Let me tell you about white paint...

If you follow me on any social media you know the buffet I have been working on.  This piece came from a girl I went to high school with and now stay in touch with through Facebook (I love Facebook for this reason!)  On a side note - this new adventure I have taken on has brought me back in touch with so many people from my high school days - I just love it!  I get to meet their children and spouses...it just really is awesome!  Anyway...back to furniture....

I got the above buffet and hutch from my client - probably the heaviest pieces I have ever gotten.  It was quite humorous I'm sure watching Tim and me get these pieces off his truck.  I literally was in a squatted position side stepping with this piece resting on my legs.  My crossfit training really came in handy at this point!  We will be asking for help to get it back on the truck (don't worry, Renee - we had it under control the whole time) :)

Needless to say, this was a very well built nice piece of furniture.  My client wanted a off white look for the top and bottom.  After getting the piece I thought it would be good to have the top of the buffet stained to breakup all the white from the buffet and hutch.  My client agreed and I went to work!

This piece sanded so nicely!  Let me tell you how nerve racking it is to have someone else's furniture in your hands...if I mess up a piece that I am going to resell in my booth - no big deal...someone else's great grandma's furniture that has been in the family for 100 years - SCARY!!  But, this piece, I knew was going to do great the moment I started sanding.  If you can see in the picture below how great the top became - a complete blank slate - CLEAN!  When I see this happen it literally makes my day!

 

Once the top was sanded I went ahead and stained the top.  I used a new color with this piece.  It is called Ash by Varathane.  It is a brown stain and picks up some darker tones in the grain.  I thought it would look perfect with the Old White paint by Annie Sloan.   Check out the picture of the top half stained and half clean...just to see the difference.

 

After the staining was done I went to work on the Old White Annie Sloan paint.  Now, let me tell you something about white paint....it take A LOT of coats.  White furniture with a stained top is VERY popular and I agree looks AMAZING!  But, you have to be very very careful with it.  You see lots of brush strokes with it and it can dirty easily (I just wrapped the buffet in industrial plastic wrap before sitting down to write).  And, Renee...you have small kids...I will leave some touch up paint with you :)

I literally painted the entire piece - hardware and all.  Because I now use the Gilder's paste for my hardware a good base for the paste is chalk paint.  So, I just painted.  Plus, the plates on the door pulls do not come off this piece - so it worked out!

If you see in the below picture - this was with one coat of Old White...

 

This piece took three coats - and for a full on thick covered look a 4th would've been required but I wasn't going for that look so I stuck with 3.  

Once the base had three coats on it I used the Gilder's paste on the hardware.  I used a new color - German Silver.  It is a bronzed/gold/ metallic color that I thought would go great with the stained top.  Again, with the gilder's paste - you just apply with your finger.  It goes on so smoothly!

You can see the hardware redone below - I just LOVE this stuff!

 

Once all of the hardware was pasted I distressed very minimally just to give depth and then clear waxed the piece.  

I have already started taping off the hutch.  I can't wait to see the hutch on the buffet - too bad I will have to wait until we get it to my client's home because I am not sure I can physically lift the hutch up that high to get it on the buffet.  

I will share the hutch info soon!

Sometimes furniture kicks my butt,

Julie