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The Globe Stand’s New Life

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This post is in collaboration with Mohawk.

Our little globe, er, plant stand is looking much nicer these days! What started as a $5 thrifty find at a yard sale turned out to be a pretty spectacular Jens Risom illuminated globe stand – sans globe. (Womp.) When we picked it up, we assumed it was a plant stand, and although a bit of research proved us wrong, we stuck with it.

To start, we needed a planter that was large enough to fill the stand without looking too teeny. It would allow for something up to 18″, and we weren’t surprised to find that options in this size were upwards of $200 or (way) more. The hope was to find a simple round planter with a diameter of 18″ from top to bottom, but wouldn’t you know, that added to the cost!

After a bit of digging, we found these round planters at Restoration Hardware with a measurement of 18″ x 18″. Although it wasn’t a perfect cylinder, it was the closest we could find, and with a final sale price of $50, we went for it! It came in two colors, slate and limestone (ours). While the slate was gorgeous, the same size in that shade was almost three times the cost, so we said, eh, big deal – we’ll just paint it any color we want! (It looks like this size has since gone up in price.)

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But first, we wondered, how would it look if it was just a bit shorter? It’s sort of top heavy, don’t you think? We picked up a blade made for cutting concrete for our angle grinder, and after I used a pencil to mark the new height, it took Scott less than ten minutes to zip off the top. Using a file, he quickly took off any sharp edges, too:

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Later that night, I gave our newly sized pot two coats of Ben Moore’s Morristown Cream (a super soft pink), leftover from our Varde makeover. If anything, this further proves that we like things how we like them (read: type A much?), and it’s never out of the question to make those few modifications to make our hearts sing. I promise you this: It’ll always be worth it to get it just right.

Next, the stand was in need of a refresh, and this time, we gave a few new products to try from Mohawk. The team behind the name had reached out to us earlier this year, letting us know that they were a strong contender in the wood refinishing market, and would you like to give it a try? We sent them a photo of our stand, and they told us we’d be happy using their Wax Wash Remover (to rid the grime) and Scratch Off (to darken, protect and finish in one!). We were surprised that their how-to was so incredibly simple, one step easier than our typical wood refreshing methods, as it takes the sanding step away completely! Side note: These products will be reaching their store soon, and you can see their other products right here.

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Using a piece of #4/0 steel wool, I went over the entire surface with the Wash Wax – a prep step that would remove any lingering dirt and oils. Because the stand was covered in gunk, I did this a few times. Afterwards, the wood took on a slightly haze look, but any remaining sheen disappeared. It’s a strong solvent, so being outdoors or near a window helps, and a pair of gloves will keep your hands clean!

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I followed up with the Scratch Off made for dark finishes, using a clean piece of #4/0 steel wool. The Scratch Off had the consistency of a thick stain – a small amount goes a very long way! – and it penetrated the wood quickly while eliminating scratches and dents. On the left, the wood has been Wax Washed, and on the right, the wood has one application of Scratch Off:

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The initial coat soaked in quickly, so I applied one more to darken the finish further. Finally, I buffed the stand with a clean, soft cloth, and I was done! The entire refreshing process took a whole fifteen minutes out of my day, and I was super impressed with how well it worked. (I started eyeing my big vintage desk, but I’ll save that excitement for another day! No, really.)

To keep things a bit more lightweight – the stand wasn’t meant to hold a ton of weight, after all – I filled the bottom third of our planter with packing peanuts, and I potted a couple of rubber plants in soil as usual. She’s so pretty! The studio is turning into quite the little jungle!

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Well played, Mohawk. A heavyweight champion for sure!

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Mohawk, and these opinions are our own. Wax Wash and Scratch Off will hit their online store soon, and in the meantime, you can shop right here. Thank you, as always, for supporting those that so graciously support us.

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  • jenn aka the picky girl8.20.15 - 11:14 AM

    It turned out beautifully!ReplyCancel

  • Heather8.20.15 - 11:21 AM

    I dig it! We have an old, metal stool that we want to use as a plant stand, we’re just waiting for the right spot. We’re also hoarding a leggy plant stand that we think will end up being a sweet side table. So three cheers for making anything into a plant stand and a plant stand into anything else :)ReplyCancel

  • KM8.20.15 - 11:58 AM

    This looks beautiful! I’m having trouble visualizing your addition of the packing peanuts – are they directly below the soil (any problem with them getting wet and crumbling)? This is a great idea to lighten the load, as you said!ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.20.15 - 12:06 PM

      Yup, they take about the bottom 1/4 or 1/3 of the pot. This was recommended to us by someone at the nursery, letting us know it was a great way to reduce the weight on very large planters! I just happened to receive a package in the mail the morning I planned to pot the plant full of packing peanuts – lucky. Another option is to use the leftover plastic pots that the plants come in, turning them upside down in the bottom of the planter so that the dirt fills around them.ReplyCancel

  • Sarah8.20.15 - 12:21 PM

    I just commented to say that I love that your house seems so ‘happy’! Lovely plants, pretty art, gorgeous upholstery and adorable pets make for a fun blog to read. So…thanks!ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.20.15 - 1:21 PM

      My goodness, that’s so incredibly nice! We always say that we want people to just feel “happy” in our home, so that means so much to us! Thank you for taking the time to let us know. xxReplyCancel

  • Josh | The Kentucky Gent8.20.15 - 12:53 PM

    This is quite possible the most beautiful $5 yard sale find, ever. I need to go hunting with y’all sometime!

    Josh | The Kentucky Gent
    http://thekentuckygent.comReplyCancel

  • Love this so much!!! Now, I’m on the hunt for something similar. =)ReplyCancel

  • Anna, Sydney8.21.15 - 1:46 AM

    See! You people are so crazy creative. Who else would think to cut the top off a concrete pot?! I would be chasing those damned perfect measurements across all of Google and the whole world, without ever even considering it to be possible to tweak a half perfect planter.

    How do you guys always manage to think outside the (pot) square? No seriously. If you bottle YOU, I’m buying at least ten.ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.21.15 - 7:52 AM

      Anna, you’re hilarious, but thank you! On the other hand, we often wish we could be those people that knew how to leave well enough alone and be happy with it. BUT, alas, we like things how we like them, even if it means an extra trip to the hardware store and a spare afternoon of modifications. YOU can do it too! I promise.ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

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