Decorative Arts - Decorative Arts - Style

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About Eileen Cronk
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
If you are decorating your home on a budget I can answer most questions about what to look for when buying "good old stuff" at garage sales, yard sales or auctions. I can answer most questions about the refinishing, and repairing of wood items. I have had lots of experience in this area and made lots of mistakes over the years which I may help you avoid.

Experience
I have been haunting auction sales,flea markets etc. for 30 yrs. I have worked extensively at refinishing, and repairing all the old stuff I bring home. I also work for other people, and do repairs and refinishing for several antique stores.

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Questions Answered By Expert Eileen Cronk
In Category Decorative Arts

Subject	Date Asked

Refinishing lamps	11/10/2009
Q: I was just reading your response about lamp cleaning. I've got ceramic lamps with high gloss. Do ... A: Nice to hear from you. Theres really not much we can do to a high gloss ceramic but make sure its ...
repainting a plaster mirror	11/4/2009
Q: What steps should be followed to repaint a plaster framed mirror please? A: Nice to hear from you. It depends what kind of look you want but there are actually no steps if you ...
Gold picture frames	11/2/2009
Q: I have 2 gold picture frames I receieved from my grandmother. (I think they have gold leafing on ... A: Nice to hear from you. No need to take the frames anywhere. You can do this simple project yourself. ...
need a table top	10/14/2009
Q: Eileen, We are renovating our kitchen,do you know how I can purchase a custom (33 x 48") tabletop ... A: Nice to hear from you. If you where my neighbour, you could walk over and I would make you your ...
Cleaning ornate picture frame	9/15/2009
Q: I recently purchased a second-hand circular mirror with what seems to be a plaster (and quite ... A: Nice to hear from you. Do not even think about dipping your old frame LOL. What you did on the frame ...
gold-leaf mirror	9/14/2009
Q: I am decorating my Living Room and I inherited this lovely and large gold leaf antique mirror. I ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes this is something I know about. I have done this many times. Always turns ...
painting over "antiquing kit paint"	9/13/2009
Q: In the late 60's and early 70's it was popular to paint old wooden furniture with an "antiquing kit" ... A: Nice to hear from you. Don't worry if its oil or waterbased. Just make sure you sand the surface ...
painting over "antiqued" furniture	9/13/2009
Q: In the late 60's and early 70's it was popular to paint old wooden furniture with an "antiquing kit" ... A: Nice to hear from you. To the best of my knowledge, most folks cannot tell oil based paint from ...
Resizing a Plaster Picture Frame	8/9/2009
Q: Is there a way to resize a plaster picture frame without breaking the plaster? A: Nice to hear from you. The answer to your question is a definite no. You obviously have a picture in ...
resurface old patio table	8/4/2009
Q: I have an old patio table. The white surface is peeling off. Under is looks to be a pressed wood. ... A: OK..now we can continue LOL. Pressed wood of any kind does not do well outdoors. One season is all ...
Changing gold to silver - mirror	8/3/2009
Q: I have found the perfect mirror for our bathroom but it's only available in gold and I would prefer ... A: Nice to hear from you. Spray painting would be best followed by a coat of black antiquing gel. Just ...
Oversize mirror	7/26/2009
Q: I have an oversized mirror over my fireplace (6-1/2' W x 4-1/2'). I wanted to remove the mirror so I ... A: Nice to hear from you. You are right on the money LOL. Yes a nice wood frame will change the look of ...
Oak table top refinish	7/21/2009
Q: Old 54 inch round solid oak table 3/4 " tongue and groove.Have had 25 yrs. added oil a time or two. ... A: Nice to hear from you. Don't try to sand off the existing finish. Get a good paint stripper to do ...
painting over tile board to make it look primitive	7/5/2009
Q: We live in a house that is over 150 yrs old. I am re-doing our bathroom in the primitive style and ... A: Nice to hear from you. Great Question. My daughter just finished painting her tile board. It turned ...
metal bar stools	7/2/2009
Q: I was given 4 very expensive ornate metal bar stools. They were very pitted, so I had them sand ... A: Nice to hear from you. We have a bad storm approching here and I must close down the PC. I did not ...
Changing color/finish of chrome faucet	6/30/2009
Q: slightly pitted, but still-working well kitchen faucet from shiny chrome to either a brushed ... A: Nice to hear from you. You have come up with a terrific idea. If I could take your idea and invent ...
Refinish or paint?	6/15/2009
Q: I have an oak veneer dresser, Oakmasters Modern by Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co. It has some ... A: Here is an example of an MC stripper. The mc means methylene chloride (SP? I can never get the ...
Refinish or paint?	6/14/2009
Q: I have an oak veneer dresser, Oakmasters Modern by Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chair Co. It has some ... A: Nice to hear from you. Like you, I hate the thought of painting oak. First I would try to remove the ...
