Saturday, October 22, 2011

An English-Inspired Cupboard

I haven't painted anything in awhile, but today I bought (for a song) a wonderful white, chippy park bench at Spruce Antiques and Interiors in Hillsborough. I want the piece to remain chippy (rather than eventually being only bare wood--it's that chippy!), so I pulled out my paintbrush and applied a coat of Polyacrylic to seal it. 

It felt great to go through the motions of painting and now I'm looking forward to painting again!

The weather here has been utterly perfect here, with sunshine and highs in the 60s.  The leaves are nearing their peak of color and I can't help but be in a non-stop good mood!  It's perfect painting weather, too, and so I'll have to knock out some projects in the next few weeks. 

I'm getting ready to try an HVLP sprayer on a few pieces for a friend, and I scored a picnic table and pair of benches from Craigslist that are crying out for a coat of paint before finding a new home on the screened-in porch.

My interest has a tendency, in all projects I do, to ebb and flow.  And the desire to paint had definitely ebbed in recent months in favor of sewing and generally getting ready for Fifi and Mark's visit.  But now it's flowing, so be on the lookout for some painted furniture before and afters in the coming weeks!  In the meantime, here's a project I completed over the summer and hadn't yet blogged about.

This is was the living room television armoire.



It was originally unfinished pine, but last fall I wanted to mute the warm wood tones, and tried drybrushing it with paint leftover from painting several rooms in the house.  I layered Benjamin Moore Linen White and Wythe Blue, but was way, way too light-handed.  For some reason--I think because I was trying to start *and* finish the project in one morning during preschool--I stopped after just a couple quick coats of paint and then hurriedly sealed the armoire with Polyacrylic.

Within days I regretted the decision. Even as close as the sofa, you could hardly tell the thing was painted. And since I had been such a genius to seal it, I knew it'd be a massive pain in the heiney to sand off all that poly in order to repaint it.  So I did nothing.

Well, then the whole Annie Sloan Chalk Paint craze happened this past spring.  As soon as I heard you could paint straight over poly'd pieces with ASCP, I was sold.  And fortunately, an ASCP retailer in less than half an hour away.

However, it wasn't until I saw this photo in the beautiful English magazine Period Living that I knew how I wanted to paint the armoire.


Everything is this photos seems so quintessentially English and I lurve it.  And I was completely smitten with the armoire.  The soft grey-blue paint, worn and chipped, was exactly what the living room needed. And once I looked the photo more closely and realized the the dream armoire and my armoire were pretty darn similar in shape and details...well...ding, ding, ding...we have a winner!

First, I painted a coat of Old White, followed by a coat of Paris Grey. And then, with a sanding sponge, I sanded. A LOT. (I ended up making a pretty big mess, actually. But at that point, I was so happy with the way things were looking, I didn't mind cleaning up all the fine paint dust.) Finally, a coat of wax, buffed to a satiny smooth finish, completed the transformation.

Here is the end result:

There is no doubt this armoire has paint on it now!







P.S.--The knobs are from Hobby Lobby--I love them so much that I will bore you with a second close-up.

$2 each - that's it.  Don't hate.



Trying to show you the subtle sheen of the waxed surface. It's smooth as buttah!

Love how the Old White peeks through in places.





Mission complete!

Have you painted anything lately that you're pleased-as-punch about?

-Erin

Linking to:
The Inspiration Board at Homework
Piece of Work Wednesday at Primitive and Proper
Restored It Wednesday at Restore Interiors
Whatever Wednesday at Momma Hen's Coop
Transformation Thursday at Shabby Creek Cottage
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
All Things Furniture at Perfectly Imperfect


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28 comments:

  1. Oh wow!! So beautiful, just like your inspiration picture. Love the colors and all that awesome distressing!!

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  2. Well it turned out just perfect. Love the new look and ASCP projects are always spectacular. Did you do the inside also, would love to see what that looks like. Thanks for sharing:)

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  3. OH. MY! It turned out amazing. I love the color and the distressing - you did an amazing job.

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  4. It's official. I hate you!! Ha ha, ok not really but I am seriously in love with that armoir. It is absolutely gorgeous Erin! Seriously. It definitely pute my hideous IKEA entertainment unit to a lower level of shame than it already was. Ha ha!!!

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  5. Erin, It's Wonderful! You did a perfect job, looks like something Miss Mustard Seed would have painted and sold in her shop at Lucketts! Hey, i found Annie Sloan chalk paint at Melville antiques in Mebane this weekend. Got a quart of old white, but was dying to get the duck egg blue...
    i can't wait to see where you put the bench from Spruce. I'm ready to get back in and update her blog!

    Cindy

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  6. Such a wonderful finish on a great piece of furniture. Loved looking at and reading your post. I love ASCP but I haven't been brave enough to do the sanding. So far I paint and wax.
    - Joy

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  7. This is really beautiful! I love how you brought your inspiration photo to life in your home.

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  8. Beautiful color and distressing! Love the knobs!

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  9. gorgeous, erin! it looks just like the inspiration!

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  10. I really love how it turned out! The distressing looks so pretty!

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  11. Beautiful!! This turned out so nice...just like the pic you liked!!
    Well done!

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  12. so pretty! I love the inspiration pic and the new look to the hutch. I am so impressed though with the first version- you did it in a morning during preschool??? wow, you are fast!

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  13. Ohhh I love the mix of colors on this & how it's scratched up just the right amount. This turned out wonderfully!

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  14. I love the inspiration photo too. Yours looks better than your photo. I love the finished armoire--makes me think I should do the same to a pine armoire in the basement!

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  15. That is absolutely gorgeous. There is no ASCP dealer anywhere near me :(

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  16. Gorgeous...I love how the color compliments the seams in the wall.

    ♥Linsey

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  17. gah! I love it. Now, you can deliver it to me :) *wink*

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  18. How FABULOUS!! Your distressing is just so PERFECT!

    Deborah (happily visiting from http://upcyclingmylife.blogspot.com...hope you'll stop by too...)

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  19. i must have this Paris Grey! brilliant! i am in love with the armoire.

    visiting via SCC and would like to invite you over to my blog's shabby chic giveaway (3 will win!):

    http://hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com/2011/10/rachel-ashwell-on-creating-authentic.html

    warmly.

    michele

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  20. Very cool story! I LOVE the finished product!

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  21. Love it! I'm featuring this on my blog tomorrow! Come by and grab a button!

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  22. What can I say but that it is perfect. I love all the color and the distressing and the knobs are perfect. I am so excited that we are getting a Hobby Lobby finally.

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  23. This project turned out great! I admire your courage to take it on! I +1'd it!

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  24. What a beautiful armoire! Definitely worth all the effort you put into it:)

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  25. If I ever get my hands on some AS chalk paint, the armoire I painted blue will be getting another makeover, inspired by this one of course. Great job and love the results.

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