Rose Bud Interiors

Makeover Thursday!
It seems like cedar chests show up at the workshop this time of year in particular. This one had been languishing in the basement waiting for some TLC.
Presto chango it went from a worn out relic to a beautiful and functional entrance bench. A custom bench cushion will complete the final look. But look at the beautiful wood grain on the top!

Makeover Thursday!
I found this console table next to a dumpster waiting to go to a landfill. It had damage on the top but otherwise in good condition.
One of my customers was looking for a table like this so I brought it back to the workshop. After cleaning and sanding, I stained the table a deep maroon color to coordinate with a rosewood table I refinished for him. The top couldn’t be salvaged so I painted and stained it for a faux wood grain finish. It looks so good now! Recycle, reuse, reimagine to help save the planet

Happy Thursday!
Just returned from Italy and saw some beautiful inlayed furniture in Sorrento, along the Amalfi coast. The craftsmanship is stunning. Wish I could fit one of these into my suitcase.

Makeover Thursday!
I’m on vacation getting inspired in Italy for 10 days. Sometimes Rose Bud Interiors doesn’t need sandpaper and varnish or paint. My customer had an office chair that had upholstery damage. She wanted a low maintenance fabric with more padding to update it. I added 2 inch high density padding, batting and a tight weave poly fabric so she could use it for her new job. 2 days was all it took.

Makeover Thursday!
Another Mid-Century Modern makeover. A garage sale find came into the shop in sad, damaged and unstable condition. The beauty of this piece is that it could easily be deconstructed for restoration. Sanding and steaming out the scratches was the next task. It required re-gluing loose veneer and patching in a small piece of veneer to repair a missing chip on one edge. The metal brackets that hold the legs to the top were polished to remove imperfections and surface dirt. To complete the restoration, no stain was needed on the beautifully matched walnut. Three to four coats of oil varnish provide a durable surface for everyday use. Gorgeous!

Makeover Thursday!
I was so anxious to get to these Lane Rhythm walnut end tables that I forgot to take before pictures. The overall condition was good but they were dirty from storage and the top finish was worn from use.
A good cleaning started the project off. Next removing and refinishing the walnut tops in natural brings the wood grain back to life. Like many Mid-Century Modern designs, the frames are not made of walnut. After carefully sanding the frames and masking off the walnut inlays, tinted top coat was sprayed on until the wood tones were compatible.
These are ready for a new home! Look at Atomic Antiques booth 66 for these and more fantastic finds. https://www.facebook.com/AtomicofMadison?mibextid=LQQJ4d

SOLD
Rosewood colored console table with two drawers and open shelf. Measures 16”x48” with high gloss finish. $225

I’m selling some in stock MCM pieces as I focus on doing only custom work. If you are interested please contact me!
Ceramic lava glaze lamp with newer shade and repainted base. Works and no chips or cracks. Believed to be Haeger Pottery. $125
Laminated step table with a bleached wood grain look. Minor wear along edges consistent with age. Solid wood construction. $40 SOLD

Makeover Thursday!
Lots of natural wood tables have been visiting the Rose Bud workshop lately. In addition to refinishing tables, I re-upholstered chair seats and repaired loose chair joints.
This coffee table had been in the family for 3 generations and needed some TLC after being in storage. Prior damage was disguised with tinted finishes and worn carved details highlighted with fresh stain. A warm walnut finish completed the restoration work and made the old yellow wood tone go away.

Makeover Thursday!
Dining room tables take lots of abuse, especially if they are used for daily family meals. Over time they need to be refinished to maintain their appearance and prevent further damage.
This table had been refinished before but the new finish didn’t match the leaves, an edge had been sanded through the veneer to expose the base wood, and had a sticky surface. When having a table refinished be sure the work person has the leaves and/or legs to correctly match the color and sheen. A properly applied finish should not get sticky.
After a week at Rose Bud Interior the again refinished table top more closely matches the original finish on the leaves. Oil stain and varnish followed by multiple coats of tinted water based top coats built up the color for a close match to the leaves and minimized the edge cosmetic damage. As requested, the table now has an extra durable finish. I recommend my customers use a damp dishcloth with a little soap to clean furniture I have done. Protect surfaces from rough, hot and wet dishware to prevent damage. Spray wax is not needed for modern finishes.
Once a wood finish starts to fail (gray appearance of unfinished wood in areas, deep scratches in the finish, and bumpy raised areas of wood swelling) it is important to get wood surfaces repaired and refinished before more damage occurs.

Makeover Thursday!
Paint is the great equalizer. When making over a bedroom don’t overlook the furniture you have and inexpensive garage sale options. The mismatched pieces can often be given a new style or refinished to meet your vision.
I have been refinishing pieces over time for a long time customer in a French provincial style. She is building a beautiful cohesive guest room that has become her little sanctuary.
Ooh La La Tres chic

Makeover Thursday!
Don’t let dog damage force you to discard otherwise good furniture. My customer was unsure what to do after her dog did significant cosmetic damage to her Pottery Barn buffet. It is matched by a dining table that also needed a refresh due to a worn top.
The plan was to patch the damage and restyle both pieces before the family moved.
1-Black paint on the legs of both pieces and skirt of the table
2-An opaque black stain on the rest of the buffet base eliminated the red color of the original design
3- Stripping the tops of both pieces gave me the opportunity to apply a gray stain that showcased the beautiful wood grain.
Five applications of top coat will ensure a long lasting and durable surface that is even better than the original Pottery Barn finish. Ready for the next chapter of the empty nester couple.

Makeover Thursday!
A pair of MCM step tables made their way to the workshop on the way to Atomic Vintage. A good cleaning, striping the failing varnish, sanding out some of the damage and refinishing brought the luster back without obliterating the vintage appeal. In 2 weeks the vendor reported they were SOLD.

