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How To Restore Old Wood In Minutes Using One Product
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by
Living in a Fixer Upper
(IC: blogger)
A few months ago my hubby and I bought out first home, a circa 1900 American Foursquare we are currently restoring back to its original charm. One room that needs only a little work and that we loved at first sight was the pantry.
With its floor to ceiling wood cabinets and original window (because you needed natural light before electricity), it's a lovely nook.
Not to mention the beautiful cast iron original fixtures!
As with most of the house though, the piece needed some TLC. The former owners had laid down sticky plastic shelf liners over the raw wood. What I uncovered after pulling them up was this amazing 100+ year old heartwood pine boards. However, even after dusting and wiping them down, the wood looked dull and tired.
When you open a new bottle, push a pin through the seal that's under the lid - this will help you pour out only what you need onto your rag and save you from any spills.
Think it's just a trick of the lighting?
See how much the wood grain just pops and the healthy color it gave back to the wood?
Another comparison of the drawers below with and without the lemon oil:
It's been a little over 2 months now and the wood still shines and looks just as healthy and has a light lemon smell. Lemon oil is extremely slow to evaporate, so it should be quite awhile before the wood should need another treatment.
Enjoyed the project?
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published December 15th, 2015 12:38 PM
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Jewellmartin on Jun 07, 2017
I thought I had a pantry, but mine is just a broom closet compared to this one. I love the way the lemon oil made the shelves look. But the hardware is so solid looking that I would like to learn more. Gorgeous job on the pantry.
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Living in a Fixer Upper on Jun 07, 2017
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I haven't thought about lemon oil for years, but I used to keep it around all the time. And I love the difference it made in your pantry drawers and shelves. Question: You said you would not use lemon oil on antique wood furniture (or on wood with a sealer.) How much older are your antiques than 100 year old heartwood pine? Although, a pantry may not count as furniture, but your pantry is so beautiful. Best wishes😇
How do I get old paneling to look new again with out painting it