Home Renovation

The doors rattle upon opening and closing. There must be glass beneath the paint and stenciled flowers. Seems strange to paint over glass. No, just old wood said the painter.

As it turns out there was glass beneath, gorgeous 1920’s wavy glass. One more coat of paint over those pantry doors and their original state would have been lost forever.

So began a labor of love. We had a fixed bid for painting therefore any extra projects belong to me or in this case a team effort shared with my fabulous friend and former house 3 neighbor (she volunteered- I swear). Using paint remover (be sure to use outside) and razor blades we scraped and scraped. And scraped.

With restored original hardware (thanks to my Dad), fresh paint (thanks to my Father-in-law), and some amazing period wallpaper selected by Molly Hirsch Interiors the roaring 20’s are back.

If only there was a butler to enjoy this.

The original state, process and finished product below:

Lots of original facets including sink, faucet, countertop, light fixture, cabinetry and hardware.

Hidden below years of paint- glass cabinet doors!

Original hardware polished and ready.

The cabinets are painted the same color as the Dining Room- Benjamin Moore Blue Note (more on paint colors here) and completed with a 1920’s archival print wallpaper Schumacher- Featherfest.

Next: original details.

Lurking below the white wall to wall carpet- gorgeous fir wood floors.

In my opinion only the truly brave and skilled should attempt sanding and refinishing of floors. In no time a weekend warrior armed with a high powered floor sander could make dust of one of the home’s best features.

After seeking referrals from friends, we selected a highly recommended floor expert with experience in older homes. Once sanded, decision time- leave their natural color or add a stain to the floors.

Fir is a grainy almost blonde wood. The problem with a clear finish is that due to sunlight and general light exposure the floors tend to yellow over time. We selected a shade of brown that was deep enough to highlight the wood’s natural beauty but not so dark that the floors would show every dust particle (after all the imperfect home has dust). Testing the stain on a small area is a must. We selected “Special Walnut” a Minwax stain that appeared entirely different on the sample card than on our fir floors, hence the importance of test samples!

For the finish clear coats we opted for a water based, commercial application approved green product sold by the Bona Company. This alternative is just as durable as its oil based competition, but far more durable for high traffic (think basketball dribbling in the foyer) and allowed us to stay in the house (no fumes). The other benefit- floors can be walked on the same day.

One last thing- the floor refinisher does not want to rip out your wall to wall! Therefore they charge a significant cost for removal. Grab some work gloves and a sharp blade- enlist your amazing new neighbor and your father-in-law and get to work!

Minwax Stain Selector

Bona Floor Refinishing Guide

The journey and the results. Painting and floors were completed simultaneously. Messy, but efficient and so much easier before the furniture is moved in!