Create a welcoming indoor living area for cool weather seasons

Plan now to ensure that when fall weather signals the end of outdoor living, your indoor space will be a welcoming respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Walk around to inspect furniture, cabinets, use and lack of space, and decor in general.

Would new paint on wood furniture, cabinets, doors or trim be brighter (or more tranquil)? How about a new live edge or other accent table or new legs for an existing table? Do closets need a redo to add storage? Could the home office use shelving? Or maybe space exists for a family game area? The possibilities are endless, and Woodcraft has the tools, materials and supplies you need for successful projects, as well as a wealth of how-to insight and information.

Below are some tools and supplies and how-to tips for assembly and building projects. There’s also some useful tips for coloring or recoloring wood furniture, cabinets and other pieces with stains and paints.

DIY Hairpin Legs in black and raw steel are an easy way to add a modern look to a tabletop or slab.

Festool’s T18 Cordless Drill Plus Set features a brushless EC-TEC motor and electronic torque setting for precise screw driving and drilling wood or steel. The set includes a belt clip, two 4.0 AH Highpower battery packs, Rapid Charger TCL 6 and Systainer SYS3 M 187.

A Gyokucho Ryoba Razorsaw is a handy general purpose saw that has rip teeth on one edge and crosscut teeth on the other side.

Bore shelf pin holes on 32 mm spacing quickly and accurately using the 1/4” Kreg¨ Shelf Pin Jig or the 5 mm Kreg¨ Shelf Pin Jig. Both are compatible with face frame and frameless cabinets, with alignment windows for added versatility.

For comfortable hand sanding, choose the Preppin’ Weapon Sanding Block Kit. Add power with the cordless SKIL¨ POWERCORE Brushless 20V Random Orbital Sander that can tackle refinishing wood furniture, cabinetry rehab and more.

To remove paints and other coverings, Blue Bear¨ Soy Gelª Paint & Urethane Stripper is a handy helper.

Krud Kutter¨ Prepaint Cleaner TSP Substitute cleans and deglosses surfaces so paint or stain will adhere better to the surface being covered.

If you are recoloring or finishing for the first time, GENERAL FINISHES¨ Gel Stains and GENERAL FINISHES Milk Paint are easy to use. Gel Stains come in 15 colors, while Milk Paint is available in 33 colors.

Follow GENERAL FINISHES instructions for prep, application, and topcoats for paints and stains to avoid any yellowing issues and to ensure the best results over time.

There are many other available topcoat products. When choosing and using a topcoat, follow the manufacturerõs directions closely to avoid disappointment over changes in color or other undesirable results.

GENERAL FINISHES¨ High Performance Water Based Topcoat offers the consumer-friendly characteristics of a polyacrylic blend: it does not yellow with age and cleanup is easy with water. In addition, HP is stabilized with UV absorbers to maximize its performance and afford protection to the stains, paints, and wood beneath.ê

GENERAL FINISHES¨ Oil Based Gel Topcoat is compatible with GENERAL FINISHES Gel Stains.