Repainting pottery lamp	5/18/2009
Q: I have two large ginger jar style lamps that have a pottery look to them, not shiny. The texture is ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is a wonderful project. Use water based paint as the main body color. ...
painting tile floor	5/17/2009
Q: I have a original tile floor that is very ugly and unfortunately do not have the money to install ... A: Nice to hear from you. Great idea and it works. First the floor needs stripping with a good quality ...
painting a matte for a picture	5/7/2009
Q: Eileen I read a comment you made to someone on painting a matting on a picture several times to ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is an easy question (I like them LOL). Use craft paints to paint matts ...
mirror	5/5/2009
Q: How can I tell how old a mirror I picked up from a garage sale is? It looks like wood but it's a bit ... A: Nice to hear from you. These plaster over wood mirrors are still being made today so I cannot tell ...
Painting over gold leaf	4/25/2009
Q: I have three expensive gold leaf mirrors that I would like to paint either a white color ... A: Nice to hear from you. You have your white color chosen so you will have to brush on the paint. No ...
where to buy recommended product	4/23/2009
Q: I am wanting to "tone down" an elaborate gold sofa sized mirror. From your past answers it appears ... A: Nice to hear from you. Micheals do sell it and any place you can buy craft paint also sells it. But ...
Antique gold painted mirror	4/22/2009
Q: I just purchased an antique gold-painted mirror. There are very small parts of the gold paint that ... A: Nice to hear from you. Personally I like to touch mirrors up. I don't like a lot of "natural charm" ...
paint for a lamp globe	3/23/2009
Q: I have a glass globe for a hurricane lamp. It is electric. It has a two type paint theme. The ... A: Nice to hear from you. The color of paint you need will be the deciding factor. Your choices of ...
creating an antique silver effect on a mirror frame.	3/19/2009
Q: i have a large ornate mirror in black which i got for a good price, but would like to create a ... A: I was answering this question last night when the power went out. I'm usually not late like this. ...
changing finish on a frame	3/14/2009
Q: I know alot of people asked you about refinishing a frame, but my is little different. I purchased 2 ... A: Very nice mirror. OK..first you are going to have to get a can of silver spray. I have found that ...
changing finish on a frame	3/12/2009
Q: I know alot of people asked you about refinishing a frame, but my is little different. I purchased 2 ... A: Nice to hear from you. Can you tell me if these frames are metal frames, wood frames or old plaster ...
Paint	3/2/2009
Q: Last summer, I painted a new dark brown chest of drawers using a Washable Acrylic Latex Pearl Finish ... A: Nice to hear from you. What bothers me is why the paint is coming off. Was the surface properly ...
What to do With Laminate Countertop	2/26/2009
Q: I live in a vintage hoouse that was converted into a church (we bought from the church). What was ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a wonderful place to live. And I most certainly do have a suggestion on ...
plaster picture frames	2/25/2009
Q: I have a much damaged plaster picture frame that I would like to restore Any suggestions. I think I ... A: Nice to hear from you. Redoing these old frames is great fun. You can do this the easy way or the ...
Removing Gold Leaf from Wood Frame	2/24/2009
Q: I have an antique mirror frame that was originally gold leafed. It is in VERY bad shape and I ... A: Nice to hear from you. This gold cannot be removed and you will ruin the frame in the attempt. As ...
refinishing a mirror frame	2/2/2009
Q: Do you know if it's possible to change the finish on a gold gilt mirror? I would like to change it ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes you can change the finish and its easy to do. Simply spray paint the ...
Ash Kitchen Table	1/26/2009
Q: I have a 10+ year old ash table in my kitchen which definitely needs to be refinished. The finish ... A: I sent an answer to you yesterday and for some reason it did not reach you so my apologies. Since ...
Painting Kitchen Chairs and Table	1/22/2009
Q: I have a arborite table and metal frame chairs with cloth seats and middle of the back. I am ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes you can paint all the surfaces on this set and I think its a great ...
DECORATING AN ARTS AND CRAFTS SYLE HOME	12/30/2008
Q: My husband and I have collected art work throughout the years but I am not sure which ones to hang ... A: Nice to hear from you. The style of your house is my all time favorite. How lucky you are. The only ...
Need help to decide bedding deal	12/16/2008
Q: i m not sure if u would be able to help me but giving a try as all the experts under the right ... A: Nice to hear from you. Personally I like the Splendor. The Seaspray has a lot more filling in the ...
River Rock Fireplace	11/23/2008
Q: I am renting a place that has a large fireplace with smooth, dark, "river rock" (round) stones that ... A: Nice to hear from you. Oh my gosh I see what you mean. This is easily solved. The top shelf needs a ...
art print with lights?	11/20/2008
Q: Eileen What exactly do you call those framed prints with the little light bulbs in them? There is a ... A: Nice to hear from you. They call these things "Electric Art". Last weekend was my first experience ...
touching up mirror fram	11/17/2008
Q: I recently purchased a mirror that has an ornate frame with a copper finish. I would like to add a ... A: Nice to hear from you. This will be easy to tone down. Go to the craft store and get a bottle of ...
decorating	11/13/2008
Q: I can't decide. i purchased a new brown leather sofa and recliner and i can't decide which color of ... A: Nice to hear from you. I would use a mixture of cushion colors from the colors you described are in ...
Plaster Mirror Frame	11/9/2008
Q: I have a plaster type frame on a 3'x 4' mirror that is white with very faint pink and green specks. ... A: Nice to hear from you. These old frames can be painted any color we choose. If there is some nice ...
