Thursday, June 20, 2013

~ Who's snickering now....or how to transform your outdated furniture with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan ~

Hello friends...welcome back. 
If you are new here, I hope you like what you see and return for more visits.
Ok....here we go!
A while back I bought this 1960's wardrobe at my local Habitat Restore here in Warrenton, Va.
It was dark...gaudy with it's spray painted gold accents and very outdated.
When Mr. Retired Secret Agent picked it up, some of the men that helped him were snickering about how ugly it was.
BUT....
it was also solid wood, had dovetail drawers and sits on ball casters for easy moving.
Best of all..the price was right.
All it needed was a little Chalk Paint® love...right?
After a clean coat of Old White and stylish Ombre effect for the interior, she was ready to hit the shop floor.

Much better...don't you agree?
After a quick clean off...remember with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan, 99% of the time no further prep work is needed.

 Two coats of Old White were applied right over the old varnish.
I choose to leave the pulls unpainted as they were in great shape and I like the contrast of the dark metal.
I did however paint over the two pulls on the top part.
They were dark like the bottom ones, but I distressed them to reveal the underlying metal.
Looks like I added gilding wax, doesn't it!

Gone are the gaudy gold accent details. Now with paint and some gentle distressing with a sanding block they are an asset instead of a flaw in the design.
Let's take a look inside...

.
I wanted something a little different.
 I was inspired by the lovely Ombre dressers I have been seeing on Pinterest lately

I mixed up some Chalk Paint® in Napoleonic Blue and Florence to create a new shade of deep blue...then gradually added Old White to each batch to paint the drawers.
Chalk Paint® is so very easy to custom mix. 
Having Annie's Workbook makes it so easy to keep track of all your new custom mixes.
I keep a color mix notebook in the shop and customers have been referring to it more and more lately.

Annie calls this a "Quiet Riot"
The outside is elegant and 'quiet'
while the interior is doing a happy dance!
It is a great way to introduce a favorite color into your room without it being pushy or taking over.

I decoupaged the drawer bottoms with 1930's sheet music.
With a top coat of Mod Podge, the drawers are now very easy to wipe clean.
After a coat of Soft Clear Wax and some distressing, I'm done!

So what do you think?
Hey Habitat guys....who's laughing now?

PS....she is already SOLD!!
Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

                                                        

11 comments:

Amy W. said...

You're a living wonder! This piece is absolutely beautiful!! Such an inspiration you are!!

Lady Courtney said...

wow, but i knew it would turn out great with your hand on the paintbrush!!

Connie in Hartwood said...

Wait a minute!!! When I saw the unpainted preview on FB, I had no idea that THIS was the cute, incredibly heavy, white cupboard in your shop! What a total transformation. I'll be no one laughed when the new owner came to pick it up.

Aprons and More said...

Beautiful!! You do such nice work!

Katy :)

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

It looks great, Janet! Love how you did the inside for that bit of "Wow". That's what I love most about the chalk paint ~ no prep. I do, most of the time, wipe everything down with a Chlorox wipe and leave it to air dry before I paint. Some stuff is just too gross to leave "as is".

Sue said...

Wow factor on the interior, Janet! What a fun and wonderful transformation. :-) Sue

Deserae said...

Wow, what a transformation! I love the color and the inside is so delightful :o)
~Des

Claire said...

Fab makeover Janet, love the surprise element on the inside......
Ball castors and dovetail drawers, this cupboard had alot going for it and all it needed was someone with vision........

Claire x

Amy Chalmers said...

What a great before and after Janet! Love the ombre surprise inside.

Holly said...

Oh this is too beautiful! we just came home from two weeks of traveling, maybe if I pop in I will have a chance to see it before it goes to it's new home. I love how you see the beauty in everything, Janet!

L. Thompson said...

I rarely post anything online and I have not been to The Empty Nest for months due to medical issues and family obligations. However, I know that anything Janet sews, paints, and displays looks just as she----always eloquent, detailed, organized and polished. I tell this to everyone I can including her admiring competition who whole heartedly agree. I hope I can return soon to see your creativity in person as I know I have missed much.