One of the things I like most about what I do is finding a piece of furniture in a not so great state, and with a bit of elbow grease, turning it into a fabulous piece. You all know about my , shall I say, “diving” opportunities to find pieces for free. However, sometimes a girl just needs to pay a little bit of money for a piece that has great potential.
I found this piece at a local swap meet and paid $15 for it. I have seen drop leaf tables sell for much more, so I knew I had to snatch it up. I thought it was a great deal on a piece that is made well, but just needed to be “updated” (Painted!). I know some people do not believe in painting wood items. “What? Your going to cover-up the wood grain?!?” They ask me. Yes, yes I am!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I like wood furniture. But I really LOVE painted furniture. I like pieces that look like they have been around for a while, that have been well-travelled and loved. The more layers of paint and rubbed edges, the better I say!
However, it is not always possible to find or afford a piece of “vintage” looking furniture. So I look for a piece that has great lines, made of wood and is cheap affordable. With paint you can make just about anything look fabulous, vintage and “pricey”.
Sorry about the flash in the frame!
I sanded the table with my electric sander to knock off the finish. Primed with Kilz Primer and painted two coats of Home Depot‘s Behr brand semi gloss black negro (same paint I used for the outdoor buffet). I sanded the edges a bit to bring out the lines in the piece. Plus, with kids in the house I have found it is best to distress the furniture myself first. It could be the, ahem, control freak in me, but at least I will know exactly how that first scratch and/ or nick got there on the piece I slaved over!
We all know things can become distressed by the “little” people”. I often recommend distressed furniture to clients that have children in their homes. It helps the stress level by not having to worry about the high gloss lacquer on a piece when it becomes a Hot Wheel track or a Barbie stage! We can have the “fine” pieces of furniture when our babes leave the nest.
Source: anniesloan.com via Butterscotch Lady on Pinterest
I have many pieces sitting in my garage that need to be attended to. I just need some great , consistent weather and oh yea, free time to get to work on them! I am hoping to be able to be able to place an order of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint before I start on these pieces. I have been drooling over the fact that I do not need to sand or prime the furniture before I paint when using Annie’s paints. I say, “Amen to that!” Her paint is more pricey than the home store paints I tend to use ($40 vs. $20). Not counting on her brushes and waxes. Hopefully the budget will soon allow an order of chalk paint!
On Pinterest I have found “homemade” chalk recipes. So maybe I will whip up a batch and try it out while I am “dreaming of my Annie Sloan order…
Until next time,
Butterscotch Lady
Butterscotch Lady 
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