Loyal followers,
You may have noticed I have not posted Makeover Thursday for quite a while. Be assured I am still busy in the workshop making furniture beautiful again. Meta updated the software so things are more challenging. I’m working on learning what I have to do and will be posting inspirational photos and stories soon! You can always reach me at
[email protected]

Makeover Thursday!
If you are like a lot of my clients, you might have an old quirky chair that could use some love instead of tossing it. At Rose Bud Interiors we are all about repairing, refinishing and upholstering old wooden chairs and rockers.
This Victorian piece appears to be hand crafted but had been refurbished before in not a good way.
It needed to be re-webbed, foam to replace the missing springs, and a missing back panel re-created.
It was a lot of work but look at her now! Five coats of sprayed tinted polyurethane finish evened out the wood tones. The resulting finish is buttery smooth to the touch and incredibly durable. New upholstery with vintage tacks completed the look. So handsome!

Makeover Thursday!
Resale shops have so many fabulous opportunities to get one of a kind furniture pieces you might not ever see in retail stores. They often need a little “love” to recognize their full potential.

A customer contacted me to ask my advice regarding dining set with 8 chairs he was considering buying at Habitat Restore. The table top finish was damaged, and he also wanted new chair seat upholstery to go with his modern clean interior design.

After doing some research, I determined that the set was made of rosewood, a very expensive and desirable wood. We agreed to just refinish the top of the table and leaves, leaving the rest of the set with the original finish. I used a red stain and tinted varnish that would enhance the beautiful grain of the rosewood and coordinate with the table base and chairs. New blue upholstery, that is durable enough to withstand potential damage from his cat, completed the upgraded look.

The end result is a fabulous rosewood table and chairs with a durable table top refinish and upholstered seats to enjoy for many years with new friends. All within a graduate student’s budget. He couldn’t be more happy with the end result.

Home Makeover Thursday!
I thought you might enjoy some different makeover pictures this week. We have lived in our midcentury house for 10 years now and it was time to do some refresh updates. The main bathroom had initially received all new tile, lighting and paint when we did the first round of remodeling. This year my husband was ready to let go of the beige/brown tub and sinks. Rather than a full gut remodel, we contracted to replace the tub with a walk in shower and ditched the sinks for white ones and updated the faucets. A fresh coat of white paint on the walls and dark chocolate paint on the vanity gave it a fresh look. Finishing touches were framing the original mirror and some decor items in wood tones, give it a polished but masculine feel.

Makeover Thursday!
With a little bit of creativity you can have a beautifully coordinated and functional dining area in your home. This customer had purchased a second hand table that had only three chairs and a white kitchen cabinet base without a top as a starting point.
She contacted Rose Bud Interiors for help pulling it all together. Her vision was a dark table top and white chairs with a bench. Working with a butcher block countertop we fabricated a custom bench and countertop. All were stained and sealed with a finish that matched her refinished table top. Bright white paint on the chairs, table legs and bench base completed the new look at a price that didn’t bust the bank.

Makeover Thursday!
The weather has been so much warmer lately that I’ve been busy in the workshop.
This coffee table was made by my customers’s father from an old desk many years ago. Unfortunately the owner’s children put stickers on the top and damaged the finish. She asked Rose Bud Interiors to refinish the top and return it to a place of honor in her home.
The top still retains the scars and marks of age but now sports a fresh new look. The old bumpy finish was been removed and the raw wood stained to match the existing sides. Three coats of poly acrylic will protect the top for future generations.

It is almost 2024 and the start of a new year along with new opportunities. We will resume taking orders for new work so please contact me with pictures of your project to get on the 2024 schedule. Due to limited space in the winter, I am not doing dining sets until it gets warmer but I am happy to give you a quote for planning.
I am doing limited amounts furniture for Marketplace resale but I have stock in storage. If you need some unique chairs, solid wood bed frames for a guest room or growing child, mirrors, or a table I might have what you need for the price of custom refinishing.
But most of all, I am so grateful for your support of my small business. You have given me purpose after the death of my beloved son, retirement following a long career as a physical therapist and through the Covid pandemic. So I wish all of you a very happy and purposeful 2024. Please share my site with your friends so they can enjoy Makeover Thursdays! Here are a few pictures of some my favorite “afters” mixed in with Rosie having a good time.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday.
Thank you for your support of Rose Bud Interiors. I love bringing your furniture back to life.

Beth and Rose Bud

Makeover Thursday!
Midcentury Heywood Wakefield furniture is highly collectible. If it needs to be refinished, like these chairs, a special stain and top coat is needed to preserve the distinctive milky look and value of the piece. These four dining chairs were originally finished in the less familiar, and more expensive, Topaz shade.
In the workshop the chairs were sanded back to raw wood preserving the 45 degree beveled details and curved back design. A custom HW stain and four restoration top coats matched the original shade perfectly. Updated upholstery over comfy new padding completes the look. Good for another 50 years. Next refinish the dining table!

Makeover Thursday!
A neighbor brought me a quarter sawn oak rocker that time and a cat were not kind to. She liked the original look and wanted to duplicate it. First strip the upholstery down to the frame for cleaning and inspection.
A light refinish to the frame, repairs to a loose joint and additional webbing gave the rocker a solid foundation. New padding, fabric and reused tacks brought it back to life. Less tacks gave it a more modern appearance while respecting the history. She was so happy with the outcome that another vintage chair will get a similar look.
Keep on rocking!

Makeover Thursday!
Bistro chairs like these are all the rage in Europe outside cafes. A customer had two such chairs on her porch that were ready for a refresh. After a visit to Rose Bud Interiors they are chic again! Five coats of weather resistant varnish and black enamel will ensure longevity.