Before and After : Antique French Chest of Drawers / Side Table refinish in Emile and Old White - with Tutorial!

This beautiful antique French chest of drawers was a custom project for a client that has incorporated a few other For Love of the Paint refinishes into her decor, and it's always such an honor to be able to create something together as a collaboration! The piece was previously painted white, but we were not sure of the age/product used, and since it was chipping and peeling we decided to lead test then sand down the chest entirely to ensure adhesion and a smooth look. We selected Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White, Emile for the top, and a 1:1 blend of Emile and Old White for the inset details and drawer trim.

Here's the full Before and After!

Click below for the full tutorial!

Before and After : Vintage French Provincial Nightstand in Emile and Pure White - with Tutorial!

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to everyone for  all of your support! Finished pieces have been flying off the shelves at Red Door Lane, and I have a steady flow of custom orders for which I am so honored to have been selected! Thank you for letting me be a part of your homes and lives.

We have had such an influx of work that I have begun to group projects together to maximize my efficiency. It still takes a number of hours to hand-paint each and every piece, but this way I can get just a little more done in a day. For instance, I am working on a beautiful antique French end table refinish with the top painted in Annie Sloan Emile Chalk Paint. (Update: see that finished project HERE). My daughter also needed a nightstand in her bedroom, and absolutely loves all colors (she comes by this honestly). So while the paint can was open, I worked on the two side by side - you will probably see many more of these "project pairs" in the future! I will also be adding more DIY and home projects as they come to fruition.

I found a fantastic French Provincial set a few weeks ago, and realized that the nightstand was perfect for my daughter's room! (The other pieces are still available!) So what better to surprise her with than her very own custom painted big girl furniture?

 Want to see how I got this look? Click below to continue reading!

Before and After : Black and White French Provincial Bedroom Set Refinish

Here is another great custom set for a client! She really loves black and white, and so we designed this beautiful refinish based on an inspiration piece that was all white, with black trim. The gorgeous chest of drawers and nightstand are curved, and also had beautiful wood grain. What this means for a high-contrast finish is that even after a secure taping between colors, I still needed to come back and use a fine detail brush to touch up. It was worth it! This high-impact refinish is a total showstopper!

I really love the soft vintage-y feel of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints, but they don't make a true black. So for this, I borrowed a tip from another refinisher, and combined Graphite Paint with a bottle of India Ink to make a jet black.

I also spray-painted the hardware with Rustoleum hammered look black. The trick to getting a beautiful finish while preserving the original shapes of the hardware is to use light passes and build the color, and not let it pool from overspray. The faux keyhole at the top could not be removed without risking damage, so I sprayed directly into a disposable bowl, then quickly and carefully applied the paint with a QTip, pressing first in the center of the metal, then pushing the paint toward the sides.