Vintage Dresser

My husband travels a lot for work.  Last week he texts me a picture of two dressers in a set.  They were so beautiful and I asked him why he was texting the pics to me.  He had been looking on Craigslist and found these for me and said he would pick them up on the way home.  I'm telling you, this guy, he's way too good to me.  I was so excited.  

Other than a few chips in the veneer on the bottom they were both in great condition.  I had an original plan for this one, but in the middle of working on it it totally changed.  I just wasn't feeling my original idea and decided to go a different direction.  I'm so glad I did.  

This is one of those pieces I just can't stop looking at!

**side note:  I got a message on Hometalk the other day from a woman who said she couldn't stop staring at the Ash buffet I did and was using it as her wallpaper on her computer.  How funny is that?!

 BEFORE

I don't know why, but it just doesn't do anything for me this way.  It's nice, but blah. 

 AFTER

Now this is something I want for myself!! :)  Everything detail just pops now.  You can appreciate the craftsmanship and the detail work that went into it.  

The color is just a custom mix I made from about 4 left over whites I had on hand. I think it's very similar to Antique White from General Finishes.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do something fun on the inside, but wanted to keep the colors warm, so opted for Tuscan Red from General Finishes for the inside drawers/

It had a gorgeous top on it (the rest of the piece is cherry, but the top doesn't look like cherry to me...).  I sanded it down, gave it one coat of Java Gel from GF and about 4 coats of their High Performance Top Coat in flat. 

I used a stencil to do the door and then sanded them down and dark waxed the edges to give it a little depth.  The doors had this awesome bumpy texture on them from the original finish and I love how it looked after I sanded back the second color (it doesn't look painted on).

What can I say about these knobs??  LOVE them!! 

The corners and the feet had metal work on them, but I didn't really like the way it looked, so I simply painted over them and the glazed them so they would stand out. 

The doors were bumpy but the drawers are as smooth as silk.  I glazed the grooves of the insets so they would pop. 

I really am so in love with this one!!

Antique Serpentine Dresser

I found this awesome serpentine dresser in the warehouse at my local Habitat for Humanity store.  I was actually there to pick up a different piece and he said he had something else he wanted to show me. Of course, I couldn't pass up all those curvey drawers!  

The finish was extremely rough and all the original pulls were missing, but the piece was in such great shape and all the drawers worked really well. 

I already had a color in mind when I picked it up and ended up mixing Refreshing and a little bit of Vintage from Americana Decor.  It's actually a super matte acrylic paint so it acts like chalk paint which I absolutely love.  It's really thick so I just added a litte water until I got the consistency I wanted.  I really liked working with it and would definitely buy again. 

BEFORE

Top Before

Wowzas!  It's definitely been used and abused!!  I think someone had tried to add laquer over the existing finish and it just ended up being a huge mess.  My hubby took it to the shop for me because it needed more help than I could give it with my orbital.  By the time I got there he had already stripped it for me and sanded it down.  How sweet is that?!  Yep, I've said it before and I will say it again....he's AMAZING! :))

AFTER

So much better!! 

And, I just have to show you the top right away because it turned out beautifully!  After sanding it all down I simply gave it one coat of Jave Gel from General Finishes and 4 coats of General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Flat. Look at how the grain pops!  You would have never known that was under that old, ugly finish. 

Not only does she have a cute, curvy front, but look at these side panels!  Love them!!  The finish on the body of the dresser wasn't too bad, so I just scuff sanded, painted, and distressed.  I love how all the old alligator skin shows through on the sides now.  

The drawer fronts did get sanded down to the bare wood.  They have oak veneer on them so the grain is very open.  Normally I don't like how that looks, but on this piece it's very fitting.  I do believe it has to be almost 100 years old. I also like how the paint crackled over the old finish in places.  It gives it a very authentic feel. 

I love this hardware with this color.  I wanted to go with all glass knobs, but sometimes they just get lost and I think the hardware should stand out.  So, these are the best of both worlds.  I get the glass, but also the definition with the anitque brass beading on the edge.  And, these small antique brass flowers on the top drawers just make the peice. 

I also gave the original keyholes (so glad it still had them!) a coat of ORB.

So pretty!

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add some fun fabric to the drawers!  Love this big, bold pattern!

Reproduction Music Table

I was "kind of" "talked into" buying this unique table (thanks Sandy!) ;).

I didn't really know how I felt about it.  Neither here nor there, I guess.  It's very unique but the whole cherry/gold thing was throwing me off, along with the base and the gold feet.  I guess I was just thinking, "It's really not my thing."  But, no matter, she gave it to me for a good price and I was happy to take it off her hands for her.  

I thought I knew what I was going to do with it right up until I got my paint out.  Then I totally changed my mind and went in the complete opposite direction.  AND, am so glad I did! 

Btw, this is just a reproduction so I didn't have any qualms about painting it (as if I ever do, ha!).

BEFORE

I was going to do it antique white, with a dark top, and do the feet and "strings" in ORB, but decided I wanted it to look a little moodier. 

 AFTER

I ended up mixing what I had left of my Ash from Fusion Mineral Paints with my stock black from SW.  It turned out to be a very dark graphite, which I am loving more and more. It's not as stark as black which I'm liking. 

I did prime it in black though, so when I distressed there would be some variation in the color.  It was still lacking a little something so I got out my gilding cream!  It's hard not to go crazy with this stuff!  I love how it glides on and how you can manipulate it with dark or clear wax.  I just played with it until I had the look I wanted. 

You can see the contrast of the gilding creme on the middle here and then on the base below. 

