As we come to a close of 2013, I thought it would be fun to share with you a few of my favorite refurbishments from the last couple months.
Let's start with this midcentury dresser that was brought to me by a client who had previously bought this already painted black with the underneath being white. He and his wife didn't care for the whole look of the white coming through and didn't like the hardware in that color. When things are painted in a white color first, it is sometimes difficult to give it a distressed look using a darker color on top because the white is such a bold difference. There just isn't a natural flow between the two.
For these particular clients, I had done work for before when I painted their 2 tall book cases for their living room. I used Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in Typewriter (black) on those bookcases and they turned out beautifully. So the clients had asked to make this piece coordinate with that piece. I didn't want to try to paint it yet another color and then distress as I was afraid the white would show through given it the same unwanted look.
So this is what I did. I painted the entire piece in Typewriter, the same color I did the bookcases.
Before I go any further, you can see that there has been some modifications done to the dresser. The owner wanted to use this as an entertainment center, and so took out a few of the drawers and added a shelf to put entertainment components in. This is a great way to utilize the pieces you have around your house for other uses.
Now back to the story. After painting the entire dresser in the Typewriter milk paint I then lightly sanded the top to allow some of the woodgrain to come through for my next step. I used Miss Mustard Seeds white wax to give it a dimensional look. By spraying the original hardware with an oil rubbed bronze, I saved my clients money and allowed them to keep the hardware which they did like. Hemp oil was used over the body of the dresser to seal in the milk paint. No need to seal the top with the hemp oil as the white wax serves as a sealant.
Next up is an antique secretary cabinet. I was very drawn to this piece as I think it is so unique. This client had originally bought a buffet that I had in our shop painted in Miss mustard seeds milk paint Kitchen Scale, a pretty teal. She wanted this piece to coordinate with that, so we decided to paint the outside Chalk Paint®decorative paints by Annie Sloan. We used Old White which is a bit of an off white for the outside and the Kitchen Scale for the inside.
And below is another perfect example of a very tired old piece. Referred to as a hot mess by the owner, which really cracked me up, it needed much repair so I called in my handy husband. When he had finished, I used Chalk Paint® in old white once again only this time on the inside of the cabinet. For the outside I chose a mixture of Chalk Paint® In Provence, Florence, and graphite. I added some highlights around the edges with Old White and drew a faux trim along drawers. The whole piece is sealed with clear wax. This client was just hoping for a little improvement on her hot mess, but I think she was surprised to get a complete transformation!
And now for a few honorable mentions...
This mid century the dresser was one of many that I had done for a client whose grandmother passed away and she inherited several heirloom pieces. Although they were outdated they were and beautiful salad condition.
For the dresser above, I used Chalk Paint®decorative paints and in old white and Antoinette, a pretty soft pink. I switched out the original outdated hardware for antique glass knobs giving it a special princess feel which was perfect as it was going into a sweet eight year old girls room!
This small, blonde chest of drawers was in much need of some pizzazz! I chose to use miss mustard seeds milk paint in Typewriter on the over all piece and with a Moroccan stencil, I applied Chalk Paint® Old White to the drawer fronts. I took off the wooden wardware and switch them out for glass knobs which gives the piece such character and class! I think this little guy would look really cute used as an entry way cabinet or and a dining room as a server, don't you?
And last, but not least for the end-of-the-year transformations is this old run of the mill bathroom vanity. The client was redoing their basement and was shopping around for a bathroom vanity with a pop of color. But they soon found out that those "specialty" pieces in stores could be pricey. After doing research on the Internet, they found me! And I gave them the look they desired without the high price tag. For their vanity, I used milk paint in the color of Kitchen Scale with the hint of Linen. Antiquing wax was applied around the edges to give it more of a vintage, time warned appearance. I again sprayed the original brass hardware with oil rubbed bronze, completely makes a huge difference!
So there you have it, my end of year transformations. I hope you were inspired to go out and paint something! Thank you for tagging along with me in 2013 and I hope to inspire you in 2014!
Oh but wait, one very special end-of-the-year event has happened at Knott So Shabby! We were chosen to become stockist of Chalk Paint® Decorative paint and we couldn't be more excited. After using this,what I like to call "liquid gold" in a can paint, we now sell the paint and teach all about how just how very special it is.
See how happy I was taking the Train the Trainer course at the Annie Sloan Unfolded studio!
And shortly after returning home, I was on a masive search for just the right display cabinet which I soon found, and before long had it up and fully stocked with the whole line of Chalk Paint®.
Happy New Year to you all, may your 2014 be full of fabulous transformations of your own!
