4 Safe Green Ways to Refinish Reclaimed Furniture
by Ginny Figlar Colón | June 8th, 2009 | Comments (7)
topic: Eco Decorating, Green Living | tags: BioShield wood stains, citra-solv, citrus solvent, eco-decorating tips, furniture stains and finishes, milk paint, recycled and reclaimed furniture, SOYGel
Carbon-neutral consumption at its best!
Wood is a renewable resource, especially when it comes from responsibly managed forests. And there’s another way to help the planet when purchasing wood furniture — one that can also help your budget: buying used!
If you think about it, flea markets are green markets, and I can’t help but get that pat-myself-on-the-back feeling of satisfaction when I give a piece of furniture a second chance at life.
I had one of these flea market shopping highs a few weeks ago, when I found a solid wood cabinet that would work perfectly as a TV stand. (We had been hunting for a toddler-proof one for months!) It’s not going to win any design awards, but it has a classic look that makes it easy to match our other furniture, plus a phenomenal price tag: $40. Much cheaper than anything I was looking at new, and with a lot more character. All it needed was a few hours of elbow grease and some white paint.
With garage sale season now in full swing, here’s how to take wood furniture from trash to treasure while stepping lightly on the planet.
- Strip it down to the wood the non-toxic way. With soybeans?! Yup. SOYGel removes paints, urethanes and enamels and it appears to really work. Better than sanding since no hazardous airborne particles are released.
- Remove stickers and other adhesives with a natural alternative to paint thinner. Citrus Solvent is an eco-friendly, health-friendly alternative to paint thinner, turpentine and mineral spirits.
- Enhance the antique look with organic milk paint. Milk paint is completely biodegradable and is as safe to drink as whole milk (but probably won’t make a very yummy latte). Since it was the paint of choice in Colonial America, it gives a more authentic look to older pieces of furniture.
- Stain wooden furniture without releasing VOCs. Conventional wood stains release about 500 grams per liter of volatile organic compounds. BioShield wood stains come in 8 finishes and are solvent-free and VOC-free. White stain is very popular here in Scandinavia, so it’s good to know there’s an eco-safe way to get the look.
Flea market finds are an open invitation to be creative, so have fun shopping!
Related Links
Buying Guide to Nontoxic Paint + DIY Milk Paint Recipe
Get Your Home Mojo Working: Tips & Inspiration to Use Bold Color
Eco-Decor and Design articles, blogs and videos on Gaiam Life
Great info! I love finding pieces I can re-finish! Someone’s trash, my treasure! :)
Buying a second hand furniture could help you save a lot. Practically, we do not have to use expensive products just to say we have one. It is not the price that counts but the use of it. There are many ideas how you could enhance those second products you have bought. Just think wisely., you could definitely help save the earth.
I just saved your post for when I get another piece of furniture. Thanks for the ecofriendly supplies! I didn’t know about most of them.
[...] Milk paint and whitewash are free of VOCs, biocides and fungicides, and both allow the material being painted to breathe, reducing the growth of mold and mildew. Milk paint is made with milk protein casein and lime; whitewash is made with lime and water (and sometimes casein). Natural earth pigments are used for coloring, as they are in natural plaster. [...]
Hotel X, owned by, La Bergère, announced back in April that they’re looking to buy used furniture from consumer to be used as part of the interior design scheme. Can you imagine how much the hotel will save on refurnishing the building? There are lots of ways to work on used furniture, and restoring it to a like-new state.
Nicolette
http://www.furnitureanddesignideas.com
This is such a great article. I never realized that stains released VOC’s. Thanks for the education.
Thanks for the info! I recently got some pieces from someone’s ‘trash’. I can now start refinishing them!