- Follow us:
Tuesday, June 19th, 2018
Hooker Furniture Finish: A deep, dark clear finish on walnut, cherry, mappa burl and ebony veneers is highlighted by champagne-colored tipping on carvings and top edges along with chiseling that gives character to the marquetry patterns for a time-worn character.
Before you begin shopping for your next furniture piece, you need to know a few things about the finish’s appearance, what method was used in creating it, and how durable it is. Finishing is one of the biggest fears of woodworkers. While they can be confident in joinery or even intricate designs, they could very easily take a step back when it comes to applying finishes. Knowing the best finish for a certain woodwork is a crucial obstacle to overcome.
There are many categories of finishing products. These are either based on the working qualities or varying degrees of protection that are applied. Just imagine how many you could choose from – oils, vanishes, shellacs, water-based finishes, and lacquers.
Of course, the different finishes offer different levels of durability, protection, aesthetics, and ease of repair and application. No furniture maker would be able to tell you that a particular finish is better than the rest as there are many factors to consider when applying a specific finish. Be ready to accept some trade-offs when picking the right finish for your furniture.
Wood Finish Types
There are only two major types of wood finish and these are how well each cures or dries. The evaporative finishes include shellac, lacquer, and the water-based finishes. These become hard films as they evaporate. Water isn’t a solvent, though, it is just considered a carrier for the emulsion used on the finishing. This type tends to be less durable because they tend to re-dissolve in their thinning solvent.
Reactive finishes, on the other hand, do have evaporating solvents, too, but they react with the chemical mixed with them or with the air once they’re applied. A kind of chemical change occurs right before application and also when they cure. After this, no re-dissolving happens except in the case of the pure oils where the reactive finish holds better to chemicals and heat.
Anthracite black with light dusty-wax hang up , still from Hooker Furniture.
If you’re thinking of wax as a means of finishing the furniture surface, think again. Most woodworkers only look at this as a furniture polisher. They use these often over shellacs or lacquer finishes.
True oils such as linseed and Tung oils are drying oils. These are referred to as true oils just to set them apart from the non-drying or semi-drying kinds like soybean oil. True oils are altered from liquid to solid in a process called polymerization.
Linseed oil has yet many forms. In its unrefined form, it is the raw linseed oil which is not used often because it takes too long to dry. When boiled, this oil becomes thicker and dries up more quickly, hence, more viable for furniture use.
Tung oil comes naturally from Asian nut trees although these are being cultivated all over the globe now. This comes in its pure, unrefined form and also in the polymerized, heat-treated type. Just like in the case of the linseed oil, the heat treatment makes the oil more durable.
Varnishes are either long-oil or short-oil. The former contain high percentages of oil including spar, marine or exterior varnishes. The long-oil type is more elastic. Short-oil or medium varnishes are also known as baking enamels or heat-set varnish. These are used in industrial applications because they require extreme temperatures to dry.
The varnish and oil blends are mostly oils mixed with just a little varnish. They are easily applied because they are oils and they are protective of the furniture surface because they are varnishes, too. Shellacs, on the other hand, may be thought of as a liquid finish but in its pure form, it is actually resin coming from a bug feeding on trees. These bugs come mostly from Thailand and India.
Lacquers are considered as the go-to all-around finish by many furniture makers. They dry quickly and they provide a different kind of richness to the wood.
Tags: finishes, finishes 101, furniture finish, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, shopping for finishes
Posted in Decorative Elements, Furniture, Interior Design 101 | Comments Off on Furniture Finishes 101
Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
Hooker Furniture Living Room Keepsake Event Recliner features a frame that looks a tad weathered.
Faux finishes are growing more and more popular each year. Exotic and bland finishes have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years. Most of the techniques even date all the way back to the ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures though the best pieces are those crafted by the Renaissance Italians. The Italians were the ones who mastered faux art in the form of stone, wood and metal pieces. Even the most discerning eyes were fooled then. It was in the mid 1900s when European and American craftsmen made the most awesome interior paint effects in both cottage and palatial homes.
The last century and a half didn’t show a lot of new faux art. It was just a few decades ago when specialty paint finishes are being rediscovered. This spelled the availability of faux finishes to everyone. In essence, anyone who can hold a paintbrush can already do the work as there is no limitation to what you can now glaze or paint in your home.