Refurbishing my childs rocker for my granddaughter	10/28/2008
Q: My daughter Jenny Lind Rocker is 32 years old..I would like to give it to my granddaughter it is in ... A: Nice to hear from you. Try the local craft stores for the music box. They have wind up ones or ...
enamel table	10/13/2008
Q: THE PROBLEM IS WHEN I BOUGHT IT THE THE ENAMEL TOP WAS PAINTED.MY QUESTION IS CAN YOU STRIP THE ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes you certainly can strip the paint off this table top. And it will not ...
Candlesticks	10/6/2008
Q: I'm not really sure my question fits into your area of expertise. But I have to start somewhere and ... A: Nice to hear from you. Contact local stores that sell wind instruments as they should be able to put ...
40 year old white bedroom set	10/4/2008
Q: I have a bedroom bedroom set, french provincial white with gold trim and the top of each piece is a ... A: Nice to hear from you. As long as you make sure the surface to be painted is well prepped with ...
Painting black wrought iron white for bathroom	9/30/2008
Q: I am decorating my bathroom in the county decor / primitive look. I have a claw foot tub, circle ... A: Nice to hear from you. Your bathroom sounds lovely. The easiest way to get the look you want for ...
making frame more silver	9/24/2008
Q: I took a painting in to be custom framed and chose what I thought was a silver frame. It came back ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sorry this has happened. I can't for the life of me understand why a custom ...
Mahogany table and 4 chairs	9/18/2008
Q: I found a drop leaf table and 4 chairs in an old garage. It has the patent dated Feb. 13, 1937 ... A: Nice to hear from you. What you describe to me is a table in the style of Duncan Phyfe. Where are ...
refinishing wood framed mirror	9/8/2008
Q: I have a large wood framed mirror that I would like to paint the outer molding an antique gold and ... A: Nice to hear from you. Gosh I'm surprised you want to paint over this lovely hand painted mirror. ...
repainting a gold frame	9/7/2008
Q: I have several museum quality paintings, all framed in bright gold frames - again from art ... A: Nice to hear from you. The only way to ensure the safety of the paintings is to remove them from the ...
Clear Coat for table	9/5/2008
Q: I am planning to cover my kitchen table with a single piece of fabric. Glue it or decoupage it. Then ... A: Nice to hear from you. The clear coat I recommend for this would be a water based floor poly. It ...
our gloomy bedroom	8/28/2008
Q: We moved from a big house to a small house. Our bedroom furniture is dark and big but the room is ... A: Nice to hear from you. Since small bedrooms are the bane of my existence, (I have 3 such), I was ...
darkening a gold picture frame	7/31/2008
Q: I have a bright gold wooden picture frame that I would like to darken, I don't want to paint it ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is easily done. Get a bottle of black antique gel at the craft store. It ...
FAUX MARBLE FLOOR TILE	7/25/2008
Q: DO YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD CREATE LINES ON MY FLOOR AFTER I FAUX MARBLE TO REPLICATE TILE? I'M NOT TOO ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a great project. The lines are easy but must be done in two stages with ...
type of paint	7/21/2008
Q: I am painting plastic water jugs and was wondering if you could recommend a paint that would not ... A: Nice to hear from you. You will need an exterior paint for this, although simple craft paint will ...
french antique plaster mirror frame	7/5/2008
Q: I've had a moving mishap with my antique mirror and some pieces of plaster have come loose or have ... A: Nice to hear from you. These frames are very delicate and this happens often. Any pieces that can be ...
Can use latex wall paint to paint over old mirror frame?	7/1/2008
Q: My parents have a garishly gold full length mirror and matching bench that sits under it. I would ... A: Nice to hear from you. I always like to use whats on hand LOL. So yes you can use this latex paint. ...
Gold Mirror	6/30/2008
Q: I have a beautiful antique gold mirror but it doesn't complement anything else in my house. I would ... A: Nice to hear from you. I assume you want to get a darker gold right? I think I would get a bottle of ...
sealing old cake carrier	5/27/2008
Q: Do you have experience with painting over baked on enamel over metal? I have an old 3 tier cake ... A: Nice to hear from you. Oh boy..this is a problem. If you use an oil based sealer it will yellow the ...
refinishing or toning down gold leaf chair	5/6/2008
Q: I have an antique Gold leaf chair . I like to make it brown and gold . Someone recommended to use ... A: Nice to hear from you. You could try one of those colored glazes. Perhaps it will tone the gold down ...
gold painted plaster over wood	4/9/2008
Q: My old frame is wood covered in detailed plaster that has been painted gold. It is chipped in ... A: Nice to hear from you. Use rubbing alchol to clean the frame. Use a product called Poly-fil to fix ...
hanging a picture over mantle	3/30/2008
Q: I have a picture that I want to hang over the mantle. Is it okay to hang it off-center and place ... A: Nice to hear from someone who thinks "out of the box" LOL. And yes you can hang your pictures like ...
Repairing a Plaster Frame	3/24/2008
Q: I purchased an oil painting that has a plaster frame and painted black. The corner has chipped and ... A: Nice to hear from you. The answer to this questionn depends on the painting. If this is a valuable ...
plaster and wood frames	3/23/2008
Q: I read your how to repair old plaster and wood frames, but where do you get poly fill? I am in ... A: I am up in Canada and products go by different names. But the product I mention is nothing but a ...
