Stepback Cupboard

Stepback cupboards have a top section which is set back from the bottom.  They are a popular design which dates back centuries.  The cupboard that I painted was primitive in design and handmade.  The stain which was opaque was dried out and peeling away in most places.  This is what it looked like on Etsy where I purchased it from a local business called  In the Raw Vintage.

I had to do a lot of sanding to get rid of that peeling stain.

 

I painted the cupboard in Annie Sloan Country Grey and added Old White dry brushing to give it texture.  The inside was painted in a Provence mix.

This is a closer view of the dry brushing.  Country Grey is a perfect colour for a rustic piece like this.  It is a neutral “greige”and the type of colour you see on old furniture.  I don’t think the handles and knobs were original but they are old brass.  I painted them with  both colours and added copper gilding.  Now they look like verdigris.

The painted version is definitely an upgrade over the original which was not usable in its peeling state.

Linking up with:

http://www.patinaparadise.com/2016/03/fridays-furniture-fix-31.html

http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.ca/

Home

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.ca/2016/03/show-and-share-no306.html

http://www.sadieseasongoods.com/

http://thecuratorscollection.com

http://www.mccallmanor.com/

The Creative Circle Link Party

French Country Style and Country Grey

French country is a much-beloved style and is the inspiration for a lot of furniture updates.  Some of the characteristics of the style are: rustic, lived-in looking furniture; natural woods with low gloss or painted furniture that looks old; soft colours mixed with splashes of bright yellow, blue and lavender; mix and match fabrics and colours especially toile, gingham and florals and stripes.  If you want to read more about the history of classic French  furniture, I wrote about it here.

Annie Sloan’s Country Grey is the perfect colour for achieving this look.  It’s not really grey but beige with grey undertones.  When it is dry-brushed with Old White or had dark wax applied to it , it transforms the furniture into that classic French look.  You can see many examples on this Pinterest page.

This vintage coffee table was given to me.  It is fruitwood and has the lovely carvings and cabriole legs of French furniture.  I stripped the top and opted for a lighter stain.  It is popular to use dark walnut on everything these days but the lighter colour is actually more in keeping with the style and shows the grain nicely.  It has multiple coats of satin poly on it.

I painted the base in Country Grey then dry-brushed Old White on top to highlight the details and give it a more aged look.

It’s a lovely large coffee table in an elegant colour.

 

 

Linking up with:

http://www.thepainteddrawer.com/2016/01/searching-for-a-pot-of-gold-and-the-link-party.html

http://www.patinaparadise.com/2016/01/fridays-furniture-fix-21.html

http://www.mccallmanor.com/

http://seekinglavenderlane.com/2016/01/the-creative-circle.html

http://www.sadieseasongoods.com/snickerdoodle-sunday-link-party-113/#more-4199

Home

http://charmbraceletdiva.blogspot.ca/2016/01/vintage-charm-party-13.html

Making Broken Beautiful | No. 21 … and a word from the heart

 

Creating Texture with Dry Brushing

This antique dresser had several coats of paint on it when I bought it.  Its last coat was actually a very pretty turquoise enamel that was chipping everywhere.  If I had had some AS Provence on hand, I probably would have painted it with that colour.  Instead I chose more neutral colours.  After a lot of sanding to even out the chipping, I painted it in Old Ochre and used a Graphite wash on the top and on the drawers.  I wanted to use black knobs so the Graphite seemed a good choice.

After applying the wash, I wasn’t completely happy with the result probably because the dresser has a lot of flat surfaces and not many places for the wash to settle into.  So, I dry brushed over it a few times.  Dry brushing adds texture and layers of colour but you have to be very stingy with the paint.  First, you start with a dry brush ( surprise, surprise) but this is not something I have actually done in the past.  You lightly dip the brush into the paint then brush most of it off.  Then you start to feather the paint onto the surface; it’s amazing how much paint is actually on the brush.  I did about 2 more layers of the Graphite then 2 layers of the Old Ochre on top of that.  The result was very effective and gives the dresser an aged look without dark wax or distressing.  I painted the inside of the drawers in Burgundy because they had old paint splatters in them.  You can’t see the colour very well in the photos but they contrast beautifully with the outside.

In general, you shouldn’t paint the sides of drawers because if they are sticky it will add another layer to the drawer and the paint may scratch.  However, these drawers are on the loose side, so I painted the sides as well as the inside.

http://www.lifeonlakeshoredrive.com/

Home

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.ca/2015/03/show-and-share-no251.html
http://www.elizabethandcovintage.com/
http://missmustardseed.com/2015/03/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-57/