Cabinets and Buffets

How a furniture makeover is dictated by defects and boo-boo’s.

I did not see the horrible door cracks when I bought this piece. Before it was painted, the cracks blended in. It was when I took paint brush to surface that I noticed them. Maybe I need to wear by glasses. Even when I took this picture, the cracks went unnoticed!

The Original Plan

Elaborate design ideas came to mind and dismissed in an effort to keep it simple. The first idea involved decoupage the panels with cool Zazzle tissue I have on hand. Naw, that would look stupid. I settled on a nice sage-gray (a new modern neutral that I love) with highlight blends in panel centers. Maybe the old hardware disappears in favor of upscale shabby chic ones. I’ll wait to make the decision later. That was it.

The Obstacle

Taking paint and brush to doors, these horrible cracks finally came into view. At first I was not alarmed thinking the paint would fill them and the cracks would magically disappear. This is usually and customary thinking by me about most problems. They did not.

Forced Creativity

For a fleeting moment this piece was headed for disposition as un-salvageable. Well, not on my watch. Unless it’s absolutely broken and can’t function it will get a new life. Um, maybe the decoupage idea is the solution to this problem. This piece is forcing me to it. It is not the first time a piece in recovery forced it’s own makeover.

Re-designed by Obstacle

The tissue is from Roycycled at Zazzle purchased earlier this fall to have on hand. Tissue takes about 3 weeks or longer to arrive so I order it ahead choosing styles that I think I’ll use. This looks way better than I imagined. Thank you Roycycled! (I should have turned my super lights on to take these pictures).

Grateful for Obstacles and Problems

Not during the problem but when I see light at the end of the tunnel am I considering any gratitude. This joy came quickly. A particular trial I’m still working for some gratitude 5 years later. It may not come fully but in God I trust. James 1:

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Go to the For Sale page to see if it’s available.

A more advanced furniture painting technique (for me) is color blending to make a so-so piece dramatic and eye catching. Seriously I thought it was a skill for real full-time professional painters only, the painters who make a bunch of money and have their own successful shops. That is not me, so I dismissed it as something too advanced . . . until I found my painter sister friend experimenting with it. She demonstrated it which inspired me to watch some YouTube video’s, of which I am very thankful. Check out this instructional Brushed by Brandy. OK, I decided to give it a try.

My Process

First: Primed every thing but the cabinet top. The top was still in great shape with lots of grain, it needed some enhancing.

Second: One coat dark color homemade chalk paint (Starry Night by Sherwin Williams) over the entire piece – I paint with the drawers and doors removed.

Third: made sure I had plenty of time in the day to figure out this color blending thing. I chose a color that was a mid-range complimentary blue, not too light. Even with the best video’s, there are nuances to pick up by doing it.

Lesson Learned: Wet paint looks more dramatic then when it dries. I thought it was perfect when it was wet. The highlighting from color blending wasn’t nearly as dramatic looking after the piece dried so I am a bit disappointed. It doesn’t look like there is hardly any difference between the light and the dark. Next time: I’ll use two colors that have a bit MORE CONTRAST.

Fourth: experimented with the cabinet top to enhance the wood grain and deepen the color from orange to brown by applying Van Dyke Brown Glaze by General Finishes. Glaze is a transparent color but really I had no other reason to think that glaze would accomplish my goal and it did! I brushed it on like paint and left there without wiping any off as glaze is often used. Wowza!

Fifth: Applied a very light handed glaze shadow in the deep parts of the doors and on the edges everywhere. It helped to create more drama!

Last: Top coated before applying gold highlights on edges of the doors and drawers using Rub N Buff and my finger.

It turned out nicely despite the lack of color blending contrast. I’ll add it to my tool box of styling techniques for future pieces and as always, continue to study my craft.

I love this look and process so much, I did it again on this next piece found at Kiwanis Thrift sale last Saturday. Ethan Allen small buffet with louvered doors below is painted sea glass green, added paper clay applieque’s, GF Van Dyke Brown glaze all over and gold high lights.

In its previous life, this cabinet was an upscale TV console cabinet back in the day where TV’s were at floor level.  I found it banged up but in excellent shape otherwise.  I’m not a wine drinker but I see wine bar makeovers all over the place.  Of furniture I’ve come across to re-purpose, this one is definitely a wine bar.

Inspiration came from a Pottery Barn apothecary cabinet.  The squares on the cabinet doors made for a perfect apothecary look.  All surfaces were painted two coats General Finishes Lamp Black.  Still a few streaks of the bare wood are visible but it fits in with the look I was going for, so I didn’t go for a 3rd coat.

I’ve not embellished with copper accents before so I was unsure what paint to use.  My stand by for metallic accents is Rub N Buff but I could not find any in town.  The stuff on line looked reddish brown.  I had an appetite for shimmery penny copper.  I experimented with regular FolkArt acrylic paint at Joannes Fabric and found that dry brushing it was perfect for my vision.

The top coat is Chalked Matte Finish, but I have a downer experience with that product and this particular piece.  The product has a tendency to foam up with brushing.  I can accommodate that by minimizing the brush strokes usually.  This piece with all the corners was a real problem.  The foam accumulated in the corners and dried that way, looking like someone spit there.  Ug!  I love this product but I’ll not use it on pieces with a lot of detail.  I found a way to correct for the disappointment.

The wine rack came from Salvation Army earlier this summer and a failed attempt to organize spray paint cans.

So what am I doing with all these things I paint?  I wonder that myself.  I am very happy to see that some pieces have sold at Antique Mercantile.  That makes me very very happy.