Vintage Buffet in Iron Ore

A friend contacted me about buying this buffet from her.  I knew right away I couldn't pass it up.  I love that it's smaller and it's simple lines.  I didn't like the pulls on the drawers and the doors, but I knew that was an easy fix.  I also am not in love with waterfall style furniture but I wanted to give this one a modern twist. 

 I had my original idea for this one and then, all the sudden, I was unsure.  I went back and forth in my head about what to do and the more I thought about the less sure I was.  So, I asked my hubby what he thought and he said, "Slate gray."  Well, he doesn't offer up his opinion very often and I was thrilled he spoke up (and it was one of the colors I was already considering) so I decided to run with it (for him ya know). ;)

 BEFORE

She had refinished it once so the finish was in excellent condition.  Thank you Julie! :)

AFTER

I love the moody feel of this piece now.  It's not too feminine and not too masculine.  And, I'm thinking this graphite color is one of my new faves!

It had a gorgeous cherry top.  Tweet twoo!

 The drawer bottoms were a little iffy so I lined them with paper.  

*Tip: Seal them with Modge Podge for easy cleaning!

 I. Absolutely. Love. These. Knobs.!!

 These too!  I used gild creme to highlight them. 

He said he really likes it so I'm a very happy girl! 

Brickwede Buffet

I picked this piece up at my local Habitat for Humanity.  It looked pretty rough, the finish was beat up and the pulls were missing.  The middle door was stuck pretty tight, too.  But, I couldn't pass it up.  It's a Brickwede, which manufactured furniture in Ohio from 1917-1959, and it's beautifully  made.  I love a good find!

I haven't done black in a while and it seemed like a good fit for this piece.  The door fronts have beautiful mahogany book matched veneers on them so I opted to strip them and keep them natural.  

I also received an email from Debbie from Rustic Brands Hardware and Home Decor and she asked me if I'd like to try some of their hardware.  Well, I wasn't about to say no to that offer!  Thanks so much Debbie.  I chose the black and white flower knobs in the first after pic.  The knobs looked great and they are very high quality.  I'm very happy with them.  You should stop by their website and check them out! 

 BEFORE

 AFTER (knob option 1)

 I like how these knobs give this buffet a little more feminine feel. 

 Aren't they the sweetest? 

 AFTER (knob option 2)

I also wanted to show the buffet with a little more masculine feel, so I opted for these hammered, flat black oval knobs.

 I sanded the top down and stained it Dark Walnut from Minwax and gave it 4 coats of High Performance Top Coat from General Finishes. 

Love this bold print fabric in the drawers. 

 I really like the flat black top coat over black paint.  

Antique buffet in black

This gorgeous antique buffet belonged to the same set of the Depression Era hutch I just refinished.  Two beautiful pieces of furniture.  This piece had quite a bit of veneer damage and the previous owner had tried to fix it but didn't do a very good job.  I didn't want to peel all that lovely veneer off for a few icky spots so I smoothed it out the best I could and then went ahead and painted it. I always say--these are not new pieces of furniture.  It's normal for them to show their love. ;)

 BEFORE

 AFTER

 There are so many beautiful details on this piece,  It gave  me a good workout when I distressed them all! :)

 Someone recently asked me if sanding between every coat was really necessary.  You already know my answer. Lol.  If you want an outstanding finish I believe sanding between every coat is necessary.  I know it's a lot more work, but I promise you it is worth it.

 Detailing on the back piece. 

 I just love these legs.  Chunky, turned, fluted....what more could a girl ask for???

 Another gorgeous mahogany top.  I sanded it down to the bare wood, gave it 1 coat of Java Gel from General Finishes and finished it with 3 coats of Varathane in Satin. 

Color= All Surface Enamel in stock black from Sherwin Williams

Have a great weekend!

Antique Buffet in Ash (Fusion Mineral Paint)

I passed this buffet up twice before on FB because of the price.  When Frankie listed it the third time I hemmed and hawed because he had lowered the price and finally....

I CAVED!

I admit, I have no willpower.  I mean 0, zip, nada!  When I went to pick it up I talked him down $50 more and then I was one happy camper!  I have a hard time saying no to these antique buffets so when the price is right it does my heart good! :)

It sat in my garage for a couple of weeks while I finished up some other projects (and recovered from shingles,  get the shot if you can, you DO NOT want them!).  It gave me time to think about what I wanted to do.  It's such a timeless piece and I wanted to update it, but wanted it to still feel classic.  

 BEFORE

I sanded the top down in 30 degree weather, but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do. ;)  It was a beautiful piece of wood so I was happy even with frozen fingers. 

You'll notice in the after photos I also took off some of the broken trim pieces at the bottom.  There were too many missing to fix, so I  just removed them even though it hurt my heart to do so. I kept the middle pieces because I just couldn't stand to see them all go....

 AFTER

The base of this buffet was done in Ash from Fusion Mineral Paints.  I really enjoy working with their paints and they have such a nice finish as well.  

