Just Junk: New Looks for Old Furniture

This was the first book my mother bought me on this subject, & it has become my bible! In fact, I've been trying to find comparable books for some fresh, new ideas, but all of the books I have purchased or been given since have fallen short!Barker starts out with an intro. section that tells you everything you need to know about stripping, painting, molding putty to replace broken details, reinforcing old chairs & drawers, filling handle holes, checking for pests, etc. It shows step by step pictures & has step by step instructions. This section is invaluable, & I refer to it time & time again. Although I would have to agree with the previous viewer about the "blues" of the chair & the "pickled sideboard," Barker does offer many wonderful ideas. I don't personally like all of her ideas, but I think that an important accomplishment this book has made is that she has refinished almost every piece with a different technique; thus, you have the information & knowledge available to you to use your own imagination & mix it up a little. For example, in her bedroom chapter, she shows a Formica topped cabinet that she refinished in a crackle pattern with decoupage fronts. I'm not into the crackle or the decoupage, BUT the actual paint finish was incredible! She stripped, sealed, primed, etc. Then, she used a pale yellow paint. After that, she rubbed the entire surface with an Artist's oil (burnt umber). It was a remarkable, "shabby" finish!! My hubby & I are now using this basic combination to refinish a bargain, couch table we found..

Just Junk : New Looks for Old Furnitureby Linda Barker (Introduction)Being a big fan of Changing Rooms, I am collecting books by the different decorators and Handy Andy. As usual, Linda Barker shows fabulous tips for turning old pieces of junk you may hanging around the house or find at flea markets. She shows you how to spruce them up and make them show pieces for your particular home. Her instructions were particularly helpful to this person who does not even know to paint. Sure, I wouldn't choose some of her color schemes but this was an especially helpful "how-to" and idea book, and I recommend it to all.

I have been searching for books that outline different painting techniques for YEARS. This book does a great job of showing exactly how to achieve different painted looks on different types of items. The directions are clear and really pretty basic. There are examples of decoupage, tiling and painting that are actually things we non-Martha Stewart types might be able to do! I bought this for a girl friend, and I'm ordering another one for myself.