Step Back Hutch {Before & After}

May 9, 2014 by 2 Comments

We have been playing musical furniture in our house a lot lately.  My favorite hutch found a new home in our dining room.  While the cabinet has made a world of difference in its new location, it has left a gaping hole in our kitchen!

Kitchen Wall

Lucky for me, I found the perfect sized Step Back Hutch at Simply Vintage of Cape Cod.  It came from an old kitchen in Osterville, MA and is thought to date from 1910-1930.  Surprisingly it has a solid one-piece backing (the top cannot be removed).

Hutch sv before 6

Although the size worked,  I hesitated because I thought it was a bit primitive looking and the hardware looked out of place.  I wanted something more farmhouse style and was not quite sure if a paint and hardware update alone would do the trick.

hutch sv before3
I sketched out a plan in my Annie Sloan Workbook to help visualize the changes without any distractions.  Sorry for the terrible rendering but it gave me a quick idea that the piece would work!
Hutch Sketch2
Once in place,  I cleaned the cupboard (with help from my Mom and one of my willing daughters) and removed the old hardware using wood filler to banish the holes.
Hutch Before
I found left over cabinet drawer pulls from our kitchen renovation (classic bin pulls from Pottery Barn) that would be a perfect fit for the larger drawers.  For the smaller drawers I  decided to use file-label draw pulls in a matching finish.
file drawer pulls
The plan was to paint the cupboard with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan.  The exterior and shelving would be painted in Old White with a pop of color planned for the shelf backing and the inside of the drawers.
colors
I decided on a custom color mix using Provence (2 parts)  Florence (1 part), and Old White (2 parts).
custom mix
This is the in-progress version (before wax).
Hutch During
I  love how the Old White brings a more unified look to the hutch while the custom color brings the piece to life.  Next, the hutch was finished with Annie Sloan’s Clear Soft Wax and the new hardware installed.
Hutch After Open
For a more streamlined look, the cabinet door hardware was eliminated.
Hutch After Closed 1

After a short respite at Simply Vintage of Cape Cod, this freshly painted hutch is back in service as command central in our kitchen.

Step Back Hutch After 3

Hopefully it will keep for another 100 years!

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Hand Painted Furniture, Restored & Restyled Tagged With: , , ,

Gilded Stenciled Mirror {Before & After}

December 6, 2012 by 19 Comments

About a year ago we visited our friends Scott & Sandy in Boston.  They were in the process of cleaning out some things in storage and –knowing I like to paint things– they generously sent me home with two of their old mirrors.

Since then, the mirrors have made a home here –waiting patiently in line with all my other unfinished projects for a bit of time and a creative spark.  Luckily inspiration finally arrived…

in the form of Annie Sloan’s Work Book (perfect for color and paint ideas and tips!),

 Royal Design Studio’s Springtime in Paris Stencil (in French Script oo-la-la!)…

and in Hello Lovely’s beautiful stenciled mirror!

I sketched out my project ideas and color mixes in my new Work Book and dug in.

I used Empire Gold Gilding Wax to stencil the poem onto the mirror.  I taped the stencil down and applied the Gilding Wax onto the mirror through trial and error…

In the end, it worked out best to apply a good dose of the gilding wax to the top of a sponge dauber and pounce it onto the surface.

 

I painted the frame in a mix of Aubusson Blue and Old White Chalk Paint™.  After it dried, I wiped off the paint to reveal some of the original gold finish.

Next, I dry brushed Cream Chalk Paint™ lightly onto the surface.  Taking a tip from Annie’s Work Book, I decided not to wax the painted frame.

I love the chalky, gesso-like feel and the flat quality of the un-waxed paint and how the gold script shimmers in the light.

Now finished, the mirror has found its rightful place–over our mantel!

P.S.   Please don’t tell Scott & Sandy!

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Restored & Restyled Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Painted Wicker Garden Chair

May 2, 2012 by 24 Comments

To paint or not to paint?  This is a question I often ask myself.   I love chippy old finishes on furniture and the characteristic dings and scratches that make them unique. Regardless, I’m almost always tempted to paint them.

