FINE FINISHES

BY SHARON WILLIAMS

You love wood. And you'd never let age get
in the way of a relationship with a beautiful, if not
youthful, piece of furniture.
Your state of mind fits right in with the times.
Furniture recycling and refinishing are among
the hottest decorating trends going today be-
cause they're smart both economically and en-
vironmentally.
Both also offer loads of opportunities in the
way of creativity since there are dozens of ways
to refurbish and refinish a wooden piece.
Your romance probably will begin at a junk-
yard or at a flea market, garage sale, antique
store, thrift store, estate sale, auction, junk shop
or swap meet. You might even uncover some-
thing worthwhile in your neighbor'3 trash heap.
Once you find it, it's up to you to evaluate just
how you'll revamp your new-found treasure. Op-
tions include:
• Refinishing: Revive a distressed or worn
piece of furniture by restoring its original finish
or creating a brand-new one through refinish-
ing.

Furniture refinishing is
economical and easy.

Do-it-yourselfers can find a wide an -ay of strip-
pers, stains and sealants — some that are envi-
ronmentally friendly, and myriad books and
magazine articles on the subject
If you'd rather take a hands-off approach, have
a professional strip your piece, or let him or her
take the entire job start to finish.
• Paint Many of the most fashionable home
furnishings are those with painted-on finishes.
A brush, sponge and techniques picked up
through craft workshops or instruction booklets
can help you create faux effects such as marbling,
antiquing or tortoise shell, a stenciled design or
a whimsical trompe l'oeil presentation.
With contrasting colors, you turn an ordinary
piece into art furniture simply by highlighting in-
teresting features with color, or by applying hold
patterns and motifs.
• Upholstery: Afew yards of cloth can revive
a weathered sofa or chair and bring it into your
present decorating scheme.
Turn the job over to an upholstery professional
or learn d o-it-yourself techniques through com-
munity education classes and how-to instructions
in decorating magazines.
Those handy with the sewing machine can
whip up slipcovers that update a worn piece while
neatly disguising sins of the past

PUT THE HIGH PRICE OF
CUSTOM FURNITURE To REST

Five piece bedroom
featuring revealed
queen headboard
& step dresser
available in a
rainbow of colors.

Armoire optional

Reg. Price
s3 1 95

SALE PRICE
$1595

Immediate Free Delivery

e4,

/

87 inch 6 drawer step dresser

IN11. 1111110111/11

by

COLONY

626-1999 • 6215 Orchard Lake Rd. • W. Bloomfield

where you
are the inspiration!
look for us featured
in this issue of
STILE magazine

•

NNOVATIVE
NTERIORS
NC

Arlene Cohen, ASID
Robbie Segel,
Allied ASID

5745 W. Maple Rd. • Suite 213 • 737-9680

STYLE • SPRING 1993 •

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