Antique Buffet in Ash (Fusion Mineral Paint)

I passed this buffet up twice before on FB because of the price.  When Frankie listed it the third time I hemmed and hawed because he had lowered the price and finally....

I CAVED!

I admit, I have no willpower.  I mean 0, zip, nada!  When I went to pick it up I talked him down $50 more and then I was one happy camper!  I have a hard time saying no to these antique buffets so when the price is right it does my heart good! :)

It sat in my garage for a couple of weeks while I finished up some other projects (and recovered from shingles,  get the shot if you can, you DO NOT want them!).  It gave me time to think about what I wanted to do.  It's such a timeless piece and I wanted to update it, but wanted it to still feel classic.  

 BEFORE

I sanded the top down in 30 degree weather, but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do. ;)  It was a beautiful piece of wood so I was happy even with frozen fingers. 

You'll notice in the after photos I also took off some of the broken trim pieces at the bottom.  There were too many missing to fix, so I  just removed them even though it hurt my heart to do so. I kept the middle pieces because I just couldn't stand to see them all go....

 AFTER

The base of this buffet was done in Ash from Fusion Mineral Paints.  I really enjoy working with their paints and they have such a nice finish as well.  

I then washed it in a color similar to French Linen from AS.  I just mixed my paint with water until it was thin and brushed it on, then wiped it off with paper towels (redoing the parts I wanted to be a little heavier).  It really brings out the texture of the wood and gives the paint a lot of dimension. 

 These legs make me weak in the knees.  So beautiful!

I did the wash really heavy on the applique as I wanted it to go in all the nooks. 

Also, I left the paint in the trim detail.  What a gorgeous backsplash! Thankfully the trim work was still intact on it!

I can't even tell you how much I love this!  I waxed it with clear and dark wax when I was done and then around the edges with gilding cream. It's very subtle, but more noticeable in person. 

These antique pieces have so much character and I am really starting to embrace letting it show through instead of trying to "fix" it.  I'm telling you, a type A personality is hard to overcome! :)

Gorgeous top.  You know the drill, sand down, on this one 1 coat of Java Gel from General Finishes, and then 4 coats of Varathane in satin. 

When I finished staining it there was a dark spot in the middle.  At first it really bothered me, but then I decided it was part of the "character" I was talking about.  That's the beautiful thing about wood, it's unpredictable and inconsistent.  Just the way nature intended. 

Oooh la la! 

A lot of people mention attention to detail and it really can make or break a piece.  I love this soft blue/green.  It compliments the gray so nicely and it's not overwhelming.  I also had to paint the drawers and line them because there were ink stains on the bottoms of the drawers that I couldn't sand out.  I just sealed them with shellac, painted, and lined.  I love how fresh they are now when you open them!  It's a lovely little surprise. 

I love the antique bronze hardware with this graphite color, and with the gilding (you can see it in the bottom right corner of this pic).  It all ties in nicely with each other.  At first I had two turquoise knobs on the top drawer, but they just didn't "feel" right, so I ended up using all the same knobs on the drawers. 

Still completely adore these!

This piece will be available for sale at Consign It at Bay Square Park in Green Bay, WI later this month.  Email me if interested!