Gary has arrived at Hudson River Homesteaders! He is available for purchase and would love a great new home!
Here is a picture journey of Gary’s Story. He was purchased at a yard sale in Clifton Park, NY just north of Albany – there were two tables that were basically a white-washed mess and these sold for $5 for the pair. One now sits in my house as my living room end table. And the other is Gary!
The funny story is that I bought him at a yard sale years ago during a playdate when my son was about 7. For some reason, my husband and I both went but the parents did not want the boys in the house! So I was invited to walk around yard-saling with the kids and mom, while my husband was encouraged to sit in the driveway MIDDAY and drink whiskey with the dad! It was quite the playdate to remember! But out of it came these beautiful tables, and I would buy them again any day!
I had originally done a sloppy job of painting Gary dark brown, just to get rid of the whitewash look. Then he sat for years. When I began his true transformation this winter, there were a bunch of steps involved. Before I started anything, I used pliers to pull out some of the strange unsightly staples that were sticking out of him!
I then sanded him and repaired any very obvious gaps with Boncart Wood Putty. I also used this putty to even out the top as best I could and get rid of the deep ridge that had been part of the original design. Then after a lot more sanding, it was time to paint. I used Retique It Liquid Wood and Wood’N Stain to make over the top of Gary and give it a nice grained look. First, I used Liquid Wood in Light Wood to give a nice solid tan wood color to the item. This took several coats for good coverage. I then painted on the Wood’N Stain in Barn Wood and used their handy Graining Tools to create the nice grained look. After this, for the French Oak look I was after, I also used their White Wash Wood’N Stain (ironically, as I hated the original white-washed paint job). I did a lot of light sanding between all coats for a nice smooth finish. I then finished Gary’s surface off with a couple of protective layers of Retique It Tripletique Topcoat in Semi-Gloss for a lovely sheen so he can stand up to usage in his new home.
For the rest of Gary, I used my favorite paint – Fusion Mineral Paint in Wellington which is a newer color that is basically a deep beautiful dark gray with hints of green, black and bronze mixed in. It took a lot of sanding and several coats to get the look I was after. I also put a lot of coats on the interior floor so that it would stand up to any basket I planned to put there.
Finally, I gave Gary his finishing touches – a nice basket from Michaels that fits his opening dimensions for storage with a few added pads on the bottom to prevent scratches, and a chalkboard that I made from a small wooden board purchased at Michaels and painted with deep black chalk paint. I used twine to affix it to the basket.
Gary’s original origin is unknown, but I did find a tag that says “Cabinet Room – Attach this Stub to Table” and a style and job number. It is a hint into his past!
Please note that Flippaintly does not claim perfection on furniture makeovers! Each one is an original as we make unwanted furniture special and beautiful again! Minor flaws from a piece’s life journey and its revitalization are part of the unique beauty of the item.
OK so what’s next? It is so fun to have a project, and even better to enjoy the rewards of your hard work! Go back to Home and see some other fun ideas!
