The 30 Minute Fix Up With Grey Stain

I have many rules of thumb.  Too many to count really, but among my favorite rules is that a can of paint or a can of stain is the most inexpensive way to make furniture look like a million bucks.  It’s true, either will bring new life to the tired and forgotten.

I picked up these pieces of furniture off the side of the road a couple years ago.  I almost had to strap the kids to the top of the car to make it all fit inside, but I was able to make it work and the kids stayed comfortably in their seats.  Unloaded, the set turned to a perfect seating area around the fire pit.   Still, perfect seating or not, the catchy shaped chairs and love seat didn’t blend to the rest of the outdoor furniture and surroundings.  Borderline eyesore.  I thought (and was hoping) they would weather with time and turn grey.

Never happened.

So I helped the process along and pulled out the grey stain.  I set up shop in the driveway, put on some gloves and got to staining.  First though, I wiped off all of the pieces so I could apply the stay to a clean(ish) surface.  Then, I applied the stain.

To apply stain to furniture, dip a clean rag in the stain and then wipe along the surface.  Keep going until you have achieved the look and color that you have in mind.  Once the stain is dried, seal the surface with a polyurethane or furniture wax.  In this case, I applied one coat of wax.  Wax on, wax off.  Just like the movie.

In 30 minutes, this outdoor furniture set had a new facelift.  Much, much better.

My point is, don’t be so quick to throw out or pass something up because it looks tired and worn.  A coat of stain or a coat of paint is an easy fix, and makes a world of difference!