I sanded the drawer fronts down to the bare wood, then dark and clear waxed them.  I love the grain in cherry and I absolutely love the contrast with these awesome library pulls from D Lawless Hardware.  You really should check them out if you haven't yet.  They have a wide selection at really good prices.   

Cedar Chest in custom stone (color)

I almost kept this one for myself and left it just the way it was, BUT it didn't fit! :(  Big boo!

This is not an antique, but it is beautifully made and such a unique piece.  The top opens and the chest part is lined with cedar and then the bottom drawer opens and it is also lined with cedar.  I just love it. 

When I sold the highboy earlier this week my client said she was looking for a chest, too.  I was sad to give it up but I knew it was getting a good home! 

 BEFORE

AFTER

She wanted it to "match" the highboy, but not be "matchy-matchy".  She also wanted to go a little darker with it.  It's such an elegant looking piece so I like how the neutral color lets all those pretty details stand out. 

I mixed the colors Weimeraner from SW, Wheat Bread from Behr,  and Driftwood from General Finishes to get this color.

Originally she had wanted the top wood and the rest painted.  Problem:  when I got to looking at the top I wasn't sure exactly what it was made of or what kind of treatment it had on it.  It needed to be refinished because it had scratches on it, so it had to be painted.  So, I asked her if I could leave the drawer fronts wood instead.  They aren't perfect but in a lot better shape than the top.  I didn't do anything to them but wipe them down. ;)

My favorite part about this chest is the feet!  I will quietly admit I did sit on my garage floor and rub them (just a little and not for too long...shhhh).

Antique Empire

It's no secret I have a ginormously. gargantuan, huge, make the universe look small little thing for furniture. Five years ago I wouldn't have given an antique a second look, other than to say it was ugly.  But now!  They make my heart go pitter patter and my brain start racing!  And, I must say, I think I like a pretty Empire style piece as much as anything.  There's just something about those subtle curves and chunky feet.  LoVe, lOvE, looooove them!

I recently met this fabulous lady (she really is just fabulous!).  She loves antiques, too, and we blah blah blah about them when we get together.  Well, she's sweet enough to keep an eye out for me when she's at home on her computer or when she's out and about, and.....in her own home!  She needed to sell this beauty to make room for another piece and I was so thrilled when she said I could have first dibs.  What  a sweetheart! 

I'm not sure why it is so but most Empire's I see are made out of tiger oak. I don't need to remind you how I feel about oak, in general, and usually tiger oak (which is actually just quarter sawn oak, not some freaking exotic wood) is no exception.  

But, when I started sanding down these drawers the pattern in the grain was so beautiful that I decided to leave them natural.  You're welcome all you paint haters! ;)

 BEFORE

 AFTER

The best thing about making over these pieces is that they are so dark before and lightening them up really gives them a whole new life. Look at those drawers just pop against the paint. Wowza!

 I give God all the credit for this one.  His handy work cannot be beat!

 I love lining the drawers, what a sweet surprise when you open them up!

 The grain on the top wasn't as nice as the drawers and I didn't want the top competing with the drawers, so I decided to paint it. I almost never do that!

One thing I love about painting furniture is all the texture it brings out.  You know I like smooth paint, but I also love all the little bumps, scales, and imperfections that come with an older piece.  Painting and distressing enhances all those things. 

 Both of these are still my favorite hardware.  I could just sit and stare at the knobs with the metal overlay.  I like how the middles are dark to tie in with the dark wood, but the outer edge is light to tie in with the drawers.  They just bring the entire piece together. 

These are some of those subtle curves I love, and those feet....

Chest of Drawers in Wheat Bread (Behr)

I think I've done close to 500 pieces of furniture in the last 4 years.  Sometimes that makes it hard to feel inspired or to continue to be original.  I find myself thinking, "Ok, what can I do to make this piece really stand out?"  It's easy to get caught up in trying to do something "different" all the time.  

This week I realized that sometimes I just need to take a step back and breath.  It's not about coming up with the most original finish...it's about helping each piece be the best it can be.  And, at times, that means less is more.  When I really started looking at this Basset I realized what a beautiful piece of furniture it really is.  It is very well made and in almost perfect condition.  It has a subtle bow front (typical of French Provincial) and soft lines. I've been doing a lot of color and floral in the past two weeks and I knew that wasn't the direction I should go for this particular piece. 

So, in keeping with the feel of the piece I decide to go monochromatic and to keep it soft looking. 

I'm a little sad because pics just don't do this one justice.  I need a nicer camera. ;)

BEFORE

AFTER

The color is Wheat Bread from Behr and it's a beautiful, subtle greige.  I also decided I didn't want to distress this one (I know, take a few seconds to collect yourself) because I didn't want to break up the beautiful lines of the piece. 

I used Krylon's Make It Stone textured paint for the inset of the drawer.  I like how it doesn't distract from the overall look of the piece but adds just a little something. The lighting is washed out in these pics, but in person it's more noticeable. 

I rarely find a piece that still has the keyhole covers (even if their faux like this one).  I was so happy this piece still had it and that it looks amazing!  I love the patina on it and left it alone. 

 I also didn't do anything but dust the existing hardware.  I love the highs and lows of aged metal. 

Such a gorgeous top (that I had to redo twice-ugh!) and it was well worth the trouble it gave me. :)

 Beautiful legs and curvy skirt! 

I love the contrast of the texture with the velvety smooth paint.  And, the bow front just makes my heart beat a little faster.  

This piece would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift!  (hint, hint!) :)