Mid Century Modern Challenge

I love of all styles of vintage furniture. One of my favorite things to do is go to estate sales or browse Craigslist for old (cheap) pieces that need fixing up. Sometimes furniture only needs new hardware and other times they need a complete overhaul.

Here is one of my first ever furniture redo’s. The original had great bones and I love the overall style of Mid Century Modern pieces. I would have left this piece the way it was if there wasn’t stains and scratches along the top and sides.

                 

The redo:

I started by removing the drawers and polishing the handles. I sanded the sides and top several times. The drawers were only lightly sanded because they were in great shape.

I painted the outer shell Annie Sloan’s Pure White. Chalk paint doesn’t require pre-sanding but because of the stains and scratches, I wanted to be sure the texture was smooth. Once painted, I didn’t like that you could see brush strokes. Typically this doesn’t matter because shabby chic is so in style, but with a Mid Mod piece, shabby chic doesn’t make sense. So I sanded the white with fine sandpaper so there was no textured look left.

Once sanded, I painted 2 more layers and then sanded again, letting the paint dry in between each layer. In Colorado, the drying time is very minimal — maybe an hour. But some place more humid would require more dry time (and more patience)

Once I decided the texture was perfect, I sealed the paint with Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax, using her wax brush and a cloth to buff. I find you should give your piece of furniture at least 24 hours of “curing time” before bringing it inside. Wax can leave a waxy residue — after all, it is wax. So letting the wax cure is best.

 The drawers and legs were stained in Minwax Dark Walnut, sanded and then stained 3 total times.

Once I finished this piece, I sold it for $300 (purchased it for $40) and the gal uses it as a bedside table. She sent me a picture and it looks darling next to her bed!

Here is a before pic: