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Cabinets and Buffets

Painted Hepplewhite Buffet Denim Blue

Tastefully Painted Denim Blue Buffet

An estate sale in Jackson MI is where this small but mighty buffet was found. Forlorn, it remained unwanted at the end of the sale, must be it waited just for me. A good deal at full price ($45), I paid half. Great bones, terrible surfaces. Not even cherry wood is easy to make fresh, hip and, appealing.

For the record, I do not paint furniture that is in good shape. Odd as it may sound and as a painter, I respect and adore natural wood tones, grain and finish. I paint that which is doomed otherwise, water stained, scratched to hell, missing veneer, and cheap particle board. This is what I buy. This is what she is.

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Doing Brittany’s piece in the last post, got me interested in a return to doing more transfers and bling, but still not too much. Looking ahead into 2024, trends seem to be going from whites to dark rich colors. I feel it in my home too. Whites are nice but they can take the personality out of you.

Blues are a great color for kitchens and dining rooms, in my humble opinion. Maybe I feel that way because my kitchen and dining room is blue with white trim, charcoal counter top and original hardwood floor. I WISH I had a blue buffet. One of these days, Alice.

Serious Planning

Can you spot the differences from the planned and actual makeover? A. Stripes were nixed. It would have been super fun to do but I couldn’t figure out how to add them without the buffet becoming an eye chart. B. Paint color started out White and Seagull Gray. I’m so glad it went for something warmer, richer, and moody. C. Raised stencil became textured wall paper, a refined aesthetic IMHO.

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Too much bling and activity on a piece can suck the air out of a room. There is a thin line between tasteful and gaudy. I believe this one is tasteful and wow.

Materials Used

  • Paint: DIY Chalk paint using Sherwin Williams Mineral Gray – it looks like denim to me.
  • Door Inset: textured wallpaper cut to fit inside the grooves.
  • Transfer: ReDesign with Prima A Day without Wine bits and pieces- now retired transfer
  • Hardware: original cleaned with water and vinegar soak and a skim of Rub n Buff gold
  • Raised Detail: Dixie Belle glimmer mousse Bronze
  • Top Coat: General Finishes High Performance Flat
  • Tassels: from Joanne – so expensive there and not much of an inventory to choose.
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Faux Wood Top: General Finishes Java Gel (it’s oil based)

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Where I live, in the rust belt the economy is in a stagnant period but at least not worse. This piece sold to a couple from Traverse City for $220, not exactly what I think she’s worth but I am happy for the sale. During the pandemic, when federal money grew on trees, painted furniture sold for much more and buyers were plentiful. Oh, those were the days.

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Mirrored Buffet Before & After

Rippled veneer means only one thing: the dreaded removal.  I’ve done it a couple times and didn’t like doing it.  It’s kind of tedious, slightly frustrating and, can be risky.  But, I learned something this time: before embarking on a veneer removal project, prepare my mind first for a long process and then it’s not so distasteful.  I accepted the fact that this makeover is going to take a while.  I settled in, relaxed and took my time, stopping and starting often.  A realistic perspective made a huge difference! 

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How to Create Beautiful Small Space Storage

At the end of the hallway, at an entry or foyer area, as end tables, nightstands, and at the upstairs landing are underutilized spaces for secondary storage a decorating. When choosing furniture for small spaces, just pick pieces that work harder and look smarter like these:

Enormous Style

These all-purpose pieces have style not found in any big box store. Locally-owned home decor consignment (not thrift) shops are honey holes for finding AFFORDABLE unique, chic and stylish pieces. Vintage antique furniture supply hard to find character and the painting provides up to date styling. Each of these were unwanted, dark wood, and beat up then transformed into secondary storage with a bright future.

Liquor Coffee Bar Cabinet Painted White Gold
NEW! FOR SALE $185 Inside Windy Hill Market, Downtown Jackson – 30″ wide x 15 deep x 27 tall. Stark White, Gold Rings and Feet.

Light Colors

Small spaces take very kindly to light colors. Choose white and light colors to make small spaces appear bigger.

