Shabby Chic Tea Trolley

Hi, I'm back to share another project using this awesome paint.  I've had this tea trolley for a few years and never quite got around to painting it, then decided some time ago to leave it until I could paint it in ASCP.

Here's an old photo of it in our home in NZ.  I got so excited to get right to work on it the other day that I didn't take a 'before' shot. 

(The fake flower in the tin jug gets around, doesn't it, lol...I bet it appears on this blog dozens of times, I know it was here right back at the start!)

I painted it with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White, hand distressed with 240 grit sandpaper, cleaned it down thoroughly then waxed with Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

I love the way that this paint distresses so easily.  If you put the paint on in a haphazard fashion as opposed to trying to apply it in nice straight lines, it gives an interesting dimension to your finished piece. I've done this on certain pieces using 'standard' paint and it also gives a great effect, particularly if you intend to dark wax your piece.

Something else I've mentioned before is that when you have an old piece with some chipping, crazing or bubbling in the varnish, don't sand it all smooth, use it to your advantage to add to the shabby aged effect.  You can see in these photos where the edges were a bit dinged and chipped, I don't see this as a fault, I see it as character!

The drawer front is a bit of a different colour to the rest of the piece, because I had actually painted it off white a while ago...I just painted the Chalk Paint™ over the top.  Again, I think it all just adds character :)

Before and After: Tea Trolley & Shabby Chic Bar Stools

Some finished projects

As promised last night, I managed to take some photos this morning.  I have been working on a few little pieces which all have a similar finish, one that I am quite fond of at the moment.

This first piece is a tea trolley that belongs to Jodi.  She had been looking for one for a while, before finding this one.  I was pleased when I saw it, knowing that it would come up really well with a french country style makeover!

Here it is after I started sanding it...

It had a few scratches in it that I sanded out.  I just love the turned wooden handle on the end!

Here it is upside down mid-paintjob.  With tables, chairs and tea trolleys etc I like to paint the underside first by flipping the item upside down, to make sure I don't miss any bits.  This way, when you turn it right side up, you only have the top left to paint.  If you painted the top first, then flipped it to do the rest, you'd risk damaging your freshly painted surface...not the best idea!

Here it is, all painted but nowhere near finished yet...

Freshly distressed

Close up of the distressing...still not finished!

And here it is, all finished, glazed, distressed again, then clear waxed.

The next thing I have to show off is another tea trolley, a rather plain oak one that I picked up a few months ago.  The time came to paint it the other day as I was looking for victims pieces to use as practice with my new spray gun.

I did this one with the same colour and finish as Jodi's tea trolley.

A close up of the finish...

Here is a little side table that I also gave the same treatment...

I was naughty and launched straight into this one without snapping a 'before' pic, but it was just a plain mahogany table, nothing wrong with it, just....plain.

I think I made it cuter!

This post is getting long now, so I'll stop writing and just add more photos :)

All the items shown here, aside from Jodi's tea tolley, are for sale...please email me

if you are interested in purchasing any items :)

xx Karen

Shabby Chic Tea Trolley

I have a bit of a thing for tea trolleys.  The are so practical and versatile and can be used almost anywhere in your home.  They can be a side table, a beside table, a baby change table, an extra prep surface in the kitchen, and of course be wheeled around anywhere inside or out...filled with yummy treats when you are entertaining :)

Here is one I picked up a while ago...

Nothing at all wrong with it...if you like that honey rimu colour.  But I had a plan for it...

I cleaned, then sealed it.  Then I painted it with 3 coats of Resene Quarter Ash, and once that was dry, hand sanded it to distress it.  After a dust down I applied some wax to give it a bit more personality, and here it is, with some of my favourite kitchen decor to pretty it up some more...

It sold really quickly, and the purchaser was very pleased with it :)  

I look forward to doing more as I find them...here is one that I have in my to-do pile...it is a keeper (for now!)

It does have wheels, that have since been fixed and attached (thanks, Dad!), and it is more of a table than a tea trolley but still just as useful.

Here is another one that I painted last year.  In fact this was one of the first pieces I sold :)

Do you love tea trolleys?

Where do you use yours?

Sharing this at the following great parties:

xx Karen