Magically Making Molding Magnifique
(Please ignore distorted colors.) Almost all the trim in the Cross House retains its original 1894 faux wood finish. And most of this, luckily, looks pretty good (once the many layers of old shellac are removed). But the base molding looks kinda grim. Then an idea popped into my head. What if I…
…put a coat of amber-colored shellac over it? The results? ZOUNDS!
I cannot ever recall a more Presto! improvement. One coat, which dried very quickly, and I was done.
The base looks fabulous! I am so excited!
Tonight, when I go to bed, I think I will use some amber shellac as a face moisturizer…
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Aren’t you concerned that it will be–ah–tacky?
The base molding looks fabulous!
And I’m sure you’ll look just as fabulous when you’re shellacked. Or maybe well-preserved.
wow! fantabulous!
Darling….Shellac might be a bit much, but have you considered food grade flax seed oil? Seriously. Personally, I use olive oil, but if you’re going for that fine grained look…flax seed oil is the way to go!
Much better. Very pretty!
Looks lovely! Rejuvenated! Also you will be a new man with your age-defying moisturizer!
You’ve mentioned previously that various rooms have different faux wood grain treatments on the trim. When I saw it up close, the Cross House parlor trim really struck a note with me, but I could not think of the wood species that it reminded me of. Later I realized that it struck me as butternut (aka white walnut), a wood not so commonly recognized today, but I’ve seen used on antique furniture and it is quite distinctive in terms of color and grain, which is much more subtle than most wood grain patterns of other species.
Impressive!
I use clear polyurethane every night. I’m pale, but I shed water like nobody’s business…
Love this too! clever.
Looking great so far Ross.
My concern is that you may awake looking a tad Oompah Loompah-ish ? Hopefully not, but in case you do, a few hours exfoliation with fine grade wire wool, and you’ll be fine. To think people pay for tanning bed treatment and facelifts when the answer lay in shellac or varnish!
haha! yes! Beauty tips for the home and body by Ross!
Shellac is a beautiful thing. It comes in various tints from almost clear to very dark. You can refresh a shellaced item (and sometimes remove a “ring”) by going over it with alcohol. If that isn’t enough, you can add layers of shellac, one thin coat at a time.
I bought a lovely sewing table with a lovely wooden parquet top that had seen a lot better days. I cleaned it with alcohol, then I proceeded to spend several days putting a few layers of shellac on every day. And every day it looked better and better.
The best thing about shellac? It’s food safe. So perfect for a dining room table. BTW I never used a brush. I made a pouncer with an old clean t-shirt and I used that to rub sections. I also bought shellac flakes and mixed them with alcohol to make my own shellac.
Shellac was definitely the way-to-go for your baseboard. Haven’t gone through you whole blog but you are so lucky so much original woodwork was left unbastardized and that you have so many original pieces.