Over the weekend, my dad and I went to an outdoor antique show that David works three times a year. This was a third time going and definitely our most successful! We found an array of cool things like a 1939 Nazi cigarette holder, some glass milk bottles, a cool glas measuring cup, a really pretty, bright blue pipe, and my favorite of all: my pie chest. Pie chests were a sort of cupboard that were used to keep your freshly baked pies, tarts, muffins, and other yummy treats. They have a screened door that keeps the bugs -- and toddlers -- away while they cool. Usually when you find these, they're large furniture pieces that hold 10-20 pies a piece, but I got really lucky and I found a portable one for families with smaller houses. They only hold about two pies a piece, which is the perfect size for me!
This little beauty is my pie chest. What I love is the old look, the perfect size, and the cool little details. What I absolutely hate though, is the stained top and the flakes of wood that are coming off (and that can splinter!). I wanted to preserve the antique look while updating it a little more. Which is where antiquing comes into play. I've seen pieces like this at antique shows before, but I hate buying them because they're usually not particular to what I want and also, they're sold for a ridiculous amount of money! So, I decided to try it out myself so I could save some money. I'm not in love with the end product, but I've learned a lot from the process. In other words: head my following warnings (a.k.a. tips)!
What I thought I needed: paint, paintbrush, butter knife (not pictured), wax candle, and sandpaper.
What I actually needed: the above list, plus primer, faux-wood paint, and protector.
First, what I did was sand the whole thing down. I used a "in between paints" sand bar. They come in a lot of different grains which will determine how much it will sand off. Taylor Tip #1: use a tough sander. Depending on your project, you might even need to use an electric sander. The sand bar that I used barely did anything except get some stray pieces of wood and paint off. Try your best to sand all the way down to the wood.
I skipped the next step and I'm so sorry that I did. Taylor Tip #2: PRIME!!! I cannot stress enough how important this step is. I was trying to save on money by skipping it, but you will save yourself so much time and sanity by priming your project.
Another step that I skipped: using a faux-wood paint. Taylor Tip #3: when necessary, fake the wood! In the case that you can't sand your furniture down to the wood base, use a paint that look like wood. I found a suggestion for Benjamin Moore's Fairview Taupe. This is what's going to show through after you do the distressing, so you want it to be the right color and for it to not look too fake.
Next, wax the spots of the furniture that you want to come through when you distress it. Really try and get the wax on there good so that the paint comes off easy when you're ready to scrape.
Now the fun part: PAINT! That's pretty straightforward.
Once the paint is dry for the most part, start scraping it off where you put the wax on it beforehand. This is when you're going to be able to tell whether or not you did a good job with that wax candle of yours.
Taylor Tip #4: be adventurous with your distressing. I wish I had done more than I had, but because I didn't follow previous steps, I was worried that the paint that was on there prior would show through if I scraped too much (I was right). So, as long as you follow the other tips, this one should be a sinch.
Last, but not least, Taylor Tip #5: Protect your furniture. Use a protectant so that your paint doesn't chip easily or get destroyed in the slightest spill. I mean, furniture is meant to be used, so we need to protect it in order to last longer. Especially a piece like this that's home will be the kitchen.
This is my final product. I'm a little (a lot) dissapointed with the end product. The paint is too bright, and it lost all it's great character with such a lack of distressing. I'm taking it as a learning experiece rather than a mistake though, and I already have plans to repaint it (white this time) the right way!
Do you have any DIY experiences that you've learned a lot from?
xoxo
p.s. to find more detailed steps on a project like this, go here. They have really great tips and go more in-depth to each step.
Recent Comments