Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Landscape Buffet

I had the urge to change it up and do something really different.  So here you go!  

\ I found this buffet at a local thrift store.  It was missing a handle and I could not find find one like it anywhere! 



Once I got it home it didn't take long to realize that this was the piece to have a little fun with.  I liked the "frames" and decided they made this the perfect piece for my experiment.


My initial vision was an abstract that would give the impression of a horizon... sky blues at the top gradually transitioning to greens at the bottom.  However... I've been taking an oil painting class and we had just completed a landscape scene of Cades Cove (in the Smokey Mountains National Park) and I decided to overlay that scene.  



I chose crystal knobs to replace the original (and missing) brass pulls and knobs.  Hopefully they didn't take away from the painting.  Evidently not... it sold pretty quickly!  I wish I knew who purchased it so I could see where they used it  and what the overall room looked like.  I'm picturing a white room with contemporary accents.  Looks nice!  :-)

Thanks for visiting!
Lori




Sunday, January 27, 2013

I bought this late 1800's dresser from a friend.  The veneer on the top was in terrible shape and he had tried to take it off.  It was a mess but I finally managed to get it off and then patched the rough spots in the dressers top. 
DRESSER BEFORE
I found information on creating a crackle finish with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  Basically, you put put the paint on a little thick and then immediately heat it up with a hairdryer. The hot air dries it quickly and it cracks in a very natural and random pattern.  You have to work in small sections,

I tried a variety of knobs but decided to use the original knobs.


For fun, I painted the drawer sides with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint "Florence" and then used Modge Podge to line each drawer with pieces from "The Ladies Floral Cabinet" magazine dated 1876.  I found a large stack of these in Vermont and they are so much fun to read!


DRESSER - AFTER

 Here's the final product!  It sold quickly and I hope the buyers enjoy it.  It was a fun piece to work on.

Thanks for stopping by!
Lori