Kinds of Faux Finishes
The first one is known as the antiqued finish. This is the repro of old, weathered look with the use of paint which was specifically manufactured for faux finish purposes. Each mixture of crackle medium, base paint and surface material produces a different result. You can also experiment if you want to achieve a particular color or look.
If you want to achieve this look on a new piece, then try painting the piece with milk paint. This is paint made from clay, natural pigments, lime and milk casein. It is natural so it’s safe to use. It offers a powdery look which can be seen often in many genuine antique pieces.
The next kind is the distressed antique finish. When distressing a piece of furniture, whether a cabinet or a chair, you need to take a good look at the furniture. See how the corners and rungs have been worn or how they have lost their finish. More often than not, repeated handling and touching can wear off the finish. Dings and scuff marks can also happen.
Don’t go shopping for new hardware if you want to achieve this look. You can actually use any tool to mimic the look of a worn out piece. Look for an old canvas bag, fill it up with bolts then beat up your furniture. The bruises and dents you achieve will surely look authentic, you’ll see.
Adding effects is easier if you use a semi-transparent paint glaze right over the base coat. There are different results that you can achieve with the glazing effect. You can have it removed by sponging, ragging or combing.
Apply glaze on base coat using different implements in order to create patterns and textures. You can also let the glaze dry partially before you wipe it off for a rubbed effect. This should resemble a parchment which is great for rustic interiors. Dilute the glaze for color wash then apply with brush.
Another faux finish is called combing. This makes use of the teeth of comb. You can create straight, wavy or zigzag lines according to your preference. All you have to do is to drag the comb through the glaze to achieve a textured effect.
Ragging means using bunched up, lint-free rags. Apply the second coat right over the base.
Sponging makes use of natural sea sponge in applying the glaze on top of the base coat. Other effects like wood graining can be quite challenging. There are also techniques that combine several techniques using brush and different work details.
Lastly, there’s gilding. This is an easy way to add drama or character to accessories in your home. Use metallic colors such as gold, silver or copper leaf and what you achieve is an instant heirloom.
Tags: 18th century, faux finish, finish, finishes 101, furniture finish, history, McCreery's, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Furniture, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | No Comments »
Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
Hooker Furniture Dark Walnut and Mappa Burl
‘Starting furniture shopping? Consider not just the furniture’s appearance this time. Try to study how the piece was made by an artisan’s hands, why it is durable, and what method of finishing application was used to make it look awesome.
Woodworkers and Finishes
Finishing is one of the biggest concerns for a lot of woodworkers. They may be experts in joinery, machining, and other precision activities but woodworkers – a lot of them, in fact – still take a step back when they are about to apply the finishing.
Now you might ask what the best finish for your furniture is – and that’s one great question. Having the answer to this question will give you much more confidence in overcoming other hurdles in the coming days.
Finishing products may be grouped according to working qualities as well as the kind of protection that they offer ranging from oils, to waxes, shellacs to varnishes, water-based finishes and lacquers. No single finishing is considered the best as one that excels on one furniture may be a total failure in another.
Wood Finishing Classifications
All kinds of wood finishes may be classified into how they dry or how they cure. Finishes that evaporate such as shellac and lacquer become as a hard film once they dry and the solvents evaporate.
Reactive finishes like tung or linseed oil also have solvents that can evaporate yet they cure when they react with air. Such finishes undergo chemical change when they cure. This kind of finish tends to hold better when subjected to chemicals and heat (with the exception of pure oils).
Other Finishes
Wax may not be such a great idea for furniture finish. Carnauba wax or any paste wax can be used to polish furniture but it is advisable to use them over existing finishes like shellac or lacquer.
Varnish is comprised of tough synthetic resins that were modified using drying oils. If you take a look at the labels of varnishes, you would see a list of resins like phenolic, urethane, alkyd, and other oils such as tung or linseed.
Varnishes cure just like true oils through a process called polymerization. The resins heighten the durability. If you want durable finish for your wood furniture, then use any oil-based varnish. Even an average woodworker will be able to apply this finishing product for you. varnishes surpass a lot of finishes when it comes to heat, water, chemical and solvent resistance.