Hanging a plaster frame	3/19/2008
Q: I recently found a small old decorative plaster frame (about 8x11 inches) in my mother-in-law's ... A: Nice to hear from you. Although we call these frames plaster, they are also made up of wood. They ...
mirror framing	3/3/2008
Q: I have a framed full-length mirror that is actually suppose to be used on a door, but I want to turn ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a great idea. Personally I would discard the old frame and make a new ...
removing white paint	2/22/2008
Q: I have bought two antique french mirror frames. I started to remove the paint with mitromores (a ... A: Nice to hear from you. These mirrors are usually plaster and cannot be stripped this way. This is a ...
Refinishing gold frame	2/19/2008
Q: Eileen, You answered another question about refinishing an ornate gold frame and I was wondering if ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes thats exactly the kind I use. Unfortunately this last year here in ...
adding a decorative edge to premade bamboo blinds	2/12/2008
Q: I am looking to purchase the bamboo blinds and add my own fabric edge. I don't know what to use to ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sounds like a great idea to me, but like you I would be concerned about the ...
midevil looking black iron chandelier	2/5/2008
Q: I have a fifty or so year old black iron chandelier with the candle like fixtures and chains ... A: Nice to hear from you. This project sounds awesome. You certainly can paint this any color you ...
Cleaning Plaster Picture Frames	2/4/2008
Q: I have two 1900s plaster picture frames that have dust and what looks like black shoot on them. Do ... A: Nice to hear from you. Try wiping with rubbing alchol. Just try some on the edge of the frame first ...
Refinish or repair older dressers	1/27/2008
Q: this is my 1st time with something like this so I apologize in advance for probably not including ... A: Holly I am trying to imagine what this finish could possibly be if it seems to come off with soap ...
LARGE Mirror to frame	1/26/2008
Q: We have a large mirror (4 1/2' x 2 1/2') in our bathroom and want to make a nice frame to go around ... A: Good question. I have done what you are going to do about 5 times I estimate LOL If you leave the ...
Refinish or repair older dressers	1/20/2008
Q: this is my 1st time with something like this so I apologize in advance for probably not including ... A: Nice to hear from you. Holly you have certainly included all the info I need and in a very polite ...
I Need Help Decorating My Room!!!	1/16/2008
Q: Okay so next month (February 4) is my 15th birthday and I would love to re- decorate my room on a ... A: Nice to hear from you. I got this question last night just as our power went down. Sorry its late. ...
Repainting Mirror Frame	1/13/2008
Q: I have a large mirror in a wooden frame, I'm not sure what wood it is but its quite shiny so I think ... A: Nice to hear from you. Yes this is possible, but remember this distressing usually involves sanding ...
repairing antique plaster picture frame	1/9/2008
Q: I have an antique (early 1900) plaster picture frame that was recently shipped. A couple of ... A: Nice to hear from you. I have made such repairs in the past and use whatever glue I could put my ...
creamic lamp painting	1/8/2008
Q: I saw where you talked about redoing ceramic lamps with stone paint. My question is how to go about ... A: Nice to hear from you. Nancy I love this question and the fact you do not want to just throw away ...
Using a cut tree branch for decoration	12/15/2007
Q: I'm redecorating my kids' beds. I want to use tree branches on either side of their headboards. The ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a great project. First off remember this. Any fresh cut branches are ...
Refinishing Picture Frames	12/5/2007
Q: We have redecorated our house and I have 15 wall frames that are now the wrong color. They are ... A: Nice to hear from you. You cannot go wrong painting your frames black. Black works in any decor. I ...
gold mirror	11/15/2007
Q: I have a gold mirror in my living room that I love, but I would like to give it an antique look so ... A: Nice to hear from you. This will be an easy fix. Go to a craft store and get a bottle of antique ...
Painting over Gold	11/11/2007
Q: I have a fairly new bedroom set. I want to give it to my son, but I want to update it. I wanted to ... A: Nice to hear from you. My experience is you can paint over anything LOL. But give it a try. Maybe a ...
Wedding crafts	11/7/2007
Q: I am making centerpieces for my wedding in July and had the idea of putting cranberries in a vase ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a great idea this is. Hmmm...too bad you could not get fresh cranberries ...
Changing color on Wroth Iron Chairs	11/7/2007
Q: Unlike most of your readers, I have some wroth iron chairs that I use with my kitchen table. They ... A: Nice to hear from you. Glad to give what advice I can. For any paint job, the surface prep is the ...
painting a ceramic lamp	11/7/2007
Q: I read your answer to this question from another lady. You said ceramic lamps could be painted. My ... A: Nice to hear from you. Well the man at the paint store is wrong. In that letter, I said I had done ...
can i paint over black wrought iron	11/6/2007
Q: I just recently got a bedroom set that has black wrought iron thru it. I would like to paint over ... A: Nice to hear from you. The most important step of any paint job is the surface prep. You must create ...
painting a gold frame a new color	10/30/2007
Q: i have a very large picture in a gold somewhat ornate frame. i am so tired of the gold but love the ... A: Nice to hear from you. Of course you can paint this frame..any color you want. I have done this too ...
