Barbara Pagani's Tresor Cache 101

article via : http://manhattan-nest.com/# Another candidate for my million and one projects to do My bed room set which we inherited from my in laws Supplies: according to Daniel,  Since there wasn’t any existing finish on it like varnish or polyurethane, I didn’t want to touch it with sandpaper, since it’s easy to get carried away and remove more than necessary. Since the drawer-fronts are veneer, that’s definitely something to think about. Instead, I opted for some fine steel wool and soapy water, which did double-duty of scrubbing the shit out of this thing and smoothing out some problem areas where the solid wood had noticeably chipped or scuffed. That top image is the top of the dresser before, which kind of shows the surface damage and general sadness going on with this dresser. I started by unscrewing all the hardware, which I’ll get to shortly. Then all I did was fill a bowl with a few tablespoons of Murphy’s Oil Soap and some hot water and went to work with the s...

I came across this wonderful article about cleaning up old door hardware on Design sponge. I have lived in this house for 28 years and there are a few doors that could use a facelift so I will have add them to my do list of a million things to do. http://www.designsponge.com/2013/01/before-and-after-cleaning-vintage-hardware.html#more-162307 The good news is that stripping and cleaning old metal hardware is really easy and more or less free! It’s a small project, but these details go a long way toward making your whole space feel clean, polished and fresh. All you need are a few basic  supplies (that you might already have), and you’ll be on your way to beautiful hardware that nobody will ever know endured such a traumatic past. Supplies needed: For a doorknob, the first thing you’ll need to do is remove the knob. There should be a small screw at the base of the knob holding it to a central rod that runs through the mortise mechanism inside the door. After the screw is rem...