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Handling Furniture Imperfections
by Pamela Cole Harris
Any of us that have children or who live with those who received an
extra helping of the awkward gene, know what it is to discover furniture
nicks, dings and other marks on a daily basis. Since banning the
offenders from the room is impractical (and besides, you love the
offenders more than the furniture anyway, don't you?), you need a few
tips to help you deal with those little imperfections. No! I'm not
talking about the kids, because you know down deep - wayyyyy down deep -
they are perfect! I'm talking about the furniture!
1. Disguise scratches in your wood furniture with shoe polish, crayon or
felt tip markers. A tan crayon or marker is perfect for light woods,
while a red-brown is great for cherry. You may have to experiment a bit
to find a perfect match, but the right color will make that scratch
disappear! (But if your table is so scratched that you are considering
setting the kids down with a big box of crayons and telling them to
color all the pretty white patterns, you might consider getting a new
one!)
2. If your kids have chewed up all the crayons, you might consider using
a tea bag or rubbing a piece of walnut or pecan on the marred surface.
3. If your darling child has left his/her glass of kool-aid on the table
(even though you have TOLD them 1,000 times to never do that!), you can
make a paste of salt and mineral oil to take out the white rings or
water marks. Be sure to rub in the direction of the grain and dry
immediately! Then apply your favorite polish.
4. For cigarette burns (this had BETTER NOT be from the children!), rub
the offending spot with a paste made from fireplace ash and lemon juice!
(I had a low-fat salad dressing one time that tasted just like this!)
And if all this fails, consider telling everyone that the piece just has
"character!" Collectors pay thousands of dollars for old furniture with
lots of imperfections - in fact, the more the better! Just think of your
home as a Furniture Distressing Factory!
About the author
Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and decorator for thirty-five years
(YIKES! Has it been that long?). She is the author of "Home and Garden
Design Tips", a free weekly syndicated home and garden content service
for your website. Get the code at
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com/content_
syndication.html
And while you are there, sign up for her monthly newsletter! And
visit her other sites at http://www.pajamabusinesses.com and
http://www.thewellfedtraveler.com
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