A Simple Way to Revitalize a Wood Finish

 

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ou've seen the two doors we added during our master bedroom makeover. Well, they both received a little TLC before they took up residence in the cottage. Here's a quick little tutorial on how to add a little pep to a slightly tired but fabulous piece.

BEFORE

Here are the doors after they just arrived home...

You can see that the doors had some fabulous patina. And I love patina! I don't mind scratches and other forms of character that age and wear bring to a piece.

These doors would have been good as is, but why settle for good when great is within reach? I thought I would take a few easy steps to put a bit of zip back into these doors. I simply wanted to respect the history and character of the piece while adding some richness to the finish.

ADDING THE ZIP

I started with a scraper and gently scraped off old scotch tape and other remnants of college teaching days. After a light sand over the entire piece, I pulled out the tung oil, which is designed to add some richness and vitality to wood. I used that foam brush to wipe it onto the entire side of one of the doors. I then used a rag to wipe off any excess. After giving it a while to dry, I flipped the door and did the other side. I repeated the steps with the second door. Compare the sheen on the door below to the photos above. Big difference!

 

ADDING THE HARDWARE

Above is a close-up of the brass "Ship's Nurse" plaque that we mounted on the door to the master bath. For the flat track trolleys, we lined them up on the door and pre-drilled holes. We found screws that had a rustic patina (shiny new screws would not have looked right!) and that were the proper length (always check the length of your screws so that you don't go through the other side!).

Here is one that has been fully attached. Notice how the channels in the flathead screws are all horizontal and parallel to each other. That's an eye for detail! (Nice job, honey!)

ADDING THEM TO THE ROOM

Here they are again...revitalized and moved into their new home at WhisperWood Cottage...

 

For the full master bedroom barn-style door transformations, check out the posts on door #1 and door #2.

Do you have any simple tips or tricks for revitalizing a piece? What products do you recommend?