I can never pass an antique, they come from a day where everything was hand built from solid wood. Through the years they get allot of wear but the dings make for charming character. This adds to the charm they exude especially with a fresh makeover to bring them back to life.
Links to the Dixie Belle products are for your convenience. My affiliation with this paint company does not increase prices on your end, your purchases via my links do however provide a small subsidy which allows me to keep providing these tutorials. Thank you!
I saw all kinds of potential in this sweet little antique cabinet.
Someone even had glass custom cut to fit the top over the years even though the top shows allot of wear.
I love how antiques are marked with hand written codes on the back.
After the hardware was removed, as per usual the first step is always a deep clean on every surface and in every nook and cranny. I want every bit of the piece given a good cleaning. I like to use warm soapy water with some
Dixie
Belle white lightning cleaner and a scrub brush.
scrubbing video
Laying it down on its back allows to get the undersides easier. Once everywhere is scrubbed it is rinsed well and dried. The piece continues to naturally dry overnight.
The well worn top and drawer front were power sanded smooth. The sides and edges were done as well to remove loose old finish, smooth rough areas while leaving some of the character marks of days gone by.
Some areas required more concentrated hand sanding. I also tried to wet the center support and straighten the warp to it leaving overnight but no luck.
Antique wood is usually very dry so to help rehydrate it
Dixie Belle Big Mama’s Butta was brushed on with a dedicated
Dixie Belle La
Petite brush. This brush makes the application more efficient then a cloth and gets in all the edges. See the left half where the butta was applied so far looking darker.
The drawer was treated on all sides except the front which will be painted. Again you can see the bottom half looking revived.
This butta is floral scented which also helps freshen the wood even more after the deep clean. It comes unscented, citrus and a new flannel scent as well. The entire inside of the cabinet was done as well including the drawer runners which the butta also lubricates for smoother drawer movement.
Antiques have a tendency to bleed tannins especially after sanding. It also saves paint coats too when the paint color choice is going to be white.
Here is the first coat on.
A couple hours later a second coat was brushed on. This time I flipped it over as it makes getting the underside of the edges easier. I did this coat with the mini
Dixie Belle synthetic brush. PRO TIP: wash brushes immediately after using BOSS. Allow the 2 coats of BOSS to dry 24 hours.
It is the perfect color for a fresh new look.
Hardware options were up next. I sourced these vintage/antique pulls from my stash along with an antique knob and a new knob. The customer who called this piece does not want gold and even though hardware can be painted I am leaning towards the new black knob.
Its rope design is similar to the design on the original pulls. To create good adherence on the metal I brushed on some
Dixie Belle Slick Stick.
Two coats again were applied a few hours apart and left to dry overnight.
To keep the antique vibe the cabinet edges were hand distressed after all was lightly sanded with a
Dixie Belle sanding
sponge to give a super smooth feel.
The right door is distressed while the left is yet to be done. I also tried new silver pull and
knob (similar to this one from D Lawless) as hardware options but still leaning towards the black. You?
video of waxing
This was followed by
Dixie
Belle dirt in ash applied with a soft makeup brush to recreate where areas would natural accumulate dirt.
The wax and dirt give the perfect aged look.
I tried these new satin nickel pulls as an option but they just did not seem right.
I LOVE the "new" pull look (center) beside the
new knob, the black only on right shows just how much wow the gilding wax gives.
Hardware was put on and this old girl is ready to go!
I cleaned up the glass and set it on top to show that it would be perfect addition for plants just incase they were overwatered. My left spider plant on the left has GROWN!!
video tour of this cutie
Big thanks to
D Lawless
Hardware for the fabulous new knobs for this project.
Links to the Dixie Belle products are for your convenience. My affiliation with this company does not increase prices on your end, your purchases via my links do however provide a small subsidy which allows me to keep providing these free tutorials. Thank you!
Shared up at these fun parties
It came out nice but I couldn’t have put paint on that gorgeous piece. I would have stained it in a dark stain only because I’m not into light colored wood. I may have even done it in its original stain because it’s not a piece I would keep and things like that sell much better when it’s been done to look original. I’m really loving the drawer pulls! So glad you didn’t go with the cup handles. These fit this piece perfectly! The paint job couldn’t have been done any more perfect either. I love the light distressing and to be honest I do love the look with the white paint! I just wouldn’t have the heart to do that myself..😳…I’m so confused on this one…lol!
ReplyDeleteHAHA thanks for your input, Of course there are lots of ways to go on a piece but this one was called by a good customer who is doing her whole house in white restored pieces so as a custom painter I do what the buyer would like :) The good thing is it can be changed to raw wood, or stained or another color in the future. The best part about solid wood pieces :) Happy New Year!
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