Changing Color or Wrought Iron	10/8/2007
Q: Unlike some of the other readers, the wrought iron set I have is not rusted because it was used ... A: Nice to hear from you. How nice to have rust free wrought iron to work with. And no need to remove ...
refinishing wood picture frame	10/4/2007
Q: I have a wood picture frame that is very ornate with losts of nooks and cranies. The frame is ... A: Nice to hear from you. Mary I am going to suggest that this picture frame could be plaster and not ...
White Wrought Iron Crib and rust	9/19/2007
Q: I have a white wrought iron crib that is 16 years old and has been moved several times. It has ... A: Nice to hear from you.Yes I think there is hope here. First a real good scrubbing with a TSP ...
Sizing Bamboo shades	8/30/2007
Q: My daughter-in-law bought some bamboo shades that are too wide. How can they be made less wide ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sharon these are miserable things to cut. The last time I cut these types of ...
Gold leaf on a wrought iron chandelier	8/3/2007
Q: I have found a beautiful wrought iron chandelier with some gold leaf "leaves" which I would like to ... A: Nice to hear from you. My experience is you can paint over anything LOL And this sounds like a great ...
re-staining/painting dressers	7/31/2007
Q: I have two dressers, made of pine, purchased with an antique stain on them. I would like to re-paint ... A: Nice to hear from you As with any paint job the most important step is the prep work. First you can ...
painted wood	7/18/2007
Q: I painted a picture on thin pine board which was then glued onto a cedar panel. Now it has ... A: Nice to hear from you. I have often seen this happen when you paint on pine. So sorry but it just ...
painting Hobby Lobby furniture from China	6/26/2007
Q: I finally found the right size and style of side table I was looking for at Hobby Lobby of all ... A: Nice to hear from you. First surface prep is the most important thing to ensure the paint will ...
older silk flowers	6/24/2007
Q: I have the cake top from my wedding 40 years ago, It has silk flowers and a couple of doves. I ... A: Nice to hear from you. The cake part will need replacing, but the flowers can be washed sucessfully. ...
silk flowers	5/28/2007
Q: I saw a tv show about the 25 worst decorating mistakes. I was appalled to see that the #l very ... A: Nice to hear from you. Marsha, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And personally I find nothing ...
refinishing dresser	5/21/2007
Q: I have a nice vintage dresserw/mirror that holds a lot that I want to use in the entry which is ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is most certainly do-able. Here is a site to lead you through it step by ...
Repairing ceramic tile table top & chair seats	5/16/2007
Q: Four years ago I purchased a bistro set. The seats and table top are thinly covered ceramic tile. ... A: Nice to hear from you. Unfortunately sun and the outdoors takes its toll on anything nice we put ...
Repainting old wood frames	5/8/2007
Q: Eileen, I have acquired some charming old prints (1966) that are in old light wood frames (black). ... A: Nice to hear from you. Your SOS is answered...help is on the way LOL. I am very familiar with the ...
refinishing a mirror frame	5/5/2007
Q: ... First time asking you a question so I thank you in advance. My wife and I just baught a large ... A: Nice to hear from you. Well refinishing means removing whatever finish is currently on the frame and ...
Over the fireplace	5/5/2007
Q: There has got to be something besides placing an oversized piece of art or a large mirror above a ... A: Nice to hear from you. Decorating is a little out of my line but I always like to give my ...
refinishing old dresser	5/4/2007
Q: I am interested in refinishing (painting) my grandmothers old bedroom set (about 35-40 years old). ... A: Nice to hear from you. This will be a great project and look lovely for your daughter. First off, ...
refinishing old table	4/30/2007
Q: I have a set of French Provincial bedroom furniture from the sixties that was mine as a little girl. ... A: Nice to hear from you. Without seeing the set, I think the furniture was painted white, and when dry ...
repainting a mirror	4/5/2007
Q: i'm curious about your answer to another person's question about repainting her mirror frame. does ... A: Nice to hear from you. It absolutely does not matter what is currently on the frames LOL I talk from ...
rec room furniture grouping	3/27/2007
Q: I'm re-doing our rec room and am looking for input. It's mostly cast-offs that I'm trying to tie ... A: Nice to hear from you. Anita as you probably guessed, placing furniture like this creates problems. ...
glazing	3/23/2007
Q: I have white semi-gloss factory sprayed oil paint on my kitchen cabinets-just 2 years old. I want to ... A: Nice to hear from you. You are smart to get all the info you can before you start a project like ...
cleaning/refinishing antique frame	3/18/2007
Q: I have a very large, thick antique gold frame I would like to clean up and have a mirror put in it. ... A: Nice to hear from you. Over the years I have fixed a lot of these lovely old frames...I love them. I ...
table	1/26/2007
Q: I want to put a map on an old table top, but I'm not sure how. I was thinking maybe polyeurythene, ... A: What you are doing is called modge podge Heres the product.. ...