Redesign Peaceful Flight Nightstand
SOLD

Alternate Uses

According to Better Homes and Gardens, just because a furniture item is considered a dining room piece doesn’t mean it can’t perform and look nice in other rooms of your home. A small dresser, antique washstand or cabinet should be considered for a plethora of alternate uses such as a nightstand, liquor cabinet, coffee bar, mini buffet, end tables and entryway mail catcher.

Painted washstand small space furniture mini buffet
$165 inside Windy Hill Market, Downtown Jackson MI, 29″ Tall x 16 deep x 29″ Tall

Secondary Storage

I love having a place for everything and everything in it’s place. Dedicated secondary storage helps. It decreases clutter and disorganization. My buffet at home has a dog treat drawer, a drawer dedicated for placing greeting cards I’ve received, and board games. These are things I want easy access to. Small space furniture can help with that and coffee, liquor, craft supplies, office supplies, and even things like paint brushes. Everybody needs a handy tool junk drawer!

About These

Find them affordably priced inside Windy Hill Market, 217 N. Jackson Street, Downtown Jackson.

Small painted buffet Hamilton Blue

How I Select Paint Color for Furniture.

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When you look at the before picture, can you see the great bones this piece has? I did not! I almost didn’t buy it. I hesitated and delayed this makeover because I had no clue for a plan. Then I cleaned it. Dang. Under the dirt there are hidden color details. Nowadays these colors don’t work, I bet at the time she was super cool.

So How Does One Pick Paint Color?

One of my must-do makeover dreams is painting a piece sage green. It’s my favorite all time color and I have yet to use it. I visualized this buffet in a modern sage, like the greens cropping up in trending home decor magazines. A day or two goes by and sadly I’m not feeling this piece in sage. It’s too masculine to be green, said Kermit. Darn it.

Second thought, go neutral like gray or beige so that it could go in any dining room in Jackson. It only took half a day visualizing before that idea was flushed. Look at these bones, bold details and lots of it here. Neutral doesn’t seem to do it justice. Then what?!

Third, go for drama with Navy blue. Time goes by again but I know I’m on the right track. Hours of staring at this piece, it hit me. One of my favorite colors that I reserve for accent pieces would work very well here.

So, that is how I select colors: visualize, take time and, recognize when it works, more importantly when it doesn’t. The color should complement the bones , details and architecture of the piece. It should work for its function. I feel bedroom furniture can be more colorful then living area pieces – that’s just me. A little luck, a little guess work and a lot of time visualizing goes into each color decision. Or just paint it white.

3 Furniture Factors

Function and Size –

Broadly there are more color choices for bedroom furniture than I would allow for pieces in dining rooms or living rooms. Bedrooms are more personal and expressions of personality. Accent pieces, which are not primary for the room, tend to accept bolder colors as well. Large furniture like armoires and sideboards seem to invite neutrals so they are not overwhelming to the room.

Style –

of the piece is helpful when choosing color. Pieces that are little to no detail I go for sleek looks using black and gray. If possible to include natural wood color in the legs or top is a bonus. Antiques with lots of small details are great for decorating using more colors and techniques such as distressing, dry brushing, blending, etc.

Trends –

change slowly and are sometimes are to recognize. The latest color trends may not sell where you live – yet. Is the town you are selling in young, hip, trendy, modern or is it older country kind of slow? Those are things to keep in mind when choosing color.

Meet Ms. Hamilton Blue

Even the color name matches her style!

About Me

  • Solid wood antique mini-buffet
  • 3 lined drawers
  • Drawers function smoothly but sometimes can drag a little.
  • Chalk painted Hamilton Blue, center blended highlight
  • Silver shimmer on scroll edges
  • New shabby chic black knobs
  • Several applications GF HP Flat topcoat

Location and Dims

SOLD $350 inside Windy Hill Market, 217 N. Jackson Street, Downtown Jackson.

Approximate Dims: 46″ wide x 20 deep

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Make Your Home Office Super Chic With This File Cabinet

Check out how a plain wood 2-drawer file cabinet is turned into a sleek chic design element. Home offices don’t have to be dull and boring. Making your work space attractive and cool translates into better work attitude, just ask Google. Heck, it might help you to keep papers organized more often.

