Antique Wardrobe in Iron Ore (SW)

I got this from the same woman as the vanity I showed you last week. It was in pretty rough shape, too.  Even though the vanity was lovely the woman I bought this from said she had a soft spot for this wardrobe.  She had wanted to refinish it for the longest time so she could use it, but just never got around to it.  She said, "It's just such a neat piece of furniture!"  

I agree!  While the veneer was in rough shape on the top and one of the sides the wardrobe itself was in great condition.  The finish on this piece was very rough, too.  But, I knew I wanted to use that to my advantage.  

I usually try to keep the "feel" of a piece while painting it.  I absolutely adore the vintage"ness" of it.  I wanted the finish to look worn (but, still be beautiful, of course) and I wanted to showcase all the great texture you can only get from the passage of time.  It was so much work, but I can't stop staring at it now! :)

BEFORE

The old finish was bumpy and I couldn't help but run my hands over it (a lot).  It also had lots of scratches and dings (as you can tell from the front) and I left all, but the deepest, alone. 

 AFTER

I seriously could look at it all day.  I want it for myself. Oh God, please give me a bigger house! 

I will take you through a step by step for this piece. 

1.  Peeled all the loose veneer using an iron, a wet rag, and a chisel

2.  Sanded it all down with 150 to smooth it out.  I left the imperfections because I wanted them to show in the final finish. 

3.  Gave the whole thing 2 coats of Shellac to seal it

4.  Used  a latex and added baking soda to make my own chalk paint.  The color is Iron Ore from Sherwin Williams and it's gorgeous. I did 2/3 paint to 1/3 baking soda and then thinned it a little with water.

5.  Did two coats of my base color. 

6.  Mixed 1/2 and 1/2 French Linen with water and then used a wet rage to "wash" the surface,  I did the corner first and then just went up and down, in section, with my rag. 

7.  Gave it a light sanding with 220

8.  Clear waxed it

9. Dark waxed it

10.  Used Gilt creme to accent the corners, the hinges, the knobs, and the beading. 

Stood back and smiled from ear to ear! 

Thankfully all the beading was intact on this one!  I used a craft paper for the inside of the beading, gave it a wash of gray, and then dark waxed it.  I used the gilt creme to highlight the beading. 

I love how the back piece looks now!!

I made sure to highlight the edges of the raised detail so it would stand out against the dark color. 

 I tried changing out the knobs but decided I like the originals the best.  The were just more fitting with the final look.  I used gilt creme to highlight them. Look at the amazing texture on this piece!

 You know how I feel about legs!  So amazing!

 Even though the paint has so much texture it's as smooth as a baby's hiney.  I love the soft sheen waxing gives.  It's so beautiful!

 I hemmed and hawed about painting the inside.  But, after cleaning it I decided I loved the way the wood looked with the graphite paint color.  I opted to paper the drawer fronts and am so happy I did.

 Aren't they so sweet?

Of course, the drawer bottoms had to be done, too!

 So pretty!

 Here's a close up of what the gilt creme looks like in the corners.  I had so much fun playing with it and layering it.

After giving it a good sanding I stained the top with Special Walnut from Minwax.  I love the wood color with the paint color and all the imperfections in the wood just add to its charm! 

 **sigh**

Here are the waxes and creme I used.