Finishing	12/16/2006
Q: maybe this question isn't your expertise but here goes. I am making a home bar and have not quite ... A: Nice to hear from you. Here is a site with a lot of info on the process and look you want to ...
picture frame	12/1/2006
Q: How do you guild a picture frame? I saw this done with gold paints on TV but can't remember how it ... A: Nice to hear from you. This will be a great project. Everythingyou need to know is here ...
Repaint frame of Mirror	11/28/2006
Q: I just moved to LA from Hawaii, thus my furniture is in storage for about 6 months. Anyway I found ... A: Nice to hear from you. Certainly this mirror can be painted. Don't know what you have read on the ...
refinishing a dresser	11/24/2006
Q: Do I have to remove the old paint before I put on the new?I have a 40 yr. old dresser. Its paint is ... A: No just a good sanding to smooth out any rough spots and give the new paint a surface to stick to. ...
refinishing a dresser	11/23/2006
Q: I have a 40 yr. old dresser. Its paint is cracked and flaking. I tried to remove it, but it is on ... A: Nice to hear from you. You cannot remove the paint on this 1965 dresser and have a nice wood piece ...
picture frame	11/13/2006
Q: I have a beautiful picture frame that is too bright of a gold. I would like to put some "age" on ... A: Nice to hear from you. Doing old frames is one of my favorite projects. You have the option of ...
Mirror floating on a white wall! Help!	9/30/2006
Q: Hope you are well. My apartment has a long wall, so I hung two things on it: a 42inch plasma TV ... A: This is a bit out of my line but I always like to give my opinion (for what it's worth LOL ) The ...
Restoring Vinyl Dinette Chairs	9/21/2006
Q: I have some vinyl dinette chairs I would like to repad and reupholster. I am handy and fearless. ... A: I love someone fearless and handy LOL. OK the job can be done by a handy fearless amatuer with the ...
table top	9/21/2006
Q: I would like to embed some objects as the top of a table. What clear liquid polycoat, laminate, etc ... A: Nice to hear from you. I was asked this question when I first joined Alexperts several years ago and ...
Refinish picture frames	8/30/2006
Q: I would like to refinish some older picture frames with the new black rubbed look. It usually has a ... A: Nice to hear from you. Your local craft store should carry all you require. This is a very ...
Any suggestions on what to hang with this picture	8/20/2006
Q: I found your site on the internet and hope you can help me. I live in a small colonial and my ... A: Nice to hear from you. LOL..the print looks like it was plopped in the middle of the wall because it ...
refinishing a chandelier	8/9/2006
Q: Also, I would like to be able to leave it in the ceiling while it is being refinished. thank you, ... A: Nice to hear from you. You can certainly spray paint the light with a spray can. I recently wanted a ...
Bedroom?	8/3/2006
Q: Im looking into changing my bedroom around it seems to be very small and i would like to modernize ... A: Nice to hear from you. They actually work wonders with small rooms on my favorite TV show called ...
Updating Ceramic Lamp Bases	7/12/2006
Q: Is it possible to "paint, re-do, whatever, older ceramic lamps to bring the color into the future? ... A: You are a girl after my own heart to even think of this. Most people would not. The answer is yes ...
Painting to get a laquered look	7/11/2006
Q: I would like to refinish a wooden side table to give it a shiny, lacquered look. What is the ... A: Nice to hear from you. What an interesting question. After giving this some thought, if I was doing ...
spoon rack	7/2/2006
Q: help! i am not sure if you can, but i hope so. i have an old spoon rack (wood). hold about 30 ... A: Nice to hear from you. I had this problem and finally gave my spoon rack to my daughter who solved ...
Substitute for craft paint no longer made	6/29/2006
Q: I am trying to add the finishing touches to the paint job on a pair of high end antique wicker ... A: Nice to hear from you. The Heavenly Hues craft paint is a transparent paint. You could try mixing ...
Working with a rental...	6/29/2006
Q: we are living in a rental house and I absolutely cannot stand the kitchen. Everything is "renters ... A: Nice to hear from you. I have my thinking cap on tight for this question LOL. If you cannot paint or ...
refinishing a wood-frame mirror	6/20/2006
Q: However, I'm still wondering about what's the best way to prepare the wood frame so I can repaint ... A: Sorry I gapped LOL All you need to do to the wood is a light sanding before painting. I would sand ...
refinishing a wood-frame mirror	6/17/2006
Q: I just bought a mirror/wood frame at a yard sale that I'd like to restore. It's a three-panel ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sorry for the delay in answering, but my internet was knocked out during a ...
painting a dresser	6/10/2006
Q: I have an old dresser I want to paint it in a two tone color where the darker color fades into the ... A: Sorry you found my answer less than adequate but I thought it was very polite, very prompt, very ...
Clear coat for painter furniture?	5/31/2006
Q: I spray painted the base of my breakfast table matte black to make it look like wrought iron. I now ... A: Nice to hear from you. Personally I would use the satin for the top if you do not want it too shiny. ...
Refinish Wood Dresser	5/22/2006
Q: I have a wood Bassette dresser that is approx. 35 yrs old. The drawers are in great shape and ... A: Nice to hear from you. Clean the dresser with mineral spirits. Use a fine steel wool pad as a ...
refinishing French Provincial	5/2/2006
Q: I am probably going to receive a French Provincial bedroom set from the sixties or so. I think that ... A: I will call you a lady after my own heart LOL. I would certainly be thinking like you and what I ...
