Cedar Chest with Green Accents

This was a really fun project!  Do I always say that?  Well, this time was extra fun.  For starters, it was the most work I've done with Annie Sloan Dark Wax.  I am so sad I didn't get a before picture!!  Just picture this whole this the exact color as the table it's sitting on: Golden.  And flaking.  I painted it French Linen, a cool khaki color, with went over it with dark wax a few times.  I custom mixed a green color and then distressed and added lots of dark wax over that, too.

This was the most fun part:  the top.  The top had an inlaid design that I hated to paint over, so I stripped it and then pickled it.  So FUN!  You can find numerous tutorials on the web, but essentially you stick steel wool in vinegar for a day and then paint the vinegar on.  Within an hour the raw wood looked aged and slightly gray.  I then put the dark wax on top and I am in love :)

I liked the end result so much I've decided to pickle the top of a blanket box I am working on to sell.  Pics of that next week!

Telephone Bench

My sweet friend Jean has a phone bench from her childhood home she wanted me to refinish.  She wanted it lighter, but to still be able to see remnants of the original piece.  So, we chose to use Old White and dry brush it on.  Here is the after:  I would rather put the "before" first and then the "after", but facebook always shows the first picture as the thumbnail, so I do it backwards...

 And here's the before:

I used clear wax and then went back with dark wax and highlighted the spots that were worn on the original piece:

I think Jean was pleased the seat back was still so worn looking, just like it was originally.  Even though it's been made new, the bench has a sense of history!

 I added a few pops of grey and red just to give it some contrast:

Grey Table

This is the table that matches the grey hutch I just completed.   Can't wait to see what hardware she puts on it!  I also finished a black armoire for Jacqueline and completely forgot to take after pictures!  It turned out great, but it wasn't distressed, which is really the fun part about refinishing to me, so I think it just didn't occur to me to take pictures until it was too late!

Here is the before pic:

 And some close-ups of the after:

The only difference between the table and the hutch is that it was originally red instead of bare wood.  I primed it with BIN Zinsser, which I am liking better than Kilz, so that it wouldn't affect the color.  I chose to expose it in a few spots, though, and I really love the character it gives the piece.

Partying here:

Grey Hutch

 I am so pleased with they way this turned out!  The Grey is a custom mix of Paris Grey and Graphite and it has hints of Provence peeking through.  This is my first time to use the Provence color and it is gorgeous!  Can't wait to do a whole piece in it.  This is what the hutch looked like originally:

Good bones, tons of possibility.  Just needed a little glueing and clamping.

After painting the Grey over the Provence, I distressed, waxed, and then highlighted some spots with dark wax. 

 The shelves inside show more of the blue - I painted them Provence and then dry brushed the Grey on top.

This is a custom piece for someone and I will be starting tonight on a hall table to match it.  Can't wait!!

Kitchen Island Redo

This weekend I drove up to Kaufman to see my girlfriends and to help my friend Crystal out with a project.  Crystal is one of my dearest friends and a very talented artist.  She is an inspiration to me and a constant resource of knowledge!  Now, a few years ago, without going into detail, she and her husband, Ben, were going through a crazy rough time in their marriage.  She had every right to walk away, to call it quits, but she felt the Holy Spirit was telling her to stay.  So, even though she was devastated, she stayed.  She allowed God to redeem their marriage and He has, in a wonderful, unbelievable way.  They are happy and healthy and very much in love.  But it has been hard work.  Why am I telling you this, anyway?  I know we are storing up treasures in heaven, but I think every once in a while, God says, "Thank you for trusting me.  Thank you for obeying.  Here's an earthly blessing."  Well, this time God was just showing off.  Look at their new home:  they got an AMAZING deal on it and she has always, always wanted an older home.  This one was built in 1887 and is on 16 acres.  This place was so stinkin' awesome, I just can't explain it.  I needed a hoop skirt.  If you'd like to gawk at more pics of their place, click here.

This is their kitchen.  Just so you can be more jealous, know that the entire left wall is also windows looking out over a beautiful backyard.  This is the old furniture, not theirs.  Crystal wanted to distress the island and change the tone of it. It was positively mint.  Not a blue green mint, just light green mint.  Pristine finish so you would notice every speck of dirt or scratch the kids added to it.  She wanted to rough it up.

So we did.  We distressed and then mixed Annie Sloan's Olive paint with AS clear wax and went over the whole thing.  Then we went back and added depth with AS dark wax.  If you don't like the distressed look, I'm sure your'e wondering why we would mess up a perfectly good paint job, but if you do like the distressed look, this turned out pretty cool.

Column before:

After:

 Cabinet before:

After:

Bar before:

After:

In addition to getting to visit some of my closest girl friends, I also brought a trailer up there and Crystal loaded me down with free antiques to refinish!  She gave me a 10 foot long church pew that I think I will keep for myself, but the rest I will refinish to sell.  Can't wait to work on them!

Grey Mirror

I found this mirror in the cabin when we bought it and it really needed updating.  Plus, I didn't have a space for it.  So, I completely forgot about its existence until we moved stuff into my new workshop (pics coming soon, promise!).  It is an antique mirror, the frame and backing probably weigh 25 pounds, even though it is just 2 ft. square!  Here is the before photo:

 First I painted it with two layers of Primer Red chalk paint:

Then I covered it with one coat of a grey I made by mixing 3 parts Graphite to 1 part Old White.  Then I distressed and clear waxed.  Not being very detail oriented, I starting taking "after" photos before realizing all the masking tape was still on!  I went back and took it off and took more pics!  Here it is AFTER:

It is currently for sale!  To see the etsy listing, click here.

Welcome!

I am starting a new blog, separate from my family blog to display all my furniture projects.  I love repurposing furniture, taking something you were ready to throw out and making it a conversation piece.  Layering and distressing furniture is therapy for me and my style falls somewhere in the cottage, shabby chic family.  I sell my pieces in an etsy shop, but I also do custom work.  Please contact me about refinishing furniture for you!  The process is simple: email me pics of the piece, tell me what you have in mind, and I'll get back to you with a quote.

Here are some things I've already finished:

Before:

After:

Before: Sideboard left in the cabin we bought.

After:  I kept the original hardware, but painted it Behr's Mermaid Net, then distressed and glazed in Minwax Golden Oak, then waxed it.  This was my first attempt at refinishing, so I'm pretty pleased with it, but if I had to do it over again, it would look much better.  I've learned so much since then!

A friend liked the color so much I refinished her China hutch in it.  I forgot to take before pictures, but imagine it a smoky mustard with grey glass.  Bleh.  Much better now!

 My mom and I went through her barn a few months ago when I was looking for old furniture to fix up and sell.  She pointed this out and said it was from her grandmother's house and it was the only piece of furniture her mom took from her childhood home.  I had to keep it!

After:  This was the most fun piece to refinish!  I have been introduced to the world of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and I used it on this.  Chalk, not chalkboard.  When you sand it, it just falls right off in a powder as opposed to pilling like latex paint does.  It's perfect for layering because you can really control the distressing.  So, I painted it Paris Grey, then I swiped a few spots with Primer Red, then dry-brushed Old White over the whole thing, then distressed and waxed.  When you look at it, it looks primarily white, but the bits of red really give it depth.

Another table:  Forgot to get a before pic, but suffice to say it was pretty beat up.  Love it now!