French Provincial Hutch with Chicken Wire

I recently came across this french provincial hutch at a yard sale.  I can never pass on a frenchy piece, so this one came back to the shop with me for a little makeover.

The hutch was done in the typical cream and gold, which is a common look for the reproduction french provincial furniture made in  the 1970's.  I wanted to make the piece look more like an old world French antique than a tacky, vintage reproduction.

I gave it a softer look by painting it with Coco Chalk Paint®.  I wanted to create a weathered look to make the piece look authentically older. After applying two coats of Coco Chalk Paint®, I made a wash by mixing 50% Old Ochre Chalk Paint® with 50% water. I painted the wash on in sections and blended it over the Coco with a rag.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Old Ochre muted the Coco and transformed it into a soft, warm, neutral grey. After the wash dried, I applied a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax, which made the color even more beautiful and added a smooth, creamy look. I coated the brass hardware with rustic brown spray paint to offer a nice contrast with the paint.

I painted the, previously gold, back and shelves with Old Ochre to brighten up the inside of the hutch.

The final part of the transformation was taking the glass out and replacing it with chicken wire that was also sprayed a rustic brown.   

The transformation from 1970's French provincial to antique French country is complete!

Custom Painted Built-in Cabinet

Nancy and I were recently hired by customers at Loot to paint this freshly made, built-in cabinet that sits in a corner of their newly remodeled kitchen.  

Before

The cabinet started out with unfinished wood.

After

Our customers chose Versailles Chalk Paint for the exterior and Old White Chalk Paint for the inside of the cabinet.  

The customers wanted some dimension, so we distressed all the edges and then applied Annie Sloan clear wax, followed by dark wax.  Instead of applying the dark wax over the entire cabinet, we used a small artist brush to paint the dark wax into all the grooves and edges. We did this same dark wax technique on the painted beadboard on the inside of the built-in.

Our customers were thrilled with their newly painted built-in cabinet!  These two Chalk Paint colors look absolutely perfect against the pale, creamy wall color and also tie in with the warm tones in the hardwood floors.

Nursery Furniture Redo

 

An expectant mother hired me to transform a cradle and an armoire for her baby's nursery.

 

 

She found the petite, vintage armoire on craigslist.  It is the perfect scale for a nursery, but required a cosmetic intervention.

 

She wanted the piece to look shabby and distressed. I painted one coat of Paris Grey Chalk Paint® with a dry brush to allow the dark stain to show through.  I used a little Old White Chalk Paint® on the trim to show off the lines and details.  After the paint dried, I did a bit of distressing all over with sandpaper. 

 

I sealed the finish with Annie Sloan's Clear Wax. 

 

My client said this adorable cradle had been in her family a long time.  She just wanted it to be simple, shabby, and white.

 

 

I painted it with two coats of Old White Chalk Paint and finished the cradle with an all over, light distressing, to add to its vintage charm.

 

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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