First time I saw this...it was scary.
And now...it's all lovely and ish. Perfect for a Princess' bedroom. Isn't it gorg?
Antique China Hutch in Annie Sloan Graphite and French Linen
When I found this piece...it looked tragic. It was covered in brown paint with faux wood grain contact paper on the shelves. I bought it because I liked the details and well...I was also looking for a nice piece to use Annie Sloan Graphite on. It is such a rich color that I figured it could be used to make anything look elegant.
When I got it home...I was curious as to what kind of wood it was made out of so I decided to strip it. You don't need to strip paint to use Annie Sloan paint mind you...I just wanted to see it in it's original state. So I did it...and was shocked to find that the beautiful wood underneath the horrible paint was none other than rare mahogany.
Wow.
I honestly sat there and stared at it for a long time and then I moved around a bit just so I could make SURE I was doing the right thing by painting it. Then...I decided that hey...no matter what...I could always strip the paint off again if I wanted to right? RIGHT.
So I took the hardware and door off. Then I collapsed the shelves and got to painting. Since it was such a dark piece anyway...I knew I'd have to do a light color inside of it. The hardware was pretty nice but I wanted it to seriously pop so I used a bit of Antique Gold Rub-N-Buff to make the color really stand out.
I put two coats of paint on it and then let it dry for a full day. Next, I used General Finishes top coat for protection and now I'm sitting here debating whether I should wax it too.
This piece is so lovely to me that yeah...it might already be SOLD too. :)
Spray Painted Vintage Temple-Stuart China Cabinet
MATERIALS USED:
Sandpaper
Rust-Oleum Comfort Grip Spray Paint Handle
Rust-Oleum 2x Red Primer (3 cans)
Rust-Oleum 2x Colonial Red Gloss Spray Paint (5 cans)
Rust-Oleum Hammered Black Metal Spray Paint (I've used one can for three projects so far on hardware.)
General Finishes Pitch Black Glaze
The before and after of this piece makes me super giddy. I knew I wanted to go with a bold color from jump and I also knew that I wanted it to look smooth like a showroom piece at Ethan Allen so I decided to spray paint it!
Steps to get a super smooth finish?
1. Vacuum and wipe down with a bit of dish liquid in a bucket of water. Don't wet it, mind you...but wipe it clean with a well-wrung towel. Use Goo Gone to remove anything sticky, hard or icky. Then...let it dry completely.
2. Take it apart. No...seriously...remove all screws, put hardware by type in Ziploc bags so you don't lose them and keep them together so you can get them ready to be painted too if you're using them. Take the back off carefully using a hammer, pliers and a flat tool. Either paint or add a piece of fabric using a spray adhesive as I did.
3. Use paint cans and spray paint tops to sit pieces on and sand. Wipe down with damp cloth and then prime after it dries. (I used a spray primer for red paint.)
4. One coat of primer on all pieces if you're using the same kind of 2x primer I used.
5. Let dry COMPLETELY. I didn't paint until the next day.
6. Spray paint using the spray paint handle so your finger doesn't get in the way or get tired from depressing that lil' thingy. You should have a good rhythm and method since you spray painted the primer on. Hold the can back far enough where you can do light sprays without paint runs. Just spray evenly and lightly. Follow the directions and apply your second coat when the can says to. LOL!
7. Remove rust with a rust remover, clean, dry and spray paint hardware. Let dry completely.
8. If you're going to add a glaze, as I did, do it the next day after the paint has dried completely and you've corrected any mistakes or paint drips. (Sand, wipe clean, repaint.) Glaze one section at a time so your glaze doesn't dry on you making it too dark in some areas. If you love the super shiny, super bright pop of color...don't glaze. For example...if I were to do a dresser or end table for a little girl's room in a pretty pink or raspberry I wouldn't glaze it. The color would just be so happy to me as is. LOL!
9. Let dry completely and add a coat of polycrylic to any part where you'd sit stuff on like shelves and the top of the bottom piece. This is just an added layer of protection. I actually used the spray polyurethane for the first time on this piece and I adore the satin finish it gave.
10. Put it back together. Add the hardware. Sit back and admire your handiwork with a smug smile knowing that BAAAAAAAAAABY! YOU DID THAT!
1940s Double Glass Door Bookcase
This piece was seriously rusted and busted when I found it. Poor thing was all creaky and hadn't been looked after in forever. Folks are always looking for bookcases and having one with glass doors is pretty cool because you don't have to dust the inside as often as you're used to.
So...I went to work.
We blew it off with the leaf blower and then wiped it down inside and out with a mild dish soap in a gallon of water making sure to wring the towel out super well so the wood wouldn't be "wet" if you know what I mean. Once it was wiped down I just looked at it for a few days trying to come up with a design for it that kept it as um...stoic as possible. Just seemed this piece didn't want to be "happy." LOL! It's pretty serious about that life. THUGS RISE UP!
The back of it was pretty busted so I removed it and added a piece of fabric to it using spray adhesive. Then I took the doors off and soaked the hardware in some rust remover solution. Next I sanded the whole thing down (did the doors by hand), stained the top, shelves and bottom with Minwax Dark Walnut stain using a brush on the top (it was pretty bad with water rings and whatnot) and a rag inside so I could get all the corners and whatnot pretty well.
I painted it in Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray (love this color) because it coordinated really well with the Waverly fabric I used for the back and followed that with General Finishes Pitch Black glaze wiping it off quickly on the sides but letting it set in a bit longer along the details of the top front and doors. Once I put it all back together, I finished the top, bottom and shelves with a polyurethane to protect the surfaces. I kinda like the thought of the painted parts getting a bit more weathered looking.
I like it. It makes me happy to look at. And isn't that really all that matters? That you're happy with what you're doing? That you're content in the knowledge that you can set your mind to do something and then you can make it happen exactly as you saw it in your head? And then...what you saw in your head is actually really pretty? Yeah...I like it. There is a bit of odd satisfaction in being able to find something unloved and busted and bringing it back to life in such a way it makes a statement. Just says a lot about so much. Yup.
Holla.
Upcycled Maple Child's Dresser
This dresser had seen more than a few seriously good years in a child's room if the condition of it was any indication. LOL! There were stickers, water glass marks, scuff marks, and anything you can think of that a kid would do to a fine piece of solid maple furniture. I used Goo Gone to remove the stickers, stripped the top. Sanded the entire piece, dry wiped drawers interior and exterior (not the fronts) with stain, primed and painted the body and spray painted the hardware. Final touches included weathering it a bit with sandpaper and two coats of polyurethane as a sealer.
Now? It's ready for a new child! LOL! And since it's such a solid piece, should the new child tear it up...you can always redo again and again and again. THAT'S why real wood furniture is so expensive these days because you can always make it better. :)
An Elder gave me a major compliment today. He's pretty hardcore and thinks everyone is lazy. Like...everyone. Always has. And guess what he hates? Lazy people. Today he said to me, "Now see you? You've never been lazy. You're always doing something. So much stuff out there to do and folks just watch tv."
Awwwwwwwww...so much love. ROFL! I almost teared up.