Mid-century Console Makeover in Graphite

First of all I want to thank you for all of the prayers offered for our great-nephew William. He is doing great! Praise God!

This week I'm going to show you another GGM (great Graphite makeover). My latest client, Jenny,  will soon be moving into her new home. With that excitement comes the daunting task of furnishing an entire home. My client found a pair of sturdy dressers at a second hand store. (Sorry, I was running short on time so only photographed one.) She may have been drawn to them for their mid-century design, but I'm guessing she purchased them because of what she saw on the inside. The drawer are solid, sturdy, and slide like butter.

Here's a BEFORE picture of one of the dressers.

Here's a picture of the final product refinished in Annie Sloan's Graphite Chalk Paint. 

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Well? What'cha think?

I think it's lovely!

Without the mirror this dresser could EASILY function as buffet or media console.

 It actually reminds me of a piece of furniture from West Elm.

Annie Sloan does NOT have a true black in her chalk paint pallet...

so I coated the Graphite with dark wax to give at least the illusion of 'black'.

It gave the piece a unique, layered finish
that I could never have achieved with latex paint. 

I love ASCP!
It's truly amazing.

Once again, thanks for reading 13CCF and for the continued prayers for little William. They are very much appreciated!

~Wendy

Prayers for William

 

 

 

This week I have a special post. We are asking for prayers for our 3 year old great nephew, William. He is the son of Tami and Jason Babcock and grandson of Dale (Squeak) and Janel Sudbeck. William was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome which means the left side of his heart was critically underdeveloped at birth. On Wednesday, September 23rd, William will undergo his third open heart surgery at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Please pray for William, his family, and all of his medical team today, tomorrow, and in the weeks to come. Thank you!

Don and Wendy Sudbeck

 

 

 

 

 

Graphite Dresser with Galvanized Metal Top

It's been three weeks since my last post. Ikr! I missed you, too. Hey, what can I say? Sometimes LIFE gets in the way of blogging.

#1. My sister was in town over Labor Day weekend.
#2. My husband broke his leg and had to have surgery to repair it.
#3. Our garden is in full swing with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, egg plant, watermelon, broccoli, and zucchini, and the master gardener is currently out of commission.

I may not have been able to blog lately, but I'm happy to report our freezer is full of fresh vegetables from the garden and the canning room has 100+ jars of pickles and tomatoes in neat little rows. Don? He's feeling better. Thanks for all the well wishes, phone calls, texts, and visits! He's starting to succumb to the realization that he will need to be off his feet for the next three months. #nohunting#nowork#ugh.

So now are you ready to see what I made for myself before LIFE got crazy around here? Well, here's a before pic of my latest conquest. I bought the dresser online for $30, then 'restyled' it with a coat of ASCP Graphite, some vintage hardware, and a galvanized metal top.

Here's the finished product.

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Well, what'cha think?

I love it.

I never get tired of Graphite! Ever.

I think it looks great with the old maple wood showing through.

Don't ya think?

The industrial look of the galvanized metal top is just perfect for our cabin.

If I ever get tired of it in our bedroom
maybe I'll put casters on it and use it in the kitchen?

Or maybe I could use it as a console table behind the red couch?
Eww, that would be cool!
I'll have lots of options with this one.

Again, thanks for being so patient with me. It's good to be back! Let me know if there are any pieces in your home that you would like 'restyled' with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I'd be happy to help!

~Wendy

Paris Gray Keepsake Dresser

Searching online for quality second hand furniture isn't for the faint of heart. It takes a combination of perseverance, patience, and plain shear luck to find a really good deal from the comforts of your living room. My latest 13CCF client, Lori, can certainly attest to this! 

Lori, is a doting grandmother to her three precious grandbabies. Several months ago Lori told me she'd like to give each of her grandchilden a keep sake dresser. She asked if I would customize the pieces if she were able to find something second hand. After a long search and some frustrating second place online finishes, my client finally found this French Provincial style dresser for her granddaughter, Macy.

As a keepsake, it was important to choose a paint color that would allow the piece to grow with her granddaughter throughout the years. We decided Annie Sloan's Paris Gray would be the perfect choice for a French curvy dresser.

Here is the finished product:

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Well, what'cha think?

I LOVE IT!

The Paris Gray chalk paint has such a subtle, feminine hue.

It's like a breath of fresh air!

I love the way it accentuates the ornate qualities of the dresser without dating it.

We opted to keep the existing hardware. 

I simply painted the knobs with chalk paint and 

 then used Gold and Silver leaf Rub'n Buff to draw out some of the detailing. 

Of course the sun popped out right before I took these photos 

so it's kind of hard to see the gold and silver.

I wanted to keep the piece light and airy

with minimal distressing/aging.

Had I gone hog wild with the dark wax

it would have been just as gorgeous with all these curves.

Just imagine the dresser with a

gilded, metal, or sunburst mirror behind it.

Oh...or maybe chevron cork board?  

Honestly, this soft gray color is so neutral the design options are limitless.

Hopefully Miss Macy will enjoy it for years to come.

As always thanks for reading 13CCF. Have a great Labor Day weekend!

~Wendy

Custom Pantry Door

When my latest 13CCF clients built their new home they designed the kitchen with a corner pantry. I'd give my right lung for a pantry. Absolutely love'em! They found an old door with a glass window for $20. Then Heather had her husband rip the sides down to fit the size of the frame and installed it. BAM, a green pantry door!

Ok, maybe green wasn't what she had in mind for her beautiful new kitchen.
Lol!
The home owners decided to have me repaint the pantry door
with Annie Sloan chalk paint and waxes.
I brought some color swatches over to the house and got to take a tour.

Together we decided ASCP Coco would be the best color choice for the space.

I brought the pantry door home and stared at it for awhile.
(Yeah that's when those 'aha' moments come.)
I decided to pitch the home owners a different idea.
What if...

I don't paint it?
What if I strip the green off? What if I just PLAY with it and see what happens?

Several hours, toxins,
 and a moderate case of carpal tunnel
later...

I finally reached the heart of the door.

Here's the final product:

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Well, what'cha think?

I love it...

and all its perfect imperfections!

I think this

 "Old World" finish

is going to look

STUNNING

next to their dark cabinetry and marble counter tops.

It's definitely a far cry from the green.



I stuck with the original plan

of painting the interior side of the pantry door

with ASCP Coco.

I gave it a heavy coat of dark wax 

for an aged patina.

I really like ASCP Coco.

The tone is actually very similar to French Linen.

The Coco seems to have a brown hue
while the French Linen has more of a gray undertone.

As always thanks for reading 13CCF. Let me know if I can ever help you customize any of the spaces in your home!

~Wendy