Distressed Mint Buffet, {the detailed transformation}

Hi friends! Today I've got an awesome transformation of a really dull piece with lots of potential into something extraordinary. I took lots of pics along the way so you could really see what goes into a makeover and take notes for yourself if this is an interest of yours as well. To start, you need a piece of furniture.:) I look for things that are structurally sound, heavy, sturdy, but also just really interesting. Chunky pieces typically catch my eye and unique details that set a piece apart from others I've seen. (Things that don't matter to me: type of wood, color, hardware, scratches/nicks/chips)

This large buffet I found at Goodwill hit everything on my checklist for a piece to transform

Though seasonally appropriate at the moment, the iron leaf knobs were not lining up with my vision for this piece. 

So I easily removed them with a screwdriver.

The new hardware I got required smaller holes, which meant I needed to fill in the existing holes.

I plugged the old holes up with Elmers Wood Filler.

While I waited for the wood filler to dry and harden I got to work sanding the edges of my piece just to smooth over all the rough spots. I used 120 grit sandpaper.

Once my wood filler hardened I could sand it down smooth. Sand in all directions; circular motion, left to right, up and down - you want to make sure it is a completely smooth surface.

After all the sanding was done I brushed on my first coat of paint. In this case my first coat was Duck Egg by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. First coats of paint do not have to look good. You can paint like you did in third grade.:)

After my first coat dried I began my second coat - for this piece I layered two colors, so my second coat was Spring Mint by Behr. On large surfaces like the top, I like to brush in circular motion followed by an even back and forth motion.

Once the paint dried completely I distressed along the edges, corners, and areas of the larger surfaces using a medium grit sanding block. After wiping the dust off I used a clean rag to wipe on an even coat of Minwax Polyurethane clear semi-gloss.

After the sealer dried all that was left to do was replace the drawers and doors, attach the new hardware, (after careful measuring), and bring the finished piece inside for it's glamour photos!

{66"L x 29"H x 19"D}
Piece has sold. Please contact me if interested in something similar!

Thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea

Duck Egg + gold casters

Hi friends! I absolutely adore the piece I'm showing you today; in fact, I was so excited to begin working on it that I completely neglected a before picture. Shame, shame. I wish I could say it won't happen again...

When I found this amazing coffee table, (originally a messy dark stain with lots of nicks and scratches), showing off it's gold capped casters, I felt a little challenge to make it something exciting. After sorting through various colors that are more classic and sophisticated in nature, I decided on Duck Egg by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - a rich aqua that is playful and fun, but elegant and classy when distressed and paired with gold.

{Now available for sale. $175  35.5"D x 15.75"H}

The low-down:

-Cleaned the piece using a damp cloth

-Blue taped each gold cap to protect from paint

-Applied 2 even coats of Duck Egg by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint using a 3" brush

-Distressed every corner and edge with a medium sanding block

-**Sealed using Minwax Polyurethane clear semi-gloss

**I wanted this piece to really shine. Traditionally, chalk paint is sealed with soft clear wax, which works beautifully to protect pieces. However, you  to will end up with a fairly matte finish, even after buffing. I love the matte finish, but every once in a blue moon I want to give a piece some real shine. If you want a shinier, glossier finish, there is nothing wrong with applying a clear gloss sealer over a chalk painted piece. If you are using a lighter color, just be sure you choose a water based gloss sealer, rather than oil based, which can result in yellowing the finish. Water based gloss sealers will keep your white pieces white. I've sealed chalk painted pieces in Minwax Polyurethane clear semi-gloss only a handful of times, but it has worked out really well each time I've tried it.

Thank you for stopping by! 

~Chelsea

Buffet with salvaged (looking) drawers

~All pieces available for sale can be found here~

Over the past week I have had the absolute pleasure of working with a wonderfully creative client. We've discussed some really fun and unique ideas for how she wants her pieces refinished and they are different from anything I've ever done. I love fresh, new ideas and enjoy working a bit out of the box....so when she showed me a picture of an amazing piece that looked like the drawers had been made from the salvaged wood of shipping crates, I was ready to get started immediately. Such an interesting project!

Here is my replicated version:

I wanted to personalize this piece for my sweet client so I included the city she's from, Washington D.C., on the drawers. For all my francophone friends, imagine how cute this idea would be with Paris streets and addresses! 

I included a few small peeks of the green underneath. I'd forgotten how much I adore a saturated mossy green next to a vibrant aqua. Love!

(Recognize the piece? It's the moss green storage buffet that I had refinished a while ago in Chateau Grey by Annie Sloan chalk paint. It was just the size my client needed and I was happy to refinish it again. She requested Duck Egg blue, also by Annie Sloan. FYI, I've never mentioned it, but it is extremely easy to paint chalk paint over chalk paint. I had completely finished this piece before when it was done in Chateau Grey - wax and all. I just painted right over the buffed wax with my Duck Egg, no problem)

This was definitely one of my favorite custom orders yet and so much fun to work on!

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea