ADDING LEGS TO A BUFFET - building up the frame work

I imagined these heavy duty set of carved legs added to this cabinet, just like the picture. I even had the perfect set sitting in a crate in my back room. First I would need to see how the original cabinet was built. While working it outside in the warmth of the summer's sun I took several photos to show how the frame needed to be built and what I did to install a set of legs.  

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FURNITURE MAKE-OVER PROGRESS IV - behind the scenes

Another project I have been working on is this french provincial four drawer chest.

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HOW TO TAKE BORING TO BEAUTIFUL - tall white sideboard

I get asked often where I get the appliques I use on my furniture projects.

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ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT WITH POLY - miss cherry pie red buffet

I finished this beauty of a buffet with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Emperors Silk red and I used wipe on poly for the top coat.

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BIG RED - painting an antique buffet pt1

The Fort Pub needed a dress up

and I was asked for a helping hand.

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PAINTING A FRENCH CONSOLE GREY AND WHITE - thanksgiving

In this house, the wife refinishes a buffet on thanksgiving

while her husband prepares to serve turkey dinner.

Before

Sprayed in a soft grey

Perfect TV console for my shabby chic living room.

After

The grey was mixed using Annie Sloan Old White,

Annie Sloan Provence and Annie Sloan Graphite.

It's a very soft grey and exactly what I wanted.

 

The hardware removed and painted with a flat bright white paint.

Hand painted all the trim details in white.

Sitting quietly, painting the trim, I would feel the warm sun

on my back as the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds.

When he has time hubby sits with me and enjoys a few moments of the day, before run back to the kitchen.

Before he goes he always leans in and steals a kiss.

Finally finishing the console with wax, 

so it can be buffed to a shine.

Gentle distressing in the right places,

and the white against the soft grey,

makes the whole piece look amazing.

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

BUFFED BUFFET - black and faux seal antique buffet

The veneer was cracked, lifting, and missing on the

 top surface of this old buffet when we got it.

It was also in it's original brown stained finish.

*Sorry no before pictures* 

The mirror was purchased at a local antique store,

 and was the perfect size to match up with the buffet.

It was gold and the elaborate decorations were

 chipped and broken.

*Sorry no before photos*

I had removed all the veneer on the top of the buffet

 a year earlier but the gouges and missing wood was

 just not going to match with the sleek black look I

 was now wanting.

The day I was working on the top I had gotten

 interrupted by the cable man come to rewire some

 connections, and really that was the main cause for

 the end result of what you see in these photos.

It was one of those trial and error projects.

In a moment of surprise this faux seal skin look magically

appeared on the top. Some have compared it to marble.  

I'm going to explain how the top was finished in
 point form in the hopes it is easier to follow:

1. I filled the gouges with white wood filler
2. then painted it black
3. next spray painted with metallic silver
4. then belt sanded the whole surface
5. 6 layers of clear coat

I had started spraying the metallic silver on the top

 over the black thinking if I don't like it the acetone

 is right handy to wipe it off. I had forgotten about

 the cable man coming and when he arrived in the

 middle of this process I had to walk away without

 seeing what it looked like. Well once he was done

 the paint was also now dryish. I hated it! It looked

 tacky! In my anger I grabbed the belt sander with a

 35 grit belt (very coarse) and started trying to

 remove everything. This is when this beautiful

 finish started to come thru. 

You can find more piece finished in black here.

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