Decor around and outdoor spa	4/13/2006
Q: I am having a new Hot Tub delivered in a few weeks. It will be outside on a cement patio. I would ... A: Nice to hear from you. This sounds like a great project and one that you can do. First off, if you ...
soap dish	1/7/2006
Q: I was bidding on a soap dish on ebay. Sadly, I lost the bid. The seller knew nothing about the ... A: Nice to hear from you. While I am not an expert (of any kind LOL) on glass, I certainly see my share ...
updating a large mirror frame	11/12/2005
Q: Eileen. I bought a large wall mirror for a fantastic price. The frame is in excellent condition. It ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a great project this will be. Go to the craft store and get a nice ...
crackling and antiquing	10/17/2005
Q: I'm not sure if you can help me or not but I'm hoping so! My grandfather made a Potato Bin for me ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a neat project. If you think the antique liquid you have may be too ...
Challenging Decoration Idea	9/21/2005
Q: I am a sculptor who happens not to have a real studio. All I have is one third of my three-car ... A: Nice to hear from you. What a wonderful question this is. I must say your ideas far outshine any I ...
one stroke furniture painting	3/25/2005
Q: I am hoping you can help me. I just bought a white kidkraft table that I would love to paint one ... A: This sounds like a great project. Yes you could go ahead and paint on the surface as is, but ...
Kind of a far out question for you	2/23/2005
Q: I moved into a new home that needs everything. One room I have 2 black lights for, but I'm have NO ... A: Nice to hear from you. As a former "flower child"..LOL...I remember black lights, so this is not a ...
plaster bowl	11/24/2004
Q: I paid 250 dollars for the set and the bowl got cracked on the trip .two pieces of the rim broke off ... A: Sorry this has happened. The PL400 would not be suitable in this case...its a rather thick ...
Refinishing Furniture	10/15/2004
Q: Good morning Eileen......... My wife and I are downsizing our living arrangements. We are moving ... A: Nice to hear from you. First off, you probably will guess that I would advise against painting these ...
Western Decoration & Furniture	9/28/2004
Q: I am trying to remember the name of an artist/designer/decorator specializing in Western decor -- ... A: Oops..I hit the wrong button on your first reply, so ignore it. I am referring you to a message ...
Hello, my name is Dru Wagner....	9/22/2004
Q: my name is Dru Wagner. I'm a junior at Ball State University and I am writing an article about ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is a very interesting question. In my case, the only way I seek to ...
Painting matt boards	9/4/2004
Q: Should I use spray paint or brush on paint to change the color of old matt boards? A: Nice to hear from you. I will use either paint Barb, but I find with brushing it on, you must give 2 ...
How to make Chandelier	8/16/2004
Q: We are decorating our house on a budget. We have a light bulb in the ceiling that is exposed without ... A: Nice to hear from you. Without installing a new fixture, it will be impossible to do much with an ...
Retro/diner chair recovering	6/28/2004
Q: I just bought some old retro diner chairs and I need to replace the vinyl on the back adn the seat. ... A: Nice to hear from you. You will have to do some looking and phoning to get the color you desire, but ...
Plaster Picture Frames	6/10/2004
Q: i have recently purchased a shop, in the back room are several boxes of 2m lengths by approx 4inch ... A: Nice to hear from you. This type of material is costly to buy. You should not have difficulty ...
Finishing wall sconces	5/27/2004
Q: I have 2 wall sconces with crystals, but the finish is a bright gold. I would like a finish on ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is a job you can do yourself Evelyne with very little cost. I have done ...
paints.......	5/27/2004
Q: I want to know what is a FACADE paint. From what i understand is a paint for exterior use but i want ... A: Heres what I found out for you about facade paint. Hope this helps you. Regards Eileen Product ...
Wall Hanging Decisions	5/24/2004
Q: My wife and I have been procrastinating for some time now in hanging all our framed pictures, ... A: Sorry for the delay in replying, but the Experts site has been down. I am well aware of the problem ...
Refinish of wood frame	5/3/2004
Q: I was searching the web for the proper technique to refinish a large frame when I ran across your ... A: Nice to hear from you. First off, you must prep the surface so the new paint will stick. You are ...
refinishing furniture	5/2/2004
Q: I am planning to refinish an old mahogany cabinet with either a faux or crackle finish. My next ... A: Nice to hear from you. The very best way to learn these techniques is with instructional videos. If ...
wood white spots	4/24/2004
Q: I have an natural finish oak table that was made by Amish. I am supposed to use only a beeswax ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sorry this has happened to your table, but its quite common. First try a soft ...
painting	4/12/2004
Q: I wanted to ask you what color do you recomendme to paint a house of poor people in Barquisimeto ... A: Nice to hear from you. I guess you chose a good color when you painted the door frames and doors ...
removing gold leaf from glass	3/13/2004
Q: I am trying to remove mirror and some gold leaf paint from some glass cabinet doors. the mirror ... A: After a little searching I found only 2 ways that you can remove gold leaf. First is the chemical ...