About Me

Standard letter size 2-drawer filing wood cabinet with hanging rods.

Painted black, embellished with gold highlights, original drawer label holder and handles.

Topcoat several applications General Finishes High Performance

Location

SOLD $125 Inside Windy Hill Market, 217 N. Jackson St, Downtown Jackson

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CitriStrip Paint Remover Hack, Will it Work?

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Back in the day the only product made for stripping paint and varnish was good ol’ caustic, strong and kind of dangerous Zip Strip but . . . the stuff worked fast and easy!! Today’s product, safe, non-toxic, not bad smelling citrus based stripping is so mild, it takes several cycles to get a good strip to raw wood. I tried a thing, it worked, so I share my new trick for faster furniture stripping!

The legs took 2 cycles using the citrus striper and scrubbing with steel wool. The stripping product instructions say to let it sit 30 minutes after applying. So I did but only half of it removed. That’s sure not like the old smelling skin irritating days. Searching for a better way, while not reverting to the toxic stuff, I found a stripping hack on YouTube – using saran wrap!

Yes! It Worked.

This is a picture of the top backboard removed from the buffet. It’s the long stick of wood that unscrewed from the buffet top. After a generous goopy coat of citrus stripping product, it was wrapped in saran wrap and left on over night. When it was unwrapped the next day the varnish had absorbed the stripper and was still soft to the touch. I used a misting bottle of water to re-activate the product so that it would scrub off easier with the steel wool and it did! It all came off much easier! Check out this video.

Bleaching Cherry Red Wood – Blondies Know This Hack

I’m not a fan of the red stain naturally found in this antique cherry piece. Since it is old wood, the red tannin runs deep and strong. Turning again to YouTube for the answer for bleaching wood to get the red out, looks like regular household bleach can do the trick. But wait . . . there’s a hack for that too!

Attesting to its truth, heat and UV rays speed the bleaching process for sure! The backboard was bleached on my basement work bench, a tepid and dark space. The legs were bleached on the front porch, a sunny and much warmer summer space. Yeah, 4 coats of bleach on the backboard and only 2 coats to get the red out of the legs.

The Rest of the Work to Modernize Long Sexy Leg Buffet

I wanted golden brown and I got it using bleach. Other prep work included super cleaning the wood surfaces prepping to prime and paint and filling the handle holes and drilling new ones for new hardware. To be honest, whenever I fill hardware holes I feel like I’m putting the piece to sleep, like in a coma, so she won’t feel the work I’m about to do. Once new hardware holes are drilled, she’s awake!

About Me

  • My name is Long Sexy Legs. I am a vintage buffet, some say sideboard, from the 1940’s so I’m at least 80 years old.
  • Lined drawers and doors slide super nicely without rubs or hang ups.
  • Chalk painted mid-tone gray Sherwin Williams Acier
  • Embellished using white very tasteful vine stencil in center oval and lower drawer corners. There is also a peek-a-boo stencil at the bottom inside corners of the doors
  • Refinished legs and top backboard.
  • All surfaces protected with at least 3 coats General Finishes High Performance Flat Sheet
  • New rustic chic cast iron hardware

Price, Dimensions and Location

SOLD –

$445 inside Windy Hill Market, 217 N. Jackson Street, downtown Jackson, MI open M-F 11-6 and Saturdays 11-4!

66″ long x 21″ deep x 37 high

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Drop Top Secretary Desk Makeover

I am a huge fan of drop top secretary desks for their ability to be that powerhouse accent piece in any room. Plus they serve as great (and beautiful) storage and organization for work and home office. This design is in my top 5 list of favorites and I hope to another and another as long as I can keep finding them.

About Me

  • Highlighted Dark Teal very close to Sherwin Williams Tempe Star.
  • 3 pull out drawers ideal for home office storage.
  • Drop top cubby with original wood organizer perfect for envelopes, office supplies, and to hide junk mail.
  • Embellished with paper clay details at key holes.
  • 7 New shabby chic black knobs
  • reDesign with Prima partial Italian vineyard transfer on lid
  • Several applications General Finishes High Performance Top Coat Flat

Dimensions and Price

Estimate: 40″ tall x 16″ deep and 26″ wide

SOLD to a nice lady from Lansing!

