Buffet O'Rama

I'm on a buffet kick! Seriously, I've got like 3 of these waiting on the assembly line! I had picked this one up months ago. And, so it has sat in the garage awaiting my divine inspiration and artistic creation......OK,,,,gag! It sat because I was too lazy to get around to working on it. There. I said it. 

         However,,,,,sometimes things are best left to sit and simmer for a spell.....don'tcha think??

As usual, I took down the top to the raw. I love to sand! be careful when sanding veneer woods. Start at an 80-100 and work your way up to 220. Use your hands to feel. I Applied a pre-conditioner (a MUST before you stain to avoid uneven absorbency), a gel stain (don't remember exactly what I used. I mix my stains. Probably walnut and a red mahogany) and 2 coats of Deft water based acrylic top-coat in satin. I like using satin finishes on these old pieces. They weren't meant to be all glossy like the mid century stuff. 
Please don't use a wipe-on poly on a nice piece of wood like this. Deft in a can is so easy and it goes on beautifully. Get a good brush. I also like to use General Finishes Arm r Seal Urethane. If you have to use a wipe-on, use this one. It's amazing. 

           This is a fine example of "ribbon mahogany". See all the lines running across the top?

I think distressing all the nooks and crannies really adds so much to these old pieces. 

Sometimes you can go overboard or "patchy placement" can look phony. So, be careful.

 I hate the look of random distressing smack dab in the middle of the sides or drawers. 

                            I mixed my own CP again. Used "divine pleasure" by Behr. I like using the little Behr sample pots for CP. 2 parts paint to 1 part plaster of paris. mix the PP alone w/a little hot water until it's like pancake batter. Then slowly mix into the paint (you will need a separate container to store your new paint. 

I am the absolute worst when it comes to handles! I always lose one. Although, I think this piece was already short one handle when I got it. Of course I don't discover these things until I'm all done! So I went to my stash and found these chippendale style handles to put on the doors. First they all got sprayed with gold spray paint and then dry-brushed with the white. A quick go over with some sand paper and a quick spray of poly sealer. 

Love!!

To get a smooth surface before applying your wax, sand your paint with a very find grit 220 or 320. Be gentle! Go in one direction until it feels smooth as silk. Wipe it down. Now apply your wax and buff until you get a nice sheen. It shouldn't feel gritty, before or after you wax! Sand, people!

                 
                         The body got a good waxing with Myers clear wax. And that's all she wrote!

This one sold quickly. I believe the buyer said he was going to use it as a vanity bathroom cabinet.I cringe to think this beautiful top was going to hacked up, but hopefully he's using vessel sinks!

Linking up at these great parties:

Restore Interiors - Restored it Wednesday

Kammys Korner - Trash to Treasure Tuesdays

Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed - Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux - Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings - Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Night Special

1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best Party

Knick of Time Interiors - Knick of Time Tuesday

Elizabeth and Co., My uncommon Slice of Suburbia,

Savvy Southern Style. Weds, Beyond the Picket Fence, PJH Designs

From my Front Porch to Yours,  

Between Naps on the Porch

                                                   The Dedicated House, Redoux

Stickley End Table

I found this darling (well, it is now!) side table from some guy that was clearing out

his mothers house. It was trashed. Didn't find out until I got it home and did

some research that it was a Stickley piece. 

Fifteen dollah make you holla!! LOL

           I had already started when I remembered I hadn't snapped a before photo! 

Solid mahogany with this cool design inlay. As you can see, it was quite damaged. These pieces can actually be worth quite a bit in a pristine state. However, pristine was 3 decades ago with this piece. It was too far gone. But I did save the solid wood top. It finished up beautifully.

I'm still soaking the hardware. I'm doing the patina soak. Cider vinegar and sea salt.

Hoping to get some of the verdigris look. 

So first off, since this is mahogany and we know how this bleeds, I painted it with a wood sealer. You must start using this! Plus, it protects the wood. So, if in the future anyone wants to take off the paint and attempt to restore the wood, they can. With this stuff, you don't have to sand the crap out of the wood and damage any intricate areas (like the legs) in order to get the paint off. It's quick, easy and dries fast. Sometimes you can use a white primer but sometimes you don't want the white primer to show when you are distressing. 

