Before and After : Vintage French Provincial Vanity Makeover

For a bonus this time, I bundled a Before & After with a Color Story : Inspiration series addition! This French Provincial vanity was a gorgeous piece in a Dixie set I picked up, and one of my clients decided to have it painted in the same custom blend of Annie Sloan Scandinavian Pink and Old White as this dresser.

We decided to leave the original vintage stain on the top and the legs of the stool, and paint the body of the vanity in that gorgeous coral/pink! This color reminds me of the soft and always en vogue peonies that are in season.

 The cane was wearing out on the stool, so we reinforced with a piece of plywood upholstered with a 2" foam pad, batting, and a chic, modern upholstery fabric the client selected. What a beautiful whimsical touch, while still classic and elegant! I love this style of vanity for its versatility as well - the top flips down and can be used as a desk surface. Perfection!

Annie Sloan Antibes Table Makeover Tutorial

This green Bombay table has always been a favorite of mine, so when I received a request for a tutorial I was definitely happy to oblige! The Bombay company style of console table I love has long, lean legs with gorgeous fluting that I knew I wanted to accent with bold color and a little distressing.. or as I say, a little bit of shabby and a lot bit of chic!

Thanks to Jessica at LoveFifty50 and Red Door Lane for the photo in the shop! You may remember this table from the Color Story : Inspiration series in-progress HERE. I am positively obsessed with color and knew I wanted to try and capture this vibrant leafy green, but in a subtle, natural way. No big deal ;) .

So here is how I did it!

Color Story: Inspiration Series

I'm super excited to begin sharing some of my inspirations behind the colorful refinishes I've been working on. I am so blessed to be able to enjoy the beauty of nature and outdoors, and have been able to capture a few of those moments on film.. well ok, digitally. I'll be adding some inspirations to my before-and-after posts, but also have a few projects that don't have their own posts, so I'll share them here! Be sure to click on the "Color Story" label to see more!

First, a gorgeous Bombay console table painted in Annie Sloan Antibes green (over a shimmery cola color by Martha Stewart interiors), distressed, and with clear and dark waxes.

Click below to see more!

Before and After : Vintage Writing Desk

I have been absolutely obsessed with photography lately! (Shameless plug - follow me on Instagram @forloveofthepaint to share my art and inspiration). So I decided to capture some of my inspirations and put them side-by-side with the before and after series for you to enjoy! The first is a gorgeous desk redo in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - Napoleonic Blue. For those of you who don't know, I am trying to use a new color every month this year, and pretty sure I'm on track with # 5 here!

I did a very light distressing on the paint, then clear and dark waxes. I'm super excited about the gorgeous blue! And here's the Color Story: Inspiration behind it... Bluebonnets! Can't love a Texas spring without the requisite bluebonnet photo :) There is literally nothing quite like that rolling field of blue.

What do you think? Love it? I'll be putting together more color stories in the coming weeks. I look forward to sharing them with you!!

Before and After : Antique Carved Wood Mirror

This project was super fun, and didn't take a million years (but it looks like a million bucks!) It's a gorgeous antique mirror frame that was a dark gold color, and I gave it a fresh new look with a dry brushing of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg Blue, followed by an lightly applied coat of Old White on high points. The trick (for me) to all those details is to try and find a fulcrum on which to rest a part of your arm - I often put my wrist down on the surface of the mirror or some dry part of the frame. That really helps me to keep a nice, even line. But with a vintage look, your lines don't *have* to be perfectly straight and 100% evenly saturated, and they shouldn't be! That's part of the hand-painted charm that distinguishes it from a factory finish.

Ain't she a beaut? Here's a close-up of some of the detail. I am just in love!

Normally I would put wax over a finished piece, but in this case I opted not to, because I can see this potentially being repurposed as a fancy frame around a chalkboard outside a boutique! However, wax coated pieces need to be climate controlled and it gets HOT in Texas in the summer, so I refrained. I also figured that there really isn't a lot of hands-on interaction with a mirror frame in the long term, so oil transfer from fingers or paint erosion wouldn't be as likely. But if we do wax it down the line, the colors will just become a little deeper and more intense. It'll be gorgeous either way!

Here's the inspiration behind the refinish - clouds! It was next to impossible to choose a photo because there are so many amazing options; these colors are in the clouds, sea, waterfalls... They must be perfect together, since they appear together so often :)

What inspires you? Leave a comment with your favorite color in nature, and I can help share your Color Story!

Before and After : Vintage Henry Link Dresser and Mirror in Paris Grey, Duck Egg Blue, and Old White

Today's projects is one of my favorites! We found this gorgeous Henry Link Dresser at an estate sale, and it is just amazingly beautiful. I kept the original stain on the dresser and vanity tops to make it feel more grounded and neutral, but added Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey, Duck Egg, and Old White for a super lovely color combination!

