Vintage Cabinet Find

Sometimes I get lucky and find a piece of furniture that requires no work.  I found this vintage cabinet at a yard sale and all I had to do was move it to Loot.

The woman I bought it from said that she and her boyfriend fixed up the old cabinet themselves and I think they did a wonderful job.  They painted the cabinet white and used a pretty wood stain on the top and drawer fronts.

I wanted to replace the knobs with bin pulls, but the cabinet sold the first week I displayed it at Loot, before the bin pulls arrived in the mail. 

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Pretty in Pink: Antoinette Armoire

While visiting family in Sacramento over the holidays, Mr. Rubbish and I found a whole bedroom set at the Salvation Army and we happened to be there the day that everything in the store was 50% off.  The set came with the armoire, a long dresser, two night stands and a king size headboard. I took the sticker off the set to take to the register and then started to doubt my decision for a moment.  I thought about all the  transport that was required to get this set back to Santa Cruz and then all the painting it would require once we got it there. Another customer must have sensed my hesitation because she came up to me and said she was in love with the set and if I did not buy it, she would.  Well, that provided me with all the motivation I needed and I took my ticket to the register.

My little sister just bought her first house, so I painted the long dresser to be used as a sideboard in her new living room.  I will show you how it turned out next time I visit her.  She likes having me come over because I love decorating for her. You may recall her bedroom redo I helped her start a while ago.

The finish on this bedroom set was some kind of hideous, green, faux finish from the 70's.  The details and solid construction are what make this set special.  My grandparents had a bedroom set with this same finish and I always remember thinking how pretty it would look painted. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to paint their set.  

I love the inside of this armoire with the little compartment shelves.  I kept the inside green because it is a great complement to the pink exterior.

Because of the lovely details and the petite scale, I thought this armoire would be perfect in a little girl's room.  This is the first time I have painted anything with Antoinette Chalk Paint and it sure is a pretty pink!

After two coats of Antoinette, I dry brushed Old White Chalk Paint over all the trim and hardware.

The hardware is gorgeous and really stands out against the pink.

I finished the armoire with a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax and buffed it to soft sheen.

 It is all ready for a princess bedroom!

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Two-toned Vintage Desk

This clean-lined, two-toned desk was in rough condition when I spotted it at a moving sale.  

A huge chunk of the top middle drawer was missing; nothing a little spackling paste and paint couldn't fix.

I thought the desk looked charming with two tones, so I patched it up and kept it two-hued with French Linen and Old White Chalk Paint.

I protected the paint finish with Annie Sloan clear wax and then buffed it for a smooth sheen.

I wanted to squeeze this grain sack bench into the post, since it looks cute with this desk.  I found a piece of linen fabric at the shop and used that to upholster the seat.  I used painter's tape and Graphite Chalk Paint to put three running stripes down the center of the fabric to create a faux grain sack.

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Red China Cabinet

Just before the holidays, a woman hired me to paint this china cabinet that she purchased down the street at another antique shop.  

Before, it had a boring, medium brown finish.  She chose Emperor's Silk Chalk Paint, which is a rich and sophisticated red.  I have not used this color very often, but it is gorgeous and makes a dramatic statement in a room.

 Here it is all set up and looking lovely in my client's dining room.

The finishing coat of dark wax adds a touch of artistry over the bright red of the Emperor's Silk.

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