Long oil varnishes are varnishes that contain a huge amount of oil (e.g. spar, marine or exterior varnishes). These are more elastic because they are softer than the short to medium varnishes which contain just a limited amount of oil.
Another type of finish is the varnish and oil blend. This mixture contains a huge amount of oil plus some varnish. This is also an easy-to-apply product though they tend to dry a lot harder than true oil finishes.
Lastly, water-based finishes are often made with either an acrylic urethane blend or an acrylic resin. Adding urethane makes the product scratch-resistant.
Remember that choosing the kind of finish depends on a lot of factors such as temperature in your home, the level of dampness, and the overall environment. The least temperamental when it comes to cold environments are shellac and lacquer; in humid conditions, use oils and any oil-based product.
You would need a bigger budget if you would require spray equipment for your project. If it’s a DIY project that you’re after, then know that there’s a learning curve when it comes to spraying. It would require a lot of practice if you want to get decent results with sprayed on finishes.
Hooker Furniture Clear Dark Oak
Tags: finish, finishes, finishes 101, furniture finish, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Furniture, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | No Comments »
Saturday, May 21st, 2016
Hooker Furniture Corsica Collection will look great inside a dining room with an exposed concrete finish.
It is not always deliberately done but there are times when an unfinished part of a home becomes one of the stunning features of the entire place. This may not be entirely the work of Michelangelo but you, too, can make an unfinished, exposed part of your dwelling become an architectural wonder.
So, did you want the exposed part to look that way or did you leave it with an exposed finish? That unfinished masterpiece may look bare to some but it can be the stage for an interesting interior design theme that is about to be born.
Exposed Wood: Why Raw Is Beautiful
The unfinished or raw look of that room can be your aesthetic choice. Given this unique decision, you’ve got the leeway to leave the exposed concrete walls, structural steel framework, or hanging light bulb as they are.
Exposed structural wood is also a thing of beauty. This is a more common sight compared to all the other materials used in constructing your home. Displaying wood framework stages a sense of warmth if not a strong connection with the natural world outside.
Oak beams, for instance, can bring a lot of homey feeling. Dark woods provide a great framing effect especially when they are paired with stark white ceilings and walls. The wood can then be used as a line of demarcation when you want to use the open space layout. Lighter types of wood can play well with other interior design elements. Use these kinds of wood on your flooring, staircases and your furniture.
Exposed (Yet Safe) Electrical Accessories
Wiring systems are often not used as a design element since safety is a major concern in this area. If you want to use this concept, then prepare to hang lighting cables instead. This style is the best sort that you can use for art studios or a home that wants to convey an industrial setting.
Going beyond hanging light bulbs means you already need the expertise of a licensed electrician.
FFDM Ancestry Collection offers these wood pieces which will harmonize well inside a dining room with exposed wood beams.
The Sturdiness of Bricks
Brick and mortar buildings can be cold and rough to behold but with the right design elements brought in, they can become the framing properties of a cozy room. To use exposed bricks could mean having one wall as a feature wall or it can be the design of all four walls in a room.
Enjoy seeing the irregularities of brick which contribute to the beautiful color and texture in your home. Bricks can effortlessly contribute to the warm glow of your warehouse style home.
If you happen to live in an old home with a brick inner wall, then all you have to do is to topple down the less sturdy wall and make way for the exposure of the beautiful, not-so-new-but-still-great-looking walls. If you don’t have such walls in your home, then invest in faux brick panels.
Exposed Pipes
Whoever thought that exposed pipes could ever become anything else but a plumber’s major job? The pipe is an awesome material to use if you want to get creative. If others can create sculptures with copper pipes, then you can also make good use of fittings and fixings.
The pipes can both be functional as well as decorative. If you’re in doubt on how to use them as a design element, then have an engineer help you.
Exposed Concrete
Unfinished concrete has long been used as a design element in many industrial-themed homes. Just like in brick, it is the concrete’s irregularities that make it an imperfect yet beautiful interior design material and aesthetic element.
Choose from these exposed finishes and find out which works best for you.
Tags: brick design, brick interior design, brick interiors, concrete, concrete interiors, designing with concrete, exposed bricks, exposed concrete, exposed finish, exposed finishes, finishes 101, tips
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes, Interior Design Trends | No Comments »
Follow us on our social media
© McCreery's Home Furnishings | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
