Don’t fix what ain’t broke if you want to achieve rustic look
Imperfection can be a good thing says Clint Harp, a carpenter who is featured on HGTV’s Fixer Upper. Scratches and spills have their own stories to tell, according to Harp, who thinks the essential elegance of an old rustic table lies in its talent for growing along with the family. By embracing the distressed look, dings and all, eventually you will be rewarded with an “amazing patina” and a “beauty that will make you cry,” he says.
Q My 1951 home has amazing solid wood panelling scattered throughout that unfortunately was painted in the past. The restoration of the sections we’ve tackled so far involved lots of Citrustrip and plastic wrap to cover it while it worked. The next area we want to tackle is in our master bedroom, and I’d rather not have that weird, orangey odour lingering for weeks again if I can help it. Is there any other indoor-safe paint stripper on the market, maybe one that doesn’t need hours to do its job?
A I don’t do a lot of paint stripping these days, so I can’t really answer that confidently. And if there is a lead-based paint concern, then that is also something that a licensed pro should look at. All that being said, if it were my house and I didn’t have those concerns, I would probably go in with a heavy disc sander and knock it out. I get a little impatient with paint strippers, so I just go in with the heavy-duty equipment. This of course creates a ton of dust, so you have to make sure you seal off vents and whatnot.
Q I love old tables. How should you take care of the top of a rustic table?
A Oil it! We sell a wood balm on our website that my brother-inlaw makes in his shop in Britain. It’s food-safe and smells lovely. I rub it on my cutting boards and wood furniture all the time. It’s just good to keep the wood moisturized. Otherwise, use the heck out of that rustic table. It’s made for it.
Q I wish I’d bought a reclaimed wood table, but I have one made out of maple. How do I prevent scratches and spills from ruining it?
A The important thing is that you have a solid wood table, so good for you! I actually prefer a table with all the scratches and marks because it allows the table to tell a story. I say use that thing and let it age with your family. But I also get that not everyone likes that. If your table was not properly coated with a good polyurethane, then you will need to use coasters and placemats and whatnot, unless you can find a good furniture gal or guy in your town who can refinish the top.
Q We purchased a dark wood “distressed-look” dining table so we wouldn’t have to worry about dings and spills with our nine grandchildren. Of course the new dings and stains don’t look anything like the pre-fab ones, and right now it just looks patchy. Should I try to go in with sandpaper and bash it with chains a few times to even things out? Or just be patient?
A Definitely give it time and be patient. Your grandkids will ding it up nicely, I promise. Really and truly, the tables we long for that have all that amazing patina have been used for decades and tell many stories. So, keep using your table like you are. You will look back one day and cry at the beauty it reflects.
Q A couple years ago, we bought a second-hand wooden china cabinet with swinging glass doors and then let it get rained on for weeks while we were refinishing it. One door fell off and the glass broke. We still have the pieces of the wood door frame, and we’ve talked about fixing it with some kind of corner plates. My husband also suggested installing sliding glass doors, which would be more convenient in our crowd ed dining room, but we don’t know how difficult it would be to buy or install sliding tracks, or to make it look decent. What do you recommend?
A It’s so hard for me to say without looking at the actual cabinet itself. That being said, sliding door hardware can definitely be purchased without too much trouble. It’s available at hardware stores and online. It’s the door part that can be tricky but also such a fun challenge! Regardless of what it looks like, you’ll have an awesome story to tell.
Q If I could only do one or two projects to boost my curb appeal, what could I do?
A Well, I’m a wood guy, so for me adding some sort of wooden element, whether that be shutters or a beautiful wooden door, is a great place to start.
Q We know that the furniture Joanna uses to stage the houses goes back to her warehouse after the show wraps. But what about the pieces you make? Do they stay with the house? Do the clients have to pay extra to keep them or are they included in the price they pay for the rehab? The Washington Post
A The pieces I made for the homeowners were given to them. It was such a blast making all those pieces!