Yummy, right? I put Paris Grey over the whole shebang, then dry-brushed Duck Egg over the body, and used Old White for the trim. I distressed the high points and around the drawer faces to finish the vintage chic / shabby chic look. I love the completed look, especially with the hardware patina!

Curious about my inspiration? The absolutely stunning light-and-cloud interplay of blue, white, and gray! Here's a sweet side-by-side with a photo taken on our Montana trip last year. There's a reason they call it the Big Sky State, y'all!

 I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Before and After : Antique Buffet

I have been craving a buffet refinish for what seems like forever!! And now that I've finally gotten my paws on one, I know why :) This gorgeous antique buffet is likely from the 1920's - 1930's and, well, they just don't make them quite like this any more. I was inspired by another refinish I'd seen in the same colors, and once again it turned out pretty much 0% how I thought it would, but as lovely as I'd imagined at the same time! This one is in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Paris Grey and Cream. I also restained the top for a gorgeous, more modern twist to this classic piece.

 And here's one more, this time with the top trim on. I personally love it without, though!

I actually have another buffet in the wings, so to speak.. Can't wait! And if you're curious about the Color Story : Inspiration behind this piece, I'd love to share! I just adore the soft, bluish hues in this Paris Grey paint juxtaposed with a buttery Cream. I weathered to a light shabby chic to reveal some of the gorgeous natural wood, and added a smooth, rich, nutty brown color in the stain. You can see these warm and cool colors paired together in the Texas Cedar and also this amazing Julia Child rose from my garden.

Hope you love it! Leave me a comment or email me at forloveofthepaint@gmail.com to let me know your inspiration, and I'll work to incorporate the colors into an upcoming piece from my Color Story collection!

Before and After : Blue Chest of Drawers

Here is the first in what I hope to be many projects over the next year that are for my own home! This grand chest of drawers is truly stunning with its new facelift - Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Greek Blue, followed by a wash of Olive, then distressing and waxing.

The serpentine tops and carved details get me every time! *swoon* And I'm always loving the blues. It seems that every time I go into the paint store, I tell myself I'm going to get something TOTALLY different.. then happily buy a new blue or gray. I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions, but this year I'm hoping to try one new color per month!

Here the lighting is different as well, but just look at the STRIKING difference before and after wax. On the left, I have Greek Blue with an Olive wash (super diluted with tons of water, painted on, then wiped off). I then came back and distressed gently before applying the wax).

Both Greek Blue and Olive were new to me, so I'm well on the way :) . Here's a Color Story - Inspiration behind this stunning piece! A clear blue Montana sky with vibrant barn. This is actually my aunt's backyard. What a paradise - wish I could wake up to that every morning!

 What inspires you? Comment or send me an email at forloveofthepaint@gmail.com with photos if you'd like me to share your Color Story through a refinish!

Before and After : Aqua Blue Antique French Provincial Vanity

This stunning vanity was refinished in blend of 1 part Annie Sloan Florence Chalk Paint to 4 parts Pure White.

A great tip for custom colors is to get empty paint tins from Home Depot to blend your color in, write the recipe on the lid with a Sharpie and dab the top!

That way when you run out you remember how to re-create that gorgeousness. (Some days I'm doing well if I remember what I had for breakfast, so this is totally invaluable!)

Curious about my inspiration for this piece? I absolutely adore the light blue and teal colors in the sky, and in.. prickly pear cactus! So beautiful!!

What inspires you? Leave me a comment with your favorite plant, and if I can find a local inspiration, I'll do my best to capture it in a furniture piece!

Before and After : Antique Kidney Shaped Desk

Ummm can you say lucky? This French Provincial desk was a garage sale find that cleaned up beautifully and is now well loved in its new home! I had a lot of fun redoing this, and really love Primer Red with dark wax. It reminds me of leather bound books and rich mahogany.. but I digress. Loving this!

To get a real dimensionality of color on the top, I used a mix of Charcoal Grey, Aubusson Blue, and Primer Red that I sponged on. Don't worry! I didn't leave it like this :) I just wanted a little marbelization in the undertones so the color was rich, yet natural and cohesive.

Then, I painted over the whole thing with Primer Red so just a tiny hint of that color variation showed through. I finished the top with clear and dark waxes. Lovely!

 Curious about the Color Story behind the piece? I love the weathered, dark red look of this barn siding. It has a story to tell!

Before and After : Lexington Chest of Drawers

This is a beauty from the Lexington Victorian Sampler collection. The proud new owner also had a cheval or standing mirror refinished in the same Annie Sloan Pure White Chalk Paint and distressed. Another before and after will come soon for that project!

I don't usually use all white for my refinishes, but this has a beautiful, clean look to it, and a classic elegance. Here's a Color Story: Inspiration photo from my in-laws' lily pond!

Timeless! Be sure to check out my other inspirations by clicking "Color Story". What inspires you? Send me your ideas and I may be able to translate them into my next furniture refinish!