High-gloss varnish gives dresser Asian look

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/09/2004 (7737 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR Debbie — My boyfriend and I are looking for a way to refinish some old dressers that would fit in with our Asian theme bedroom. We’ve got a low platform bed, paper globe lights and a large bamboo window blind. We just painted the walls turquoise, which looks very cool. The dressers are wood with chipped white paint. Thank you for all your great ideas.

— Ming

DEAR Ming — When you work on old furniture it’s important to wash it down well to remove any dirt or grease. Sand away any peeling or chipped paint and apply a coat of good primer designed to adhere to shiny surfaces. I transformed an old dresser into the chest seen here by applying two coats of red paint and then rubbed a brown glaze over the dry base coat. To make the glaze, mix equal parts brown paint and glazing liquid. Rub it over the surface in swirls with a kitchen sponge to produce an antique effect. To imitate the finish of Japanese lacquered furniture, add three coats of high-gloss varnish. Look for Asian-inspired handles at your hardware store to complete the piece.

DEAR Debbie — I’m thinking of putting hardwood in my living/dining room. Both these rooms join the kitchen/eating area. Should I continue the hardwood into the kitchen or do you recommend something else for a kitchen floor?

–Silvia

DEAR Silvia — Having the same type and colour of flooring running throughout your main floor will visually enlarge the space and give it a feeling of continuity. But there are other options for the kitchen that you should consider, too. Linoleum is back in vogue and available in many gorgeous colours and patterns. It’s comfortable and extremely durable, and makes a stylish choice for the kitchen that would blend beautifully with the hardwood. Hardwood does need to be refinished every five years or so, especially in a busy kitchen, but a linoleum floor will give you years of trouble-free service.

DEAR Debbie — My son is 10 years old and is very interested in medieval times. I would like some tips on how to decorate his bedroom around this theme. He has also collected a large amount of Lego, which is threatening to take over every level surface. Thank you.

–Odete

DEAR Odete — I love decorating kids’ rooms; there is always a great theme or wild colour combination to inspire you to have some fun. Your son’s passion for medieval times brings to mind heavy metal armour and shields. Start with a black metal shelving unit, which will give him lots of storage and display space for his toys. Look for two half lockers, and use them to support a wooden tabletop so that he’ll have a flat work and play surface. Paint the room in wide white and gray stripes, and stencil large shields randomly over the white stripes. Build up the theme by hanging plain black or gray curtains from a metal rod with an arrowhead finial on one end. Ask your son to pick out some of his favourite characters from his books or the Internet; these can be photocopied and framed.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.