PAINT...The Great Unifier!

I love paint!  It is the perfect tool for transformation!  Old and worn out? Paint makes it new again!  Need to tweek the color to fit your new color palette?  A little paint on the details or a wash of color can make any piece "just right!"  One of my favorite things about paint is the way you can create "sets" of pieces that do not really match.  Need a new bedroom suite of furniture, but can't afford to buy all new pieces?  Find furniture in a style that coordinates with the pieces that you already own and then unify them with paint.

That's what I did with an old desk that we had.  My daughter was moving into her first college apartment this year and she had little room for anything more than her bed.  So when space is limited, think vertical!  We decided that a desk with storage above would offer her the most versatility.  So we started with this truly awful little desk, which was well made, but covered in yellowing lacquer.

Then we picked up a cute chair with turned legs similar to those on the desk.  It was only $3.00!














Now, we needed a hutch!  I don't know about you, but I see these all the time at thrift stores or on Craigslist.  The owners decide to discard them, but keep the original desk or buffet it sat upon.  They are usually pretty affordable, since they are missing their counterpart.

We just made sure that we found one that fit within the measured width of the desk.  We picked up this beauty at Habitat for Humanity's Reuse Store for just $15. It's a great way to help a good cause, too!



Now as you can see, this is a mismatched set of objects in three different finishes.  In walks PAINT...the great unifier!  I decided to paint the pieces in ASCP's Aubusson Blue and to draw attention to the beautiful details by showcasing them in Florence. Yet another dimension was added by doing a wash of Florence over the Aubussion Blue on the arches of the hutch and the back of the chair.

Here's the finished product!  Three mismatched, discarded pieces find a new home and serve a new purpose together.  Unity!

A New Box of Crayons

These days, I'm either painting, or thinking about painting, or surfing the net for cool ideas (have you discovered Pinterest yet?), or shopping for furniture on Craigslist.  A recent purchase has given me the opportunity to paint my largest furniture piece so far.  It's a lovely hutch and buffet.  I think it's maple, but I know it's a well crafted piece of solid wood and boy, is it heavy!  

It took me about a week to get started, as I explored the color possibilities.  Choosing your vision for the furniture can be the most challenging, but also the most fun part of the process.  Remember when you were a kid and someone bought you a new 64 pack of crayons?  Remember the excitement you felt about the creation of your masterpiece?  What color will I use first?  What will I make?  Essentially, what is my vision?  When doing a piece of furniture, I like to let it "speak to me."  Does it lend itself well to a two-tone design?  Should the color be demure or vivid?  

I wanted this hutch to have some color variation, movement and a slightly distressed finish.  I decided to paint a Duck Egg Blue base coat.  That was followed by some hints of Paris Grey and a wash of Chateau Grey (a khaki green shade) over the entire piece.  Perhaps I was influenced by fond memories of my grandmother's home where a dark green hutch was a mainstay.  


 
My version of this hutch is a softer, watery blend of blues, greys and greens.  The subtle variations of color are evident as you move closer to the hutch, but from a distance it looks like a soft, mossy green.  
 


 

A pretty design on the sides of each drawer is revealed when you open them. 

Reminiscent of my childhood days, it is still so exciting when the creative work is done to stand back and admire my new "masterpiece!"  I am quite happy with the results.

Once designated as a kitchen or a dining room fixture, the hutch is now comfortable in many settings.  Consider using this type of furniture in a living space to display books, pictures, and memories of your travels.  In a bathroom, a hutch offers much needed storage solutions as well as a pretty way to display towels and toiletries.  

By the way, did I mention that this one is for sale?  If you are interested, contact me for the details.  Or perhaps you have a treasured furniture piece that could use a facelift, give me a call and we can look through my "crayon box" for your perfect color.