How to Remove Stains from Marble + Foyer Chest Makeover

This post is all about a stone cold hottie.  Or a marble topped one, to be more specific.

If I’m ever given a $10,000 shopping spree to go buy brand new furniture, I still wouldn’t enjoy it as much as finding a $100 diamond-in-the-rough on Craigslist.  I don’t know how I got so lucky with this one…

It’s a Victorian spoon carved marble top chest that Robert and I snagged for $125.  Whaaaat?!

She had some rough spots on the wood finish, needed a good wipe down, and had some yellowy/brown staining on the marble, but she was still a beaut.  I had no idea what sort of stains I was dealing with, but I searched everywhere online and figured I’d try a few methods using supplies I already owned first to see if they worked. (Spoiler alert: It did!)

So here’s how I spruced it up to its original glory.

Supplies Used:

(Some affiliate links are provided below for convenience.)

• Simple Green (for the wood)
• Baking soda
• Water
• A cup or small bowl
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Plastic wrap
• Clean rag
• Cotton balls

Basically, stuff we already had in our cleaning supply cabinet and first aid box.

The Steps 

1.I made a paste mixing the baking soda and a little water first, spread it on the stains on the marble, covered with plastic wrap, and let sit for 24 hours.

2. When I pulled up the plastic wrap and wiped off the paste the next day, it was 10 times better, but there was still a faint stain left in a couple of spots.  So I soaked a few cotton balls in hydrogen peroxide, placed on top of the leftover stains, and covered again in plastic wrap to sit for another 24 hours.

Next day, stain-free and good as new.  Yay!

3. I gave the wood a quick wipe down with the Simple Green.  It still has a few spots that could use a touch-up with wood stain, but I’m so ga-ga over this chest that, for the first time ever, I don’t want to paint it at all.

Robert and I hauled it into the newly painted foyer the other day… and I’ve been wandering in here ever since to stare in awe and pet it.  Wouldn’t you?  Can you blame me?  If that’s weird, just forget I ever said that.

It nestles just perfectly in the nook beside our staircase.  Sigh… destiny, I tell ya.

I stuck a few books I had on top along with a concrete artichoke?  Pineapple?  Acorn? Whatever that little guy is. I found it at the thrift store a couple of years ago for $2 and liked the texture of it.

The mirror originally came from the thrift store too that I bought for $10 and gave a distressed charcoal finish with paint last year.  (And apparently, I need to buy more Windex to clean it. #reallife Oops.)

For the rest of it, I scooped up the lamp at Target during a Memorial Day sale and found the plant and frame at TJ Maxx.

So far, here’s the budget breakdown and sources of this entire space:

• Wall color: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
• Trim color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Ceiling color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Marble top Victorian chest – $125
• Mirror – $10 from the thrift store  (Similar here)
• Concrete statuette – $2 from the thrift store
• Mercury glass lamp – $36.09
• Linen lamp shade – $19.99
• Artificial plant – $12 from TJ Maxx (Similar here)
• Picture frame – $8 from TJ Maxx (Similar here)
• Candle – $10

Total: $312.05 (counting 3 gallons of paint for the walls/trim/ceiling)

Not too shabby, huh?

Our foyer is looking not-so-lonely anymore. This is definitely one of those spaces where I don’t really have a direction.  I’m just wingin’ it and seeing where it takes me.  We still have some electrical work that needs to be done so hardly any of our outlets or switch plates have covers right now.

I still wonder if I should try to restore the wood finish on this one exposed side of the chest, but I was impatient and wanted to haul it in here already.  (As Murphy’s Law would have it, the other side against the staircase is in gorgeous, like-new condition.)

Now that this chest is in this space though, I can start seeing it come together with a rug, a new light fixture (the chandy is cute and all but I’m still not 100% feeling it), and a little wall decor on the stairs.  Maybe a runner on the staircase one day?  Hmm…

Anyways, we’re officially goin’ places.  This chest quite possibly ranks up there with our magic wagon bench and card catalog coffee table.  (If you want some pro heavyweight Craigslisting tips, you can check them out in this post.)

This marble top absolutely glistens now.

And the carved designs in the wood remind me a little bit of Scandinavian patterns.  My great-grandfather emigrated from Sweden, so anytime I get a chance to incorporate anything semi-Swedish looking, I geek out about it.

This is the first time in a very long time I’ve ever wanted to leave a piece of furniture in its natural wood state with no paint at all.  I don’t have the heart to take that away from it.

I feel like we currently have a lot of wood in the foyer now, but once I pull in a rug, I have a feeling that will change the entire space for better.

Have you ever found a magical Craigslist find?  Or have a stone cold stunner of your own that you walk into the room just to gaze at all creepy like?  Just me? Okay.

If you want to save this post for later, you can pin it here:

The post How to Remove Stains from Marble + Foyer Chest Makeover appeared first on Bless'er House.