages and emails about that hint and how people are finding it magical! Thank you for letting me know. I understand your excitement. I can't tell you the difference it will make to your waxed furniture.

This ornately carved chest of drawers is for sale but I have several people asking after it so if you are interested in it, be quick. You can email me for details.

I also recently found a gorgeous nested set of brand new coffee tables. They had a lovely shape but were just very brown so I painted the bases in ASCP Pure White. I popped a photo on instagram and facebook and they sold very quickly much to a couple of people's disappointment who missed out. I love how you can see the detail now it's white.

So that's a few white painted furniture pieces from me. This week I'm painting a vintage bedroom suite in a softer white - a custom mix, as Pure white would be too stark for what my client is looking for.

Have a good day, enjoy the Melbourne Cup is you are celebrating. My dad sent me his tips but I'm not sure if I'll even make a bet. School pickup and all that....

and I have a date with my paint and paintbrush anyway...

Fiona x

Sunday blues

The wind has picked up this afternoon and is blowing  hot and crazy but it was a beautiful morning on the beach.  We headed early to Freshwater beach for our new Sunday routine. It's mighty good to be Australian, I tell you.
I love our beaches and outdoor life.

Beautiful blue water

While we are on the subject of blues, I found these furniture inspiration photos recently and thought I'd share them with you. Years ago I spent a summer backpacking through Spain and Portugal and especially loved the Algarve coast and the blue tiled houses and so I think these are wonderful. 
It's almost like ginger jar furniture!

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Boco do Lobo are a Portuguese company and they make painstakingly beautiful furniture. These heritage series cabinets are based on the historical blue and white Portuguese tiles.

True craftsmen. 

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See here for their products and to read of their process. I hate to think what these cabinets cost but they certainly are beautiful.

My sister is currently in Portugal and has been teasing me with tales of beautiful antique shops. Perhaps it's time I go back!

Fiona xx

What I use to wax furniture

I wanted to let you know about my great discovery. I'm so thrilled with it.

PIN THIS!!

I have been using a Waxwell brush to apply wax for about a year now (it's the wooden handled one below). I used to use a smaller brush (see my tutorial on selecting the right brush) but when I went to America last year I bought a Waxwell brush and just love it and recently splurged on a second one.

but recently I had a brilliant idea to try using Chux cloths (those blue woven washing up cloths you buy at the supermarket) to remove the wax and shine and buff. In Ameica and Canada I think you call them J cloths - the blue or red coloured reusable multi purpose cleaning cloths - lint free!

 We bought some Chux to make Lebanese Labneh after we ate some at a friends in Brisbane and I was looking at the chux and thought this is like cheesecloth and so I tried it out and it's fantastic!  Man, I was pleased with myself. LOL.

I have tried on black, white and coloured painted pieces and it doesn't mark at all (ie leave blue marks). And it doesn't leave any fibres even on dark paint which is an absolute bonus!!

And it's cheap which is always a plus. I also just wash the chux in hot water and reuse them. Perfect.

So my process for waxing is apply with a brush, wipe off with Chux and then buff and buff and buff with another Chux. Keep a pile of them on hand as you need to rub the wax until the chux (or whatever cloth you use) slides smoothly across your waxed surface. It should not feel chalky or feel tacky. You should be able to make your furniture feel like smooth glass or velvety silk. (I know that doesn't really make sense but it's the best I can do to explain it)

I hope that helps and saves you money

(and saves you cutting up your old t-shirts and sheets)

for more information on how to apply wax to painted furniture read my other posts

An Australian Guide to Top coats and Furniture Wax

How to Antique furniture with Dark Wax

Make your own liming white wax

Enjoy your painting and your weekend.
Fiona xx

Lilyfield Life furniture: upcoming pieces

If you are looking for some special hand painted furniture for your house, my upcoming pieces are:

• I will finally be finishing the ornately carved cabinet. I just need to finish applying the dark wax to antique it. I thought I would have finished it this week but have been busy with custom work.  I know I owe a few of you emails about this piece. 

• Some lovely big bedside tables to be painted in Graphite.

• A mahogany carved chest of drawers painted in Pure White - great for a hallway or bedroom. These are below - still in progress.

• A tall chest of drawers for a bedroom

• A vintage mahogany desk or hall table

• A bow front hall table with gorgeous legs

• A beautiful "Paris Apartment" cedar mirror painted like the one in my hallway

the mirror is a bit bigger but very similar to this

• A fanatically big chalkboard in an ornate frame

• A stunning vintage lamp - probably the most beautiful lamp I've ever seen.

Or check out what I have already finished. These pieces below are ready to go.

currently for sale

You can see what I currently have for sale here.

Have a great weekend everyone. 
Fiona