China Cabinet for Paula and The Story of the Perfect Vintage Green

Hiya, I am back again with another custom job for Paula - last week I made over her hall stand and this week I have done her china cabinet, both in the same 'vintage' green - a mix of Annie Sloan Duck Egg and Antibes Green.  

I know I am like a dog with a bone about this colour lol - but it really is the most gorgeous green - I just stumbled across it by accident, while having a play with a couple of Annie Sloan paints I had on hand a couple of months ago.  When the mixture is wet it looks nothing like the finished, waxed colour, so it was all a bit of a gamble really.  I do like to jump into things with both feet so instead of trialling it a small piece (which would have been rather sensible), I launched straight into this bookcase.  

As you do.  

Thankfully I loved it as soon as the paint hit the timber, and I was so excited when I saw the colour going on, then when it dried, that I just had to get it distressed to see how it would look...even though it was dark outside! 

(I have a great workshop but distress my furniture outside, it creates far too much dust to do it inside). 

Please tell me I am not the only one to get so excited about painting a piece of furniture that I continue working on it in the dark??? ;)

It seems a lot of you loved the colour as well - the bookcase sold straight away and many people left comments on my Facebook page saying nice things about it - thank you!

I went on to paint this desk, a dolls cot, a desk with hutch for my son, and the hall stand.  

I have a couple of other projects on the go in this colour too!

Anyway onto the after shots of Paula's cabinet...

The cabinet has glass shelves that I left at Paula's home, so I couldn't have a play with this for the photos...probably just as well, I love it already and if it had my things inside it...it may never leave my place ;)

I masked the glass inside and out in order to do a tidy job.  Sometimes for say a mirror I will just paint without masking and then razor the paint off the glass before it cures - in this case that would have been way to messy, given that there are leadlights on the panes.

I didn't remove the masking tape until after I had distressed, waxed and buffed this, in order to protect the glass from being scratched by the sandpaper, and to stop excess wax getting on the glass - messy to clean off!

The insides are all painted, including bits you wouldn't normally need to paint, but do when a mirror is involved - don't want an unpainted bit to be reflected in the mirror!

(Yep the handles are crooked - I haven't tightened them yet, to give the paint and wax a chance to cure a bit first)

I distressed this piece by hand using 240 grit sandpaper and then a fine 3M Softback Sanding Sponge.  

These give the most super smooth finish you can imagine, and are very pliable, kind of like a cloth - great for rubbing along mouldings etc.

Stuff with mirrors are hard to photograph, aren't they!

Paula has a beautiful collection of china that lives in this cabinet, and she has promised to share a photo of it refilled once I drop this back to her...when she does, I will be sure to come and add it to this post :)

Linking up with:

* Elizabeth & Co. * Domestically Speaking * A Stroll Thru Life 

 * Miss Mustard Seed * DIY Show Off * Savvy Southern Style

*Funky Junk Interiors