need advice about furniture..

[pamela]

I have this OLD hope chest that I bought at a flea market a couple years ago. I intended to sand it and repaint it to make it look "brand new" but never got around to it. As u can see from the pics, it looks TERRIBLE!

Anyway, I got this idea and I'm not sure if it'd work and if it could work, then what kind of tools would be needed for this?

I have sisal rope- I was thinking of maybe wrapping sisal rope around the hope chest on the sides and top so that way cats have more areas to scratch at if they want... Or just on the sides? As of now, I tend to put a blanket on the top so I could sit on it while putting shoes on.

Would that be worthwhile my time to do and would the cats like it???? How would I get sisal rope to stay on - with nails but won't that hurt cats? Should I pull off the handles and the knobs? I want this to be SAFE for cats to use.

Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated! Here's 3 pics from different views..

 

[arlyn]

Stick the rope onto it with carpenter's glue and a few upholstery tacks.
I think it's a great idea personally, I'd probably do the sides and top.

 

[sar]

Gosh, I don't think I'd do anything, but restore that - it is a beautiful chest!

If you lived closer, I would get my Dad to restore it to it's former glory!

Maybe you could get a book and french polish it or something?!

But, if you are set on making it a cat toy (

) then maybe you could carpet it? You could then add strips of sisal to the sides, over the carpet - or add a sisal ramp?!

I still like it the way it is though!

 

[rosehawke]

Good idea, but I don't think it can be restored

. I can't tell without seeing it in person, of course, but it looks like it's made with plywood veneers which are very thin at 1/32" and pretty much unsandable unless you are VERY careful to not go through the veneer. If it was me, I would give it a lick and a promise with some very fine sandpaper, paint it with a good "anything goes" primer" (Zinsser B*I*N comes to mind) and slap some crackle finish paint on it. Perhaps make an upholstered top for it, and who says an upholstered top needs to be fabric? No reason it couldn't be sisal rope of course. But I'd make that on a separate 3/4" board cut to the size of the top, and then fasten that to the top with screws from underneath.

Cindy
Mom to Narsil, Mithril and Kellie da Peke

 

[pamela]

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM......


Thank u guys for ur feedback... Still want more input..

Will let u know what I decide to do within a couple days... I am very limited with restoring options so I need to do things that are SIMPLE and won't require a lot of tools.

Sar- I'm glad that u like it the way it is...

Unfortunately, I have never liked furniture that looks scratched, old, etc. It stands out like a sore thumb with the rest of my furniture since everything else is smooth and unmarred. The only reason I got that chest was because I really needed a place to store all my books (I'm a BIG BOOKWORM) and that chest was CHEAP at a flea market- got for $25. I know it's a GOOD BRAND though. I can't remember the name of the manufactor but when I saw the brand inside- I thought WOW..

RoseHawke- I like the idea about making the top into a kitty bed by upholstering it...

Arlyn- glad to know u think this is a good idea. Hope it turns out great!

Still thinking of making the top into sisal rope because the cats won't be able to stretch out fully to use claws on the sides BUT they can on the top. U know what I mean? It might require A LOT of sisal rope though... HMMM..

Any more advice/ideas out there??

 

[sar]

Ah, I see! If it stands out a bit!

Still a shame you don't live near me, i'd make you a storage unit/scratch thing and you could give me the chest!

Are you going to keep the drawers on the front for storage?! Maybe you could add a back to it - so that it's a bit more like a seat - then you could either carpet or sisal the back and upholster the seat, so it's scratchy, yet comfortable!

If you do a Froogle search, you should be able to find a company that sells masses of sisal for a cheap price - that's where I found my supplier!

 

[beckiboo]

I bought a doormat sisal rug at Kmart for my kits to scratch on the floor. I wonder if you could get something like a rug to cover part of your chest?

And you might be able to paint part of it black to make it look like new where it isn't covered. You can probably remove the hardware by looking inside for screws.

 

[ugaimes]

Bradley recently attached sissal rope to the cat tree that he is slowly but surely making for the kits....he used some special carpenter's glue that came in this glue gun thing...it's strong and works instantly. I'll find out the name of it for you if you'd like.

 

[pamela]

Originally Posted by Sar

Still a shame you don't live near me, i'd make you a storage unit/scratch thing and you could give me the chest!

Are you going to keep the drawers on the front for storage?! Maybe you could add a back to it - so that it's a bit more like a seat - then you could either carpet or sisal the back and upholster the seat, so it's scratchy, yet comfortable!

If you do a Froogle search, you should be able to find a company that sells masses of sisal for a cheap price - that's where I found my supplier!

That'd be GREAT if u could make me a storage unit/scratch post! Wish I live closer..

The drawers on the front are "fake".. The only thing that opens is the top.

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

I bought a doormat sisal rug at Kmart for my kits to scratch on the floor. I wonder if you could get something like a rug to cover part of your chest?

And you might be able to paint part of it black to make it look like new where it isn't covered. You can probably remove the hardware by looking inside for screws.

That's a GREAT idea about getting a sisal doormat/rug. I'll do that for the "top" of my chest. I will have to look inside to see if I can remove teh hardware.. Thanks!

Originally Posted by ugaimes

Bradley recently attached sissal rope to the cat tree that he is slowly but surely making for the kits....he used some special carpenter's glue that came in this glue gun thing...it's strong and works instantly. I'll find out the name of it for you if you'd like.

YES PLS find out the name of the carpenter's glue for me!! THANKS!!!

These ideas are great! THANKS and keep the ideas/suggestions coming..