Before and After : Rustic Whitewashed Chest of Drawers *With Tutorial*

I'm a little behind on my website, so you'll see a lot of "Before and Afters" popping up here in the next few days (well, fingers crossed!). This beauty was a stunning vintage oak dresser that had small dings, dents, and character marks in the surface that I absolutely adored and hated to patch and cover up. So instead, I used a transparent white wash with a custom Off White Gel Stain made by Pure Earth Paint that I was able to purchase from one of my friends - you may remember the custom rustic china cabinet refinish that we did with this same color. It was the perfect accent to all that fabulous vintage texture and character!!

 

 I also sanded the top to promote adhesion and used General Finishes gel stains in first Java and then Antique Walnut to update the 70's color finish. You can use various top coats on this - I ended up using a wipe-on satin polyurethane to minimize bubbling / brush strokes; the GF Arm R Seal is a great, super durable choice as well.

More tips after the break!

Before and After : Vintage Drexel 4 Drawer Lowboy Dresser / Chest in Onyx

I will be the first to admit that I had a hard time getting started with black furniture, because I always seemed to gravitate toward bold, bright colors. I have had several requests and done custom work with black paint over the last year or two and have grown to really embrace this gorgeous, chic and always classic. It's like a little black dress for furniture! Lately I have been using Pure Earth Paint in Onyx as my go-to black.

I am pretty much beside myself with happiness on this transformation!! It is amazing what a few coats of paint, a small amount of distressing, and some gilding wax on the hardware can do to turn a (not so ugly) duckling into a swan!

Are there colors you shy away from, but would love to give a try? Or techniques that seem daunting? Let me know about it! I'd love to explore those also!

Before and After : Custom Vanity Refinish in Onyx

This client reached out because she had seen this gooorgeous 1920's vanity I picked up and posted on Facebook! If you're not already following my page, please Like it at www.facebook.com/forloveofthepaint ! It's a great way to snag new inventory and call dibs on pieces for custom orders! She has a furniture set from Restoration Hardware, and wanted the vanity in a rich black matte paint to coordinate. I selected Pure Earth Paint in Onyx, which is currently my go-to black due to its fantastic coverage!


































Seriously, look at how it brings out those gorgeous carved details! Black gets overlooked as a classic neutral (by me also!) but it is just super chic and timeless. I very gently distressed the high points and edges before sealing, and updated the bronze rings around the mother-of-pearl inlay to a silver to coordinate with the client's crystal knobs.

Before and After : Antique Davies-Putnam Console Table in gilded Onyx

This beauty was absolutely a no-brainer for me to pick up!! I am still completely obsessed with the long fluted legs, and wanted to give this late 1800's/early 1900's Davies-Putnam Console table a chic, sleek modern update. I sanded the scratches out of the top, then hand-painted it with Pure Earth Paint in Onyx, sealing with Diamond Coat in Matte (if you're looking for this product, it's now called Rock Hard) for a soft, barely-there sheen with a lot of protection. This classic look was enhanced by just the smallest amount of accent gilding on the drawers and Rub n Buff on the drawer pulls.

This chic update to a classic drop-leaf table will be a stunning, versatile accent for many years to come! I hope the new owners take photos of it in its new home for me! :)