When I found this vintage wicker stool I wasn’t quite sure what to do.

Then I came across this old green skirted wicker chair.  The chippy finish seemed busy and distracting in comparison.

 You can barely detect the woven diamond pattern centered on the back of the chair.

I decided to paint the chair in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint —a mix of Old White and Provence thinned with water.

I didn’t attempt full coverage of the paint over the wicker.  I like how the original green color peeks out in places.

To paint or not to paint?

Sometimes the answer to that age old question is an emphatic “Both!”

If you are lucky enough, others will agree!

Linking up to:
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Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Hand Painted Furniture, Restored & Restyled, Vintage Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ship’s Wheel Mirror Makeover

May 1, 2012 by 4 Comments

When I found this old ship’s wheel mirror, I thought it would be perfect for a fun makeover.

The frame was in fair shape but the mirror was desilvered in sections giving it an antique look. While I find that appealing with many old mirrors, it didn’t match my plans so I removed the mirror from the frame.

The paper backing was date stamped–Valentine’s Day 1949 to be exact.  I love to find out a little history about furnishings…even if they are of a newer vintage.

 

The plan was to replace the mirror with a chalkboard.  First, I used the mirror to outline a circle on a piece of MDF that had a similar thickness as the mirror.  My husband cut the MDF to size using a jigsaw.   I painted the MDF with three coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (TM) in Graphite and let it dry overnight.

For my other paint colors I chose Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (TM) in Greek Blue, Old White and Primer Red taking cues from this fishing boat for my color inspiration.

  When the paint was dry I applied one coat of Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax to seal it…

 and christened the new chalkboard for its maiden voyage…


Linking up to:

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Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Favorite Places, Restored & Restyled, Vintage Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Repurposing Old Chart Maps

December 4, 2011 by 18 Comments

As you may know from an earlier post, I love green-ish blue-ish.  The color catches my eye wherever I see it.  I particularly love the aqua color that is found in nautical chart maps.

Actually, I like all the colors on the map and all the markings land and sea.

After seeing Miss Mustard Seed’s magic with sheet music (including her sheet music dresser and sheet music wreath),  I thought it might be fun to do something similar with old nautical maps.  My first attempt was a paper cone wreath…..

 

I did several of these until I got the hang of it.  I thought I’d try something on a smaller scale–paper ornaments since you can do multiples in much less time.  While the possibilities are endless, I found one version that I liked at Under the Table and Dreaming and just followed the instructions.

 

Now on to furniture!  My friend found this simple side table at a yard sale and thought it might be something I would be interested in painting.  He was right!

I decided to paint the table in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Duck Egg Blue.

To add interest to the plain table top, I added a Compass Rose.

I painted the Compass Rose in ASCP Country Grey and Old White highlighting the table edges  in Country Grey.

I used decoupage medium to secure the map to the dawer front and added a monkey fist drawer pull in place of the original.

I finished the piece with Annie Sloan’s Clear and Dark wax, slightly distressing it in the process.

If you happen to have any out of date chart maps that you no longer need, please send them my way.   I can certainly put them to good use!

Linking up to:

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Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Hand Painted Furniture, Reclaimed Tagged With: , , ,

Me and My Drum (Table)

October 15, 2011 by 8 Comments

I was lucky enough to come by this mahogany table at an estate sale.

It was scratched up a bit in a few places but other than that was in good condition.

All the table needed was a quick cleaning and then I got right down to painting.

Hmmmm….but wait a minute…what color?   I decided to mix some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I mixed Graphite and Old White as the basecoat and put in a little Primer Red for good measure.

I painted the draw pull black and decided to do a dry brush technique on the table base and apron.

My color of choice?  Cream.

I wanted a solid color on the table top so I decided to paint it Graphite and used clear and dark wax on the table top (and two clear coats of wax on the rest).

Shortly after I finished this piece, my friend and neighbor came by with a yard sale find for my next project.  A trumpet table!

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Before & Afters, Hand Painted Furniture, Restored & Restyled, Vintage Tagged With: , , ,