Use the seal coat. 

Little Frenchy nightstands

Found these little nightstands a few weeks ago and thought

I would spruce them up.

Did my own chalk paint in white and I used Cece's Vermont Slate

as an accent and on the handles. I also mixed some black paint with 

some silver glaze to go over the slate. 

I tried the wax paper method for this transfer from the "Graphics Fairy".  Lemme just say that
wax paper does not mesh well with my printer! However, doing a little improvisation, I taped the wax
paper to a sheet of printer paper and got fine results! Be aware that once you start your transfer, be darn
sure of it's placement! Once that paper touches anything the ink is transferred! Ask me how I know this.........Windex does a fine job of cleaning up any oops.  Oh, and waxing or applying a topcoat will
smear the ink. I thought it would have dried after a day or two, but apparently it doesn't. So, I wiped it
down with water and was left with what you see above. These tops got an acrylic top coat.

Chalkboards and message boards

My sister dropped off some picture frames so I thought I would

up-cycle them into chalkboards and little message/jewelry hanging thing-a-ma-jigs! 

I painted with chalk paint, waxed, attached fabric and some chicken wire

and....here ya go!.....

French Provincial Make-over

 So I found this beat up set off of, where else???  CL.  

These little numbers are pretty hot items around here now. I'm

always on the lookout for someone who just wants to get rid

of it and not hassle w/the selling process. 

Behold this awesome beauty.......

 

I know, right??? On the positive side, it was solid wood dove tailed drawers. 

Other than the grease, grime, filth, OMG contact paper and chipping paint, it was in good shape!

I wanted to try something different on this set.  

       Taking my inspiration from Beth over at SawdustandEmbryos, 
I decided to try her staining technique. 

I stripped the top using my Soy gel stripper and sanded with 80,150 and 220. 

                                   First, I drew out some flower petal designs using chalk.
                     Then, I gathered my tools and stain and spent the next 4-5 hours "staining".

I won't go into too much detail because I pretty much went by what Beth did.
Mine looks a lot more "blended" then hers.  It all depends on what final look you are going for.
I used a very small brush to outline the petals so I could keep the lines of the petals separate from
 the neighboring one.  It's not as difficult as it looks. Just a little time consuming.
But I love doing stuff like this. 

      I used Varathane's "Kona" and "Weathered Gray" and some "Red mahogany" thrown in there too.

I love the way the stain turns out when you use it like paint!  This was kind of an experiment. I figured
if it didn't turn out well, I could just paint over the top.  The wood on top of this dresser wasn't exactly

Can't get enough of this color and my new workshop!!!!

I'm on a turquoise color kick! I just love this color from the 

Real Milk Paint co.  They call it cobalt but it's this stunning shade of turquoise. 

This 100 yr old buffet was in great condition. 

I didn't want to cover up the wood but just wanted to enhance it a bit. 

 I forgot to snap a pic before I started.  The wood is quarter sawn oak and hardly needed any

attention. I sanded the doors and drawers and went over them with some stain that

matched the body. Painted with the milk paint. Oh I forgot, I actually did a first coat

with the color "peacock" and then did my second coat in cobalt.  I didn't want the color

to be too bright and I like the greenish-blue underneath.

I have to post a pic of my new garage makeover-workbench area!  Everything was done with stuff

we already had laying around the garage. The wood flooring on the wall has been up in the rafters

for 5 years! Wasn't enough to really do anything with so why not bling up the workspace area?!

 Mr Pretty built me the new work bench and put the wood on the wall. I stained and sealed, as usual!

Victorian Dresser in Turquoise Milk Paint

I picked up this stunning dresser and matching mirror awhile back.  

It most assuredly is from the Victorian period. So I'm putting it's age 

at 110+!  Other than a few dings, broken casters and some carvings on the top, it

was in damn good condition. (Minus the hideous contact paper lining the drawers...OMG)

My fave shade of milk paint, cobalt blue (really turquoise) from the Real Milk Paint Co.

I'm in love with this color! It so suits this era of furniture, IMHO. 

So here is the application of the milk paint. I had already sanded and cleaned the wood and touched

up stain in the spots that needed it. The milk paint flaked perfectly. I didn't want a lot of paint,