Custom Pet Bed from a Vintage Hexagon Table

I was approached by a customer who saw my pet bed for sale and wanted to know if I could do it in a different color. She wanted it done in a dark teal with a black glazing and a dark red interior. Mine was black and white w/turq. 

Rather than repainting this one, I found another one for sale on Craigslist that was almost identical in looks (but not in quality. More on that tidbit later!) Plus, she wanted it to sit higher so she bought some short legs. 

 I had already started to rough up the finish on this one. Now when I mentioned quality, I meant the MDF stuff! That's what this was around the door frame and such. How did I know??? When the screws just fell out and the door came apart! 

I'm so fortunate to have a handy husband who can figure out how to build, attach, fix,
modify, etc,,,just about anything! He was able to fabricate a piece of wood to fit into the slot where the mdf disintegrated!  And he was able to find a a way to attach the legs to a bracket! Be aware that when you buy these feet with the machined-in screw, you usually need a 'female' receiver part to screw into it. Most people forget that part. As did my customer. The after market ones you can buy come with a large bracket attached to it. It's a mess to install. 

Here is a shot of how it was attached. Don't ask me how he did it! 

 I stained the bare wood on the legs with an ebony dye. Everything got sanded and sealed with a coat of shellac. The interior was primed with a red primer and then sprayed with Rustoleum "Colonial Red" in a satin finish. 

i know, the feet look a little wonky in the pic. I did straighten them up before I was done. 

The outside got a coat of a gray chalk paint,sanded, and then given two coats of the teal chalk paint. (I make my own chalk paint). This teal color is a Valspar color called, "Velvet Curtains", but I had it matched in a Behr sample pot. Behr paint is the best for homemade chalk paint. (I use the plaster of paris mix)

 Here's what it looked like after painting and fine sanding. I forgot to take a picture of glazing part! I used a Martha Stewart glazing medium, some of her silver metallic paint and some black paint. To glaze you just brush it on and wipe it off with a wet rag. If you want it darker and more concentrated, wait a minute before wiping it off. Super easy. 

Anyway, here it is all finished. 

                   My cat Tommy was nice enough to model the inside for me! 

The customer has a friend who can sew a cushion for her. Would be cool to get one made
out of a killer fabric to set off these fabulous colors! 

I just love these two colors together. Color Wheel complimentary colors! 

 All of the chalk paint got a layer of clear wax mixed w/a little dark wax. 

Oh, and to get the crisp lines in between the colors, I used blue tape and sealed the side I was going to paint w/a bit of clear poly topcoat. It dries quickly. Now when you paint, the color won't bleed under the tape! You could also use the opposing color on the tape, but since the red was in a spray can, I couldn't exactly dab it on the tape! Keep this poly trick in mind whenever you need crisp lines.

Double duty tables!! Perfect!! 

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