$240 conveniently located inside Windy Hill Market downtown Jackson, 217 N. Jackson St next to Pedal & Tour

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My First Painted Jewelry Armoire Makeover

I painted a jewelry armoire this week. Last week was a gun cabinet. It’s been a month of firsts. So many drawers on a jewelry cabinet to have fun with. Endless possibilities

I don’t have to go neutral with jewelry cabinets so now is my chance to stretch out. One of the seldom used colors in my inventory (Magnolia Homes Emmies Room) has been waiting for the perfect piece and this is it! It is fresh mint blue lightly dusted with a soft sage green hue, yep that’s what Johanna said.

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Redesign Décor Transfers®- Birds & Berries 24"x 34"

Well, if I’m able to pick a hardly used, but very yummy color, then maybe it time to pull out this Birds and Berries transfer I’ve been saving. Birds are cool right now. The black birds were used on a gray piece so the white birds were left, also waiting for the perfect piece.

About Me

  • Solid oak jewelry armoire painted soft mint Emmies Room from Magnolia Home
  • 3 inside drawers with dividers, 2 larger outside drawers, door inside equipped with necklace hooks.
  • Drawers excellently lined soft rose color felt, no rips, tears or stains.
  • Birds and berries re-Design with Prima transfer
  • Original hardware painted with silver glimmer highlights
  • Side and drawer translucent white stripes

Dimensions and Price

42″ tall x 16″ wide x 13″ deep

$145 conveniently located inside Windy Hill Market downtown Jackson

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Repurposed Upcycled Gun Cabinet

My first gun cabinet makeover. I’m sleeplessly excited to repurpose it into a mini glassware china cabinet. It’s being transformed with removable shelves so it retains its original job of holding hunting rifles.

This was found at Salvation Army in Brighton on an adventure trip to score furniture. It is wood furniture at a good price so I bought it, of course. I saw the opportunity to functionally repurpose it by adding shelves in the cavity on Pintrest. I went about the business of priming without a clue how to style it. Then I saw this . . .

Inspiration Piece

First thought . . . no way can I do this! But now I see the back area as a large piece of real estate that could hold design. Transfer, stencil, decoupage are unattractive options because of the hard to reach space even laying the piece down flat. So, what shall I do with this huge piece of furniture real estate? Wallpaper! Yes, cut to size it could be easy to install plus the options are endless. So I bought 3 different paper style options on Amazon today.

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Yeah, baby. I can’t wait until tomorrow!

So, How Does Removable Wallpaper Work on Furniture?

Using wallpaper on furniture is tremendously effective for large backs like this cabinet. I can’t wait to use it on a china cabinet! Removeable paper installs using a peel and stick process. No glue, paste, or wetting needed. Lining it up wasn’t hard since I could lift and adjust as many times it took to get it perfect. I used a wide plastic putty knife to get the air bubbles out. It could be used on drawer fronts for sure depending on the color and pattern.

Upcycled Gun Cabinet: One Piece Double Function

See the side rails on the inside? Those are installed to set removeable wood shelves inside. I’m in love with repurposing Gun Cabinets into Mini-China or Glassware Cabinet and it’s not permanent. Still want to use it as an Upcycled Gun Cabinet? Remove the shelves!

About Me

Dimensions and Price

65″ tall x 14″ deep and 25″ wide ~ great for small spaces

Sold and settled in it’s new home! Perfect!

Art Deco Antique China Cabinet Painted

Antique China Cabinet in French Linen

Her Name is Lola.

She was a showgirl. But that was thirty years ago, when they used to have a show
Now it’s a disco, but not for Lola. Still in dress she used to wear . . .

About Me

  • I almost lost my mind but was rescued with a little paint and TLC. Look at me now! French Farmhouse.
  • Jeweled headband, waistband, legs and support painted Rustic Oak adds some discrete dimension.
  • Original hardware painted on bottom drawer.
  • New glass knob on door.
  • Refined details added to the bottom skirt.
  • Cabinet inside painted pure white including shelves

Price and Location

SOLD

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