PRETTY APPLE GREEN DESK MAKEOVER

I did a very similar desk a few weeks back and was so happy to be asked to do another.  I LOVE this color green and as fun, bright and funky as it is, it seems to go beautifully with anything.  The color is SW-Overt Green.  I did do a very light brown glaze over it, didn't want to dull to pretty green too much:)

Look at how much potential this guy had!  Loved the hardware so was happy when my customer wanted to keep it (not to mention filling in holes isn't much fun:)).  I did spray them out in Oil Rubbed Bronze so the contrast with the green would be better.

Before I sanded I stripped the top.  I might have gotten away with just sanding off the original finish, because it was that old, but I prefer the extra step of stripping the main layer off, which not only ensures that my stain will penetrate much better, but evenly.  Also makes the sanding easier.  

Another thing I always do is wipe it down with denatured alcohol and let dry before I stain.  I feel that this also helps with keeping the stain even and cleans the surface well.  I know some people like to use a pre stain sanding sealer, but it just doesn't seem to work out the best for me and raises the grain too much, making extra work. 

After 2 coats of the Minwax Dark Walnut stain I covered the top to spray prime the base.  I didn't clear coat the top first because I wanted to do the the entire piece at once.

Had NO idea what I was thinking, maybe I have way too much going on but I removed the top cover before I sprayed the green!  Was so mad!  Had to go cover it again.  Took me a whole 3 minutes.

Love the rich stain color and the bright pretty green with dark hardware!  My awesome lamp isn't too bad either:)

DATED VINTAGE TO VINTAGE MODERN!

I am really loving this set.  To be honest, it isn't different from many of the sets and pieces I have transformed in the past year or two.  But it still amazes me how all the hard work I do of patching, sanding, hole filling, priming, sanding, sanding, sanding, priming etc...really pays off!

Not my most miraculous "before and after", but pretty non the less!

You will notice how I removed the emblem from the top middle drawer.  Might be pretty for some finishes but my customer was looking to make this set more modern, so the emblem had to go!

The modern sating nickel hardware is perfect!

LOVE the perfect, seamless finish!

Nothin better than a good "before" picture:)

BIG BEAUTY WITH GRAY AND BLACK GLAZE!

I loved this piece even before it was paint mainly because it was SO BIG and curvy with tons of drawers.  It is also solid wood and very heavy but worth the back breaking work of getting it home!

After the base coat of BM-Morning Fog was sprayed and cured.  I glazed it with my favorite black glaze by General Finishes.

Definitely a little darker with more depth in person but I always seem to have a hard time getting a true color with my florescent shop lights.

The original hardware was sprayed in Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze.

OUTDATED OAK BEDROOM SET GETS A FRESH MAKEOVER!

I had a welcome challenge this past week of working on a customers beloved bedroom set that she has had and loved, for years.  She was in the middle of updating the bedroom and knew that painting the dated oak pieces would be the necessary change to truly get the look she was going for.

 
You can't see it easily but there was a "fan" type pattern on the doors and a couple drawers.  Because my customer trusted me and said "do whatever you think it best", I filler them in.

It can be a little tricky and because this set is getting a modern, seamless look, it was extra important to perfect this part.  It took a few layers of filler but was well worth extra time and work. 

I also had a lot of holes to fill.  I always use cut dowels first, putting some wood glue in the hole and insert a dowel, making it JUST slightly lower than the surface then add the filler after the glue dries.  I also like the dowel very tight and have been know to actually drill the whole a tiny bit larger if needed, to get a size to fit tightly and gently push it in with a hammer.

The color is a BM color called "Cotton Balls" and a wonderful soft shade of white.

I love the update the glass hardware gives to the set.

FUN COLORS

Loving the fun colors I've done the past few weeks.

I always love the classic whites that I do most of the time but it's always nice to have a funky color here and there:)


For a designer, was a fun challenge dealing with the stripes

Not often (or ever) do I get a cool vintage KING headboard!  Defiantly a fun statement piece.