I then washed it in a color similar to French Linen from AS.  I just mixed my paint with water until it was thin and brushed it on, then wiped it off with paper towels (redoing the parts I wanted to be a little heavier).  It really brings out the texture of the wood and gives the paint a lot of dimension. 

 These legs make me weak in the knees.  So beautiful!

I did the wash really heavy on the applique as I wanted it to go in all the nooks. 

Also, I left the paint in the trim detail.  What a gorgeous backsplash! Thankfully the trim work was still intact on it!

I can't even tell you how much I love this!  I waxed it with clear and dark wax when I was done and then around the edges with gilding cream. It's very subtle, but more noticeable in person. 

These antique pieces have so much character and I am really starting to embrace letting it show through instead of trying to "fix" it.  I'm telling you, a type A personality is hard to overcome! :)

Gorgeous top.  You know the drill, sand down, on this one 1 coat of Java Gel from General Finishes, and then 4 coats of Varathane in satin. 

When I finished staining it there was a dark spot in the middle.  At first it really bothered me, but then I decided it was part of the "character" I was talking about.  That's the beautiful thing about wood, it's unpredictable and inconsistent.  Just the way nature intended. 

Oooh la la! 

A lot of people mention attention to detail and it really can make or break a piece.  I love this soft blue/green.  It compliments the gray so nicely and it's not overwhelming.  I also had to paint the drawers and line them because there were ink stains on the bottoms of the drawers that I couldn't sand out.  I just sealed them with shellac, painted, and lined.  I love how fresh they are now when you open them!  It's a lovely little surprise. 

I love the antique bronze hardware with this graphite color, and with the gilding (you can see it in the bottom right corner of this pic).  It all ties in nicely with each other.  At first I had two turquoise knobs on the top drawer, but they just didn't "feel" right, so I ended up using all the same knobs on the drawers. 

Still completely adore these!

This piece will be available for sale at Consign It at Bay Square Park in Green Bay, WI later this month.  Email me if interested!

Antique Buffet in Coquille

I have this friend.  She is an amazing woman.  The kind of woman that should write a book about her amazing life.  The only thing is I'm sure she doesn't see herself this way at all.  I'm sure she thinks of herself as "just a mom" living an ordinary life. I hope, one day, she can look back at her life from a different perspective and see what a difference she's made in this, often times, ugly world.  She has a pure heart and a beautiful spirit.  She has raised amazing children.  Children whom have deserved extraordinary love and care and she has blessed them with it. She is talented, generous, and kind.  Qualities I hope to possess in half the abundance she possesses. 

So, on this day, Nancy, I am giving you a huge shout out for being some kind of 

WONDERFUL! 

Nancy and her husband were fortunate to buy their neighbor's land, which had a house on it.  This house was in pretty rough shape and they decided the best course of action would be to tear it down. I took pictures and can't find them now, but it was pretty spooky looking from the outside.  She was very brave for cleaning this place out.  She messaged me one day and said she found some things I might be interested in.  So, I braved this dilapidated house. climbed the rickety stairs, and saw this beauty on the second floor!  My hats off to both our husbands for breaking their backs getting it down the stairs.  

It sat in my storage unit for the last year and a half because the top drawer was missing and I wasn't quite sure what to do about that.  Well, I already told you about the Superman I have stashed away and he never fails me.  He made a few false drawer fronts for me and away I went. 

I recently tried French Lime paint from Maison Blanche and knew I just had to try it in another color.  I wanted it soft, modern, and sophisticated, so I choice Coquille.  It's a light greige color, a little more on the gray side than beige. 

I thought I was going to die waxing this beast but it was worth every stroke. ;)

 BEFORE

This is my husband's shop, not mine.  It's a good thing, by law, that half of what's his is also mine. ;)

 AFTER

Isn't she lovely?  Isn't she wonderful?  Imagine me singing that.  On second hand, don't.  I can't sing worth a crap. 

There are so many amazing details on this piece and I'm going to show you all of them, so sit back and enjoy the view!

 The detail on the "backsplash".  This piece is solid, including the back piece.  

 Thankfully it had a gorgeous top, so I sanded it down, gave it two coats of Java Gel, and 4 coats of Varathane. 

 You know the hardware is my favorite part.  I've had my eye on these babies for a while now, but needed a piece that was big enough to carry them off.  This buffet was perfect.  I normally stick to only two kinds of hardware, but there are three on this baby and I think she pulls it off swimmingly!

 Gorgeous detailing on the doors and the bottom molding. 

 Aren't these legs yummy?!  I love how the ball feet look waxed.  Yes, I'm weird. 

 This makes my heart thump. 

I couldn't resist doing a pop of color on the inside and she has these cute little drawers behind the door that were perfect for it. 

 I also had this left over fabric from Hobby Lobby.  I absolutely love the huge print and that it's not matchy matchy (which I have a hard time not doing sometimes).

 This buffet is actually going in a nursery and she's having a little girl.  I wanted to do something special for her so this is on the inside of the left door. 

 You would never expect it from looking at the outside. ;)

I drooled on it, but cleaned it up....