removing gold leaf from glass	3/13/2004
Q: I am trying to remove mirror and some gold leaf paint from some glass cabinet doors. the mirror ... A: Nice to hear from you. Sounds like the only thing you have not tried is paint stripper. You can ...
repair plaster on old frame	3/8/2004
Q: -------------------------i HAVE BEEN TO HOBBY lOBBY AND mICHEALS THEY BOTH HAD NO IDEA WHAT i NEEDED ... A: I am surprised to hear this. Perhaps if you tell them it is the same type of molding compound that ...
wrought iron furniture	3/7/2004
Q: I have 3 pieces of wrought iron furniture that my mother in law gave me many years ago that are in ... A: So nice to hear from you. Your wrought iron furniture should serve you very well for many years with ...
paint sheens	9/1/2003
Q: I painted my old wood kitchen cabinets with high-gloss cabinet and shutter paint about a year ago. ... A: Nice to hear from you. You must prep this surface or the paint will not stick. I have an easy mess ...
repair of outdoor plaster	8/17/2003
Q: I don't know if this comes under your area of expertise, no problem if not. But on the chance you ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is a bit out of my line, but I have repaired these plaster or sometimes ...
my poster	8/16/2003
Q: i don't know if you can help me, but i don't know where else to go. i found an old poster that my ... A: What an interesting question this is. I once had an old poster that was wrinkled like this, and I ...
refinishing bedroom set	5/21/2003
Q: Our bedroom set is about 40 years old. Solid wood, perhaps walnut or maple. I would like to refinish ... A: Nice to hear from you. This sounds like it will be a fun project. The first place to start is your ...
Plaster picture frame	1/14/2003
Q: I have an old picture frame that is plaster over wood. It has a few decorations missing and some ... A: So nice to hear from you. I have repaired many of these wonderful old frames with good results. ...
Mat board and framing old pictures	11/26/2002
Q: Eileen, First of all my wife and I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! Secondly, I want ... A: A very Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Also my thanks for the great ratings you gave me. Once again I ...
Kids room	11/20/2002
Q: I would like to redo my daughters room. She's 12 almost 13 and her room is kindof a hodge podge of ... A: Nice to hear from you. My Grandaughter will also be 13 on her next birthday, and her Mom and I ...
window dressing	10/17/2002
Q: I have just moved into an older ranch-style home with unusual sized windows. They are 26"highX44" ... A: Nice to hear from you. While you are right that this is not my area, I will be happy to give you my ...
Leather Sofas	3/25/2002
Q: Greetings! What make, brand, or source is the best value for leather sofas? On the internet I've ... A: Nice to hear from you. I agree with you 100% that the prices of sofas is greatly inflated. For me to ...
baseboards/moulding?	3/16/2002
Q: This may not be your exact area of expertise, but you the closest I see! I have painted my living ... A: Boy, it sounds like your having fun. This in my opinion is what you should be able to do with your ...
Refinishing	2/21/2002
Q: I inherited my great grandparent's bedroom suite. It is solid mahogany, and is in usable shape. I'd ... A: Nice to hear from you. This sounds like you have a treasure here. How lucky you are. Mahogany has ...
Draperies	2/18/2002
Q: I am in a new home and have used the wall sconces with holes in them to loop material through for ... A: Nice to hear from you. While this is a little out of my area, I can certainly tell you what I think ...
murals	1/4/2002
Q: I am looking for some do it yourself murals or very large stencils to do some decorating in our ... A: Nice to hear from you. This is certainly an interesting sounding project. The only place I have seen ...
Refinishing Wood Frame... Gold Leafing.	12/2/2001
Q: First off, I would like to say what a great service you provide. Now comes my problem. I am going to ... A: Nice to hear from you. I'm glad you wrote me before you went too far with this project. My first ...
ceramic tile	11/4/2001
Q: Do you know anything about painting ceramic tile on the floor? I am looking to find answers about ... A: This can be done as I did see Christopher Lowell do it on the show "Interior Motives". He simply ...
lamps	10/28/2001
Q: I have this beautiful old lamp. I would like to put a shade on it but there is no shade holder ... A: I love these old lamps too. It is very simple to get replacement parts for these lamps. The part you ...
Painting on Formica	9/19/2001
Q: I have some old white Formica baby furniture that I'd like to paint a bright color (now that the ... A: Nice to hear from You. Its a great idea to paint your furniture. My theory is if this extends its ...
nostalgic pictures/advertising	8/7/2001
Q: I'm hoping you can help me, or at least point me in the right direction. I'm looking for ... A: Nice to hear from You. These old advertising posters and signs are something I too am interested in. ...
removing colour from couch fabric.	6/28/2001
Q: I would appreciate your advice on how I can remove an orange colour from my couch. The tweed ... A: Well We can't have you going mad, so we'll have to come up with some help. It seems that you have ...
picture hanging	6/26/2001
Q: Have an older home with picture hanging molding. Bought some brass picture hanging brackets at the ... A: I was not totally familiar with these brackets so a little searching was in order. I visited several ...
painting outdoor furniture	5/8/2001
Q: what type of paint would I paint the plastic straps on outdoor furniture A: . I think a good exterior oil or water based would be ok. I have one concern with painting them ...

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