There’s nothing quite like abusing furniture to work out the frustrations of daily life. I had a great opportunity this week to do a makeover on three pieces of already fairly distressed furniture.
Project One:
This Chalkboard is made out of part of an old door, there’s a bit of old crown molding and a bead board shelf bracketing the top. All it needed was a fresh coat of cream paint, some sanding through the layers and a glazing of a color I like to call ‘Decades of Grime’.
Project Two:
Next on the list is this rather large handmade cabinet. It too is created from re-purposed materials- some tongue in groove paneling, boards, old hinges, and some old moldings. The owner told me she’s painted and repainted it several times, threatened to get rid of it, but still thinks it has a place in her dining area. The thought here is to make it look like it was made out of an old store sign- quite plausible on the tongue in groove panels.
Grabbing my trusty can of cream paint again, it got a rough, uneven coat and then a bit of lettering in several colors and striping to create the old sign look.
After drying overnight, I got out my sandpaper, and scrapers to abuse the bejeebers out of the brand new paint, revealing layers, colors and the patina of years in the out of doors.
The last step was to again get out that special ‘Decades of Grime’ glaze to add to the illusion. This is when the magic happens, and the glaze catches in all the scratches, dents and gouges, just deepening the patina of aged loveliness.
The sanding and scraping has revealed layers of color, faded and brighter areas in the lettering. The glaze just adds even more depth to this, until the illusion is complete.
I just love this cabinet! There are plans to build some shelves above, distressed and glazed with ‘Decades of Grime’ of course, and add another chalk board to the mix in the coming weeks. It’ll be a great look, lots of fun, while being very useful as well.
Project Three:
Project three was to take an old oak pedestal table that had seen better days and just give it some personality. It’s really pretty plain, isn’t it? It’s OK, but it could be so much better.
Again, out came the cream paint for a rough, uneven coat. Remember- the idea isn’t to make it pretty and new, but even older and more abused, and with pizazz! I topped off the cream with a stenciled medallion and another on the skirting, plus a bit of cream on the pedestal to tie it all together.
Great medallion stencil! Again, sanding through the paint layers adds years of patina, while giving my arms a great work-out for the day. I need more of this sort of work to get rid of those arm flags.
Of course the table got the same special glaze to add even more personality to it’s great look. It will look terrific in it’s place of honor in the front bay window.
I am just loving the projects this client finds for me. She has even put my sewing skills to the test creating table cloths, and I’ll be making over draperies and upholstering benches in the next couple of weeks. You go girl!
Came over from Miss Mustard to see how you distress and abused perfectly good furniture because that is what I have been doing for years. I love all three projects and nothing is more stirring than a creamy finish showing her petticoats of older finishes!
Distressed Donna Down Home
Thanks so much, Donna! Love your blog- I’ll have to check it out more thoroughly soon.