Client Commission: Duchess turned Vintage Party Buffet

Hi there, tonight I've got a cute little makeover to show you - an old and tired duchess that has become a Vintage Party Buffet!

This was a custom job for my friend Hope who has recently started a photo props and party hire business called Vintage Filly Props and Decor.  She specialises in vintage and vintage-inspired style, and is building up a fantastic inventory, which I am proud to say includes a few of my pieces!

The duchess started out like this...a bit sad and unloved, and missing a handle:

The varnished finish was quite pitted and uneven but I decided to embrace this, and let it add to the shabby appeal.  

No point trying to make this piece perfectly smooth, that would just take the character away!

What I did to this piece:

- removed the old handles

- removed the mirror supports

- gave the whole piece a scrub down with hot soapy water and a scourer pad, then left to dry

- filled the handle holes that were no longer required (using 'bog' or builder's fill - my filler of choice)

- sanded the handle holes then wiped over to remove sanding dust

- applied two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg

- hand distressed using 240 grit sandpaper

- cleaned off sanding dust (I use an air blower attachment on my compressor, then a clean wet cloth)

- waxed with Annie Sloan Wax in Clear

- buffed to a lovely shine!

And here it is, ready for a new life as a party buffet...

Hope chose a great colour - this lovely Duck Egg can easily be styled up for a girl or a boy.

This shows the rustic charm achieved by embracing the old crazed varnish finish.  You've just got to work with it I reckon!

I believe that this piece is off to its first party next weekend...can't wait to see how they style it up!

Linking up with:

* Elizabeth & Co. * Domestically Speaking * Handy Man, Crafty Woman 

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

* Blue Egg Brown Nest *Funky Junk Interiors* Finding Fabulous

Rustic Green Drawers

Hello!  Tonight I have another 'sweet pea' green project to show you...what can I say, I LOVE this colour and I think it suits this project, and my signature style, perfectly.

I found these drawers earlier this week when I was picking up a desk I found for my son.  The desk has a hutch on it and was so big I had to drive home with the hutch part tied to my roof rack - but was I going to let that stop me doing a round of the furniture pickings while I was there? Of course not, I'm not stupid ;)  That is how I scored this beauty, and also a gorgeous retro duchess.  You should never pass up an opportunity to have a look :) 

I just had to make two trips to the op shop that day...after I nabbed my poor neighbour man from across the road to help me unload the first lot!

One drawer needed a bit of repair work and the top had an ink stain on it, so after fixing those things I gave it two coats of the green mix (ASCP in Duck Egg + Antibes Green).

A bit of distressing was followed by a clear wax then dark - I  haven't been using dark wax for antiquing as much as I used to, but for this piece I felt the colour and shape really warranted it.

Here's how it turned out:

This photo shows how shiny the wax finish is...you can see reflections on the top :)

This piece is for sale; please email karen@restyledvintage.com for details.

Linking up with:

* Elizabeth & Co. * Domestically Speaking * Handy Man, Crafty Woman 
 * Miss Mustard Seed * DIY Show Off * Savvy Southern Style
* Blue Egg Brown Nest *Funky Junk Interiors* Finding Fabulous

Duck Egg Drawers

After being given some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to try out recently, I loved it so much I have become a paying customer, purchasing another tin of Old White and a tin of Duck Egg from Crab Apple Vintage in Newcastle this week.  I was absolutely thrilled with the service I received from them - I ordered the paint around 11am on Tuesday, and 24 hours later it was on my doorstep some 200+ km's away.  Their courier costs are the cheapest I have found of all the NSW stockists too (just over $10 for up to 4 tins).  I'll definitely be back for more!

Of course I got straight to work putting this paint on something...a couple of things actually but the other one is still a work in progress.  I picked up this little set of drawers and thought they would be perfect in Duck Egg.

I gave them a clean, filled the extra handle holes, then applied two coats of ASCP in Duck Egg.  The photo below is after one coat (sorry it's not a great photo, but the only one I took!)

I hand distressed with 240 grit sandpaper then waxed.  I found the colour changed quite significantly after I applied the wax, much more so than with Old White or Antibes Green.

These crackle finish porcelain knobs are my favourites at the moment...I've even put them on my kitchen cabinets :)

*I paid full retail cost for the paint at Crab Apple Vintage and they don't even know I am mentioning them...I was just highly impressed with their service and wanted to share that fact :)

This chest of drawers is for sale has sold, thanks.

Sharing at Lilyfield Life

Furniture Makeover: Shabby Chic White Dressing Table & Mirror

Shabby Chic Wooden Filing Cabinet

I found this beauty at a local Op Shop a couple of weeks back, and knew it would look fantastic keeping it simple and fresh with an Antique White shabby finish.

Unfortunately the keys are long gone but it is still a very functional and solid piece of furniture.

This is what it looks like inside - each drawer has a piece of timber attached to a thick wire at the base of the drawer, which it slides on, so no matter how few or many files in there, and they will remain standing.

I got to work removing the hardware...

A few years of grime under there!

I just used a fine knife to carefully prise the key plate and label holder up, so as not the damage the timber.

A light sand followed by a wash, and they were all good to prime and paint.

Here are the pieces I was working on last Friday, out on my driveway drying.  It often looks like this, and we currently live on quite a busy street.  The people driving past must wonder what on earth I am up to!

The black paint on the handles was quite sticky and shabby in not a good way so I opted to strip the paint off.

Probably a no-brainer but I always but the screws etc in a bag so I don't lose them or get them mixed up.  Sometimes I will label them, too, but this one was easy to work out which piece it belonged to because of the nameplates :)

Here it is all done and ready for sale in Piper & Rush.

I love those label holders!

Obviously it would be useful in a home office as a stylish alternative to a new filing cabinet, if you weren't worried about locking it.  I think it would also make a great side table or bedside cabinet...heaps of storage space in those big drawers!

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