Look What was Underneath!

Carey was looking for an old trunk to use as a coffee table - with the emphasis on "old." We found a trunk that at Whetstone Antiques' Barn sale that was the right size and had some interesting design elements.

But . . . .

Someone had painted it shiny black, silver and gold!

[Side note: I find it rather humorous - one generation says, "look at this old piece, I can paint it to freshen it up." The next generation says, "Why would anyone paint over such a great old piece! I could strip it to reveal the natural patina!" Next generation - "Paint it!" Next generation - "Strip it and stain it!" These poor old pieces never know what they'll be wearing! I've lived long enough to try it all!]

Definitely not the look she was going for. She wanted to see the original wood, and hoped for an older, "well-used patina" on the trunk and metal-work. The price was right, so we decided to take it home and see what was underneath . . .

We started with this:

I brushed on a coat of CitriStrip Stripping Gel and waited a half- hour. I like CitriStrip cause it does not have harsh fumes. Then I used a plastic scraper to remove the residue, followed by a little elbow grease with steel wool & mineral spirits. (Took about 45 minutes) This is what was revealed:

I took it over to see what she thought - Should I rub in a little yellow ochre? A little olive green? Should we protect it a bit with some wax, oil, or satin varnish? 

She was pleased with it so far, and decided to live with it awhile before doing anything else with it. Here is in its new home.