Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Antique Buffet in Black

This beauty came from the barn!  

The owners had used it and then moved away and needed to store it. So, into the barn it went!  I was fortunate enough to have a friend who told me about it--thank you Justis! 

My heart went pitter patter when I walked into that damp old barn and saw it sitting there covered in bird doo doo.  Nothing a little cleaning and some sanding couldn't fix. The drawers were stuck tight, a few pieces had fallen off, and the bottom piece was broken in half, but I knew my sweet hubby would fix it all for me (seriously could not do this without him!). 

 Before


Before I show you the after (no skipping forward!) I have to admit I was a little disappointed.  I decided to list it on my FB page, unfinished, to see if anybody wanted it and then I could do a custom order.  Someone snatched it up fairly quickly and told me she wanted it black with a wood top.  My heart sank a little because even though I knew I would be doing a custom order I had a vision for it, and it was not black.
BUT
that being said it turned out so beautifully!  It's so classic and really is a stunning piece of furniture.  When I finished it wanted to keep it for myself! :)

There will be another buffet that will come along and steal my heart and I will paint it how my mind's eye sees it. ;)




 After


Tweet Twoo!!



 I started using Minwax Polyacrylic instead of Varathane (just to see and not because I don't like Varathane because I think it's awesome) and even though I used satin for both of them the Minwax polyacrylic seems to be a little bit flatter finish and I like it so much! 
Oh my goodness-it's so beautiful!







 It had a beautiful mahogany top under all that old, flaky varnish and bird poo!
You know the drill...sanded it down, stained with one coat of Java Gel, and finished with 3 coats of poly.



 Great legs!






 So many great details!







Lucky, lucky girl who gets this!!!

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36 comments:

  1. What an incredible piece! I think the black suits it. All the beautiful details pop and aren't distracted.

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  2. OMG I DIE!!!!! What WAS your vision? I'm curious. I think I may have to go ahead and give my Gramma's buffet this treatment. (No, I still haven't done anything with it!) How do I know if there's anything worthwhile under the veneer? If it's crap, do I just apply a new veneer? I've never taken veneer off before. But it's ugly, so it's gotta go.

    I'm quaking in my flip flops.

    -andi

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    1. Is the veneer damaged Andi? Is there a reason you need to remove it? If you don't absolutely have to remove veneer it's best not to. If you're painting and there are chips in it (like the bottom edge) you can fill them, then prime, and paint. If it's loose but not damaged it can be glued down again. Can you send me a pic? I do think you should go with black-you seem to be drawn to it. :)

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    2. The veneer is ugly and it's damaged in spots. I'm sure I won't be so lucky to find a beautiful slab of wood underneath. :( I'm happy to fill the parts of the buffet I'll be painting, but I do love having the top of it natural wood.

      Just come down here, m'kay? :)

      -andi

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  3. Wow, it is just stunning! Lucky girl is right!

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  4. I love these vintage buffets in black and stained top....and this is no different! Even though this wasn't your vision, you executed the transformation flawlessly! As always.... :)
    Robin

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  5. Beautiful work Lisa! You are amazing to take that piece and restore it in grand fashion, and I can't believe how fast you are. You spit this stuff out all the time. :) I think it would be kind of cool in a deep chili red too, but this is great!

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    Replies
    1. Oooh, that WOULD be beautiful! Thanks Dawn!

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  6. Okay, I'm curious too, what was your vision? Most definitely a stunner in black. Just look at all those details!

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    1. Thanks Sharon! I'm keeping it a secret for now cuz I'm still hoping to use it. :)

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    2. Ok, first ... this piece is absolutely gorgeous. second, it's been almost eight year, did you ever get to use your vision elsewhere? If so, I'd love to see what it would've been! And lastly, I'm brand new to your blog and already love it.

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  7. Wow, what a beauty! SO happy you rescued it from a barn for a new life.

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  8. Absolutely gorgeous!!! I can't imagine parting with it. Lucky, lucky girl who gets it. You did a GREAT job!
    Cindy

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  9. One of the nicest pieces I've seen. Beautiful job on a beautiful buffet. I'm coveting…...

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  10. OMGoodness Lisa, it's GORGEOUS! I love it!! You are amazing with any make-over you do!! Enjoy your day, Gail

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  11. Absolutely stunning piece. I love painted wood but for all those who think it is a sin to paint wood you should take a before-before photo, that is, the photo with the bird poop!

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  12. GASP! Love, yet another one of your pieces! Gorgeous details came out with the flawless finish.

    ~ Robin

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  13. It's a stunning piece, Lisa! The detail on this is just gorgeous. I could see how you might have had a lot of fun with colors on something like this. The black did turn out beautifully though.

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  14. AAAHHHH!!! Love it! I'm so glad the top was stained (no matter what color it would have been) because those are my favorite. I shared with my cousin and she just about fell over. Always keeping my eyes peeled for you and SO happy that this piece worked out so well. Can you hear me screaming???!!!

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  15. Oh how I could find a piece like this to paint! It is absolutely beautiful, and you did a wonderful job on it!

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  16. What is the "color" of black you used. Is that ASCP? Thanks.
    Very stunning piece

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  17. Simply beautiful! I'm having a hard time finding my next project piece. I would love to run across a piece like this one!

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  18. Seriously, one of my all time favorites!

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  19. Did you paint the black or just stain? I am starting on my first black buffet and a little hesitant. I would like to use chalk paint but mine always seem to end up looking grayish and I want black black!!
    Thanks for your help.
    Martha

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  20. I'm way behind the rest of these posts, but I just found the pictures about your buffet redo. It turned out beautiful. I was very interested, as I bought a very similar buffet and matching dining room table similar to this some 45 years ago for $50 from someone's garage. I've been using it ever since. It looks very similar to yours. I'm really thinking about refinishing it now, that I have seen so many of these redone. Great job on yours. I wish you could refinish mine.

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