Chippendale Lowboy

Before I show this one I just want you to know it's a reproduction, so don't yell at me ;).  And, although it is beautiful, and beautifully made, the top was a little rough and it had some pretty big scratches.  I actually did a deal in the Toys R Us parking lot for it.  ;)  This has been my favorite redo so far.

 Before

It really was beautiful and I almost decided to strip it and restain it, but I felt like all that gorgeous detail was just lost in the wood. 

After

Primed and painted (Snowbound SW) and then glazed with a latex glaze tinted black. 

One thing I hate is when someone says, "It's so easy." and then it's not!  Glazing isn't rocket science, but you do have to get a feel for the product and the piece of furniture.  Here's a few things I've learned:

1. Use an oil base glaze over oil paint and a latex glaze over latex/acrylic paint.  (Sounds like a no-brainer, but the first time I used glaze I used an oil glaze over latex and although it didn't gum up, it was a little harder to work with.)  Tint oil glaze with oil stain/paint and latex glaze with water-based products.  Latex glaze dries faster, but it's easier to work with and the clean-up is easy.
2. I use an old paint brush to apply the glaze because it gets in all the little nooks and crannies (which is where you want the glaze to be!).  You could use a sponge brush, too, but I always have an old paint brush handy. Brush it on and work small areas at a time or the glaze will dry and become more difficult to wipe off.
3. You can use a dry cloth or a damp cloth to wipe off the glaze (I normally wipe it off within a minute of applying it).  A dry cloth will leave more product on the piece--if that's the look you want, go for it!  A damp cloth takes off more product and I like this a little better.  The wetter the cloth the more product will come off.  If the cloth is too damp and you wipe too many times in the same spot you can lift the paint. 
4. Wipe the opposite direction of the detail.  *the fan on the bottom edge of the buffet was vertical detail, so I wiped horizontally and then used the edge of the cloth to lightly run down the middle of the fan to remove the excess glaze
5. Don't be afraid to play with it! If you take off too much you can always apply more, if you take off too little you can always sand (wet sanding with a superfine sanding pad will take off a little product and wet sanding with a fine sanding pad will take off most "oops" or left over glaze that dried where you didn't want it to). *wet sanding=dampening a sanding pad
   
   
   
   

Glazing this piece brought out details I didn't even see when it was just the wood.  I love the detail on the corners!
My favorite part about this are the feet!  You don't see ball and claw feet very much anymore and these are just awesome!  I think I might have a foot fetish now. ;)
 

I LOVE them and the finish feels like silk! 

This is the original hardware spray painted with a soft metallic. 

SOLD
36" W x 18" D x 32" H

Sideboard/buffet

The picture makes this buffet look really washed out.  It was almost a burgundy color with a thick lacquer on it.  Still a gorgeous piece, but a little rough and very dated.  At first I wanted to do it all in black, but it had a little surprise for me (sometimes surprises can be be good!). :)

Before

After

(Did you notice the cute little lamp?) ;)

really love this shot...

So, I was going to do the top black as well, but when I was sanding it I saw a little bit of the natural wood peeking through.  My heart did a little thump when I saw what was under all that lacquer.  It was cherry!  I knew I couldn't paint over it, so I had to strip it (which was a first for me).  It was worth the goop and mess!  I wanted to leave the wood as natural as possible, so decided to use Tung Oil instead of poly. 

 The difference between the unfinished wood and then with the Tung Oil (which has no color and is also a  protectant).  It looks better in person! :)

One thing I love about redoing furniture is how, even after it's repainted, part of it's story is still evident.  You can see dents and dings, and veneer that is cracking.  I don't see these as flaws, but what makes a piece of furniture unique and beautiful.

original hardware spray painted black

rub through

SOLD

Desk--Favorite Project!

A good friend of mine asked me to refinish an old desk she had for her almost-teenage daughter. When I saw it I was so excited!! It had so many gorgeous little details on it. Her daughter's favorite color is green so I couldn't wait to do something fun with it!

Before

I primed it with an oil based sealant since the top was pretty rough and had some staining. The first time I painted in "Lively Yellow" from SW (which was a greenish yellow on the card), but it was TOO yellow, so I ended up making a custom color out of what was left. Gave it two coats of that over the yellow, then lightly dry brushed it with "Westhighland White" from SW.

After

Distressing it brought out all the pretty details and the yellow underneath in places. Absolutely loved the finish!

Sorry, no drawer pulls in these shots. The originals just didn't fit the style anymore and they were an odd size, so still on the hunt. Can't wait to find the perfect ones!

Cut out letters with my Cricut and used the background as a stencil--used white and a little grey and then sanded down to take most the paint back off.