This customer had this antique piece and wanted a punch of color in her kitchen.

Always bold and loving color, this Designer was looking for a statement piece in her master bedroom.

Customer wanted something soft, pretty and different.

Still in love with coral and thought it would look pretty with a dark rubbed oil bronze hardware.

PRETTY GRAY BUFFET WITH LAYERS OF GLAZING

Although this guy was structurally sound, it was pretty beat up!  I am pretty darn good and fixing and patching but it would have taken forever to try and make this "perfect", so I went with the imperfections and gave it more of a rustic feel.

The original wood hardware make this piece look very Art Deco, which wasn't the look I was going for.  After removing the hardware, patching up any major spots and planing down the drawers to slide and fit nicely, it headed off the the sanding booth!

I really didn't know what I was finish I was going to end up with.  After a base coat of a pretty blue/gray color I did a black glaze.

I softened up the black glazing by doing a SUPER light whitewash over top of that then followed that with a soft champagne metallic glaze. Didn't really want it to be too metallicy, but did want a little something. Few coats of clear lacquer sprayed on and it is good to go!

I keep all of my old hardware and found the perfect pieces for this piece.  Love how it turned out!

WHITEWASHED TABLE

Although I have done a whitewashing technique before, this is the first time I have done it for a customer.  She purchased this table on Craigslist for a great price.  It had 2 leafs and a pretty base.  Just needed some love.

She had a good idea and few pictures of what she wanted which helped tremendously!  She was  looking for a whitewashed, "driftwood" look and feel.

We did so a small sample board before I attacked the table, just to make sure we were on the same page.  TOTALLY recommend doing this for special or faux finished especially if you don't have picture as one person's "whitewash" may be a little different than another persons "whitewash":)

There are 2 leafs that came with the table, which I whitewashed as well.  I always do the leafs at the same time especially when doing any sort of faux treatment.  I actually put the leafs in the table (leaving gaps btwn) to work with it almost as one large table. That way you get the most consistency.

After I sanded, primed and sprayed the table in a dark gray base, I began the whitewashing.  I am sure there are many ways to do it but I like to use about %50 paint to %50 water.  You will also need a towel to remove most of the paint and I like to use a rough brush, like a chippy type brush.  A super nice, smooth Purdy brush will not give you the striations your looking for.

Dip the brush in the whitewash mixture just a bit, wipe most of the paint off on the rag and start your strokes.  Mixing it with water helps to keep it moving a little bit and have more continuous strokes.

After it dried a did a LITTLE bit more random whitewashing over top, just for extra depth.

Let dry, few coats of clear lacquer and it's done!

CORAL FRENCH PROVINCIAL

I typically do not buy pre painted pieces to refinish but the current paint job on this guy, although not pretty, was actually done nicely.  Also, it was solid wood, had dovetailed drawers and pretty, pretty curves…it was coming home with me!

Obviously the current hardware would be first to go…

I knew right away that this was going to be a piece that I was not going to put on my site as a custom option, but to refinish and sell myself.  Not sure why or how I choose these pieces, I just know right away with random pieces.

As always, the hardest part was deciding what color to use.  I swore I would not be mixing colors myself anymore but here I was again… breaking my own promise!  I had a color in my head that I wanted and just added a little this and a little that until I achieved the color. Kind of a coral/salmon shade.

Instead of using the traditional French Provincial hardware, which was my first choice because I did have enough for this dresser, I really liked this hardware and wanted to do something a little different.

Because the hardware I chose had too much gold going on, I did spray them with a light coat of oil rubbed bronze, whipping %50  off right way, just so a bit of the gold was popping thru, highlighting them.

I really love this dresser!  My girls were a heartbroken when they saw it and knew it would not be going in their room:(  I hope I don't mess them up with always doing pretty pieces that they fall in love with and shipping them out! I am sure they will be fine:)