The Midas Touch...

Upcycling doesn't always have to be about clothes. I really enjoy overhauling old bits of furniture picked up because it is somehow not deemed sexy enough to be pricey. I have a chair bought off TradeMe (NZ's eBay alternative) that is super pretty but was painted by some dumb ass, thus reducing its value considerably, as stripping it back would be an excruciating process.
This is where Rub'n'Buff comes in. Rub'n'Buff is a permanent paint that is a bit like shoe polish for solid surfaces like wood. It comes in a little tube, has the consistency of toothpaste,and you just squeeze it out and rub it in with a cloth. Then you buff it, it gets shinier, and it dries like paint, no rubbing off. Hence the name! And it means that instead of stripping the chair back, I can apply the gold to the bad paint job and transform it.

Here's my pretty chair. With ugly brown paint and ugly weird upholstery. I've left this on for now, to protect what is underneath from the Rub'n'Buff.

Here's one leg done and one leg to go. It is so easy, just squeeze some of the creamy stuff onto an old cloth, and rub it on. I feel like Midas!

Here's the back all done - showing how it has a nice old looking patina and leaving the grooves in the design still dark. I like that.

Stage one complete!

 The whole chair only took one little bitty tube. The one on the right, in case you were wondering! The colour I used is European Gold.

Midas' rubber gloves and cloth in the aftermath.

Next step - a jolly good buffing to bring up the shine, and a reupholstering. This chair is not for us so I shall consult with the intended owner on fabric.

How easy is this! I've got my eye on some lampshades and other bits and pieces, with the other tube. I've also got my eye on the composite gold leaf in the shop. This gilding business is quite addictive...

This is also about trying out the products we sell. I remember Rub'n'Buff from the 1970s so it is not a new discovery, but nothing has replaced it in simplicity, affordability and effectiveness. Yes, I am a fan!