So Chris comes home one day with a truck full of “goodies”! There had to be three credenza/buffets, a dresser, a coffee table and a few mirrors all piled up in there. As I started to dig through the back of his truck, I noticed a large, beat up, beautiful piece of furniture that I thought might just be the exact piece I had been looking for! You see, the owner of the company that cleans my home had mentioned that she was looking for a unique tv console/entertainment center to be the focal point of her living room. The description she gave fit this piece of furniture crammed in the back of the truck perfectly…or at least I knew once I cleaned it up it would! I couldn’t wait to get to work!!!
The project was pretty beat up, so I started by cleaning it off really good and then sanded down any bad edges, gouges or other imperfections. Usually, when I am painting with Annie Sloan chalk paint, I don’t have to spend much time sanding because chalk paint is so versatile it seems to hide most problem areas, and on top of all that, I honestly believe those imperfections give the piece it’s true character.
I will admit, however, this specific piece was even more damaged then the best chalk paint could cover. The top of this credenza/buffet was veneer and it was on it’s last leg. Now, reconstructing veneer is not always easy, but if you are willing to take your time and do it right, it can make all the difference in turning an old piece of “trash” into a new “treasure” in your home.
Chris helped me out with this part. He started by filling in all of the chipped veneer areas with Elmer’s Wood Filler. A word of advice, if you have a detailed big job, get the filler that comes in the “pint” containers and don’t forget the putty knife. He took his time and tried to make sure the finish was as smooth as possible so as for it to dry without any imperfections. I also found that the longer we let the filler dry, the easier it was to sand down to a perfect finish. On average, we normally wait about an hour.
Once the wood filler was dry, we used our new Skil Orbit Sander to smooth out the surface so it was ready to paint! We really took our time on this part because we knew that if it was not sanded down to perfection, that where the filler stopped and the veneer started it would always be an eye sore to it’s new owner.
My husband always tells me what a perfectionist I am. I wouldn’t say I’m a perfectionist, I just know what good work looks like and I don’t think our customers deserve anything less!
The buyer also mentioned that she would like the top two drawers converted into shelves.
It was finally time to paint! I pulled out my old faithful…Annie Sloan Country Grey chalk paint (my favorite!) and went to work! After two coats of chalk paint and a little extra distressing, the piece was really starting to take on a new life!
Instead of replacing the knobs and pulls, I decided to paint them the same color as I knew I was going to paint the top…Annie Sloan Graphite, which is
a grayish black. Next it was on to the top.
Two coats of Annie Sloan clear wax over the entire piece and a little buffing elbow work…and…
HERE YOU GO!!!
Creatively Yours…
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