Kidney Shaped Vanity in Country Grey

I was thrilled when I found this elegant vanity at a yard sale.  I love the kidney shape and the carved details on the drawer fronts. 

The finish on the top was damaged and scratched, so I filled the top with wood filler and sanded it smooth before painting.

For this special piece of furniture, I chose one of my favorite colors of Chalk Paint: Country Grey.  Country Grey is one of the colors I picked when I placed my very first Chalk Paint order, via the internet, back in June of 2011.  Since then, my love for this sophisticated neutral has never waned.

I wanted the carved, scrolling details to stand out, so I dry brushed Old White over them and then distressed, allowing the wood underneath to show through. To soften the contrast between the Country Grey and Old White, I went over them with a wash made by mixing half French Linen and half water.

click to enlarge

This vanity is no wallflower!  The backside, with its rounded sides and graceful lines, is just as stunning as the front.

This post is linked to the parties on my sidebar.

Blue & White Striped Cabinet

I picked up this small cabinet from the same seller that I bought the Old Ochre hutch from at a community sale.

It was just a dull and homely cabinet with scratches all over its surface.

I painted it with one of my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors: Louis Blue.  Since this cabinet was so plain I decided to dress up the inside panels of the doors with Old White stripes to add some character.

I finished it by distressing all the edges and putting a Coco wash over the whole thing to create a soft, French blue.  I purchased several old, glass knobs at a barn sale and I used these to add a little more charm to an otherwise plain, little cabinet.

I am currently using this cabinet, along with the Old Ochre and Aubusson hutches, as part of my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint display at Loot.

This post is linked to the parties on my sidebar.

Old Ochre Farmhouse Hutch

I had been looking for a second display hutch for our Chalk Paint at Loot, when I came across this vintage one at a community sale.  

It was plain and boring looking, but all the shelves and storage made it quite functional for displaying our Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and accessories. I love the spacious cupboard below that holds all of our extra cans of paint.

I painted the hutch with two coats of creamy Old Ochre Chalk Paint.  I love open shelving and they are more practical for display, so I removed the upper cabinet doors before painting the hutch.

Then, I bought some 220 grit sanding discs for my palm sander and distressed it all over.  Sanding the entire surface burnished the paint, making it silky smooth without needing any wax for protection.

I was going to order some hardware online, when I vaguely remembered that I had bought some beautiful, old bin pulls at a yard sale several months before and stuck them in my glove box.  I remembered them at the perfect time!

I love the dark, rusty bin pulls against the distressed Old Ochre Chalk Paint.

This post is linked to the parties on my sidebar.