An vintage Georgian chest of drawers arrived at a furnishings painter’s workshop with cracked veneer, scratched surfaces, and a worn brown end. 4 drawers, brass handles, and ornamental keyhole plates remained intact. The wooden wanted repairs, however the painter had no plans to return it to its authentic look.
As an alternative of stripping the chest and making use of a brand new wooden stain, she selected a blue and cream harlequin sample. The design would cowl the drawer fronts, wrap across the sides, and provides the outdated cupboard a end impressed by painted antiques.
Furnishings artist Olya of @olyaupcycle, based mostly in Penzance, Cornwall, used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, textured washes, and wax to finish the makeover. She repaired the broken veneer and stored the unique brass {hardware}.
Cracked Veneer and Worn Wooden Lined the Authentic Chest
The unique cupboard had a large projecting prime, 4 recessed drawer fronts, and a raised wood base. Two brass drop handles sat on every drawer, with a keyhole plate between them.
Scratches crossed the darkish end, whereas broken veneer appeared alongside the sides and sides. Some areas had misplaced their easy floor, leaving cracks that wanted filling earlier than portray.
Repairs Got here Earlier than the First Coat of Paint
Olya cleaned the cupboard with sugar cleaning soap to take away dust and residue. She then utilized wooden filler to cracked veneer and broken sections of the body.
Annie Sloan Previous Ochre fashioned the bottom coat. Nation Gray adopted, utilized with a stippling approach to create an uneven painted floor.
She used Coco and touches of Tyrian Plum on the highest and base, including paint with a dry brush to provide a mottled stone impact.
Blue Diamonds Changed the Brown Drawer Fronts
After the bottom coats, she marked the geometric design in pencil. Aubusson Blue stuffed the diamond shapes, with the pale background left between them.
Small circles of Functionality Inexperienced mark the factors the place the diamonds meet. She utilized the inexperienced paint with a sponge relatively than outlining every form with a brush.
The completed entrance has alternating blue and cream diamonds throughout all 4 drawers. The brass fittings interrupt the sample with out hiding the painted shapes.
Crushed Paper and Wax Created the Aged End
A wash produced from Coco paint and water went over the painted design. Olya pressed crushed paper onto the moist floor to go away irregular marks.
She then utilized clear wax adopted by darkish wax. The darker wax settled into the textured paint and across the cupboard edges.
The close-up reveals patches of brown and grey beneath the blue diamonds. The cream sections have an aged look, whereas brush marks stay seen throughout the painted floor.
Authentic Brass Handles Returned to the 4 Drawers
Olya cleaned the unique {hardware} with Bar Keepers Buddy as a substitute of changing it. All eight drawer handles and 4 keyhole plates went again onto the chest.
A pink tassel hangs from the higher keyhole plate. The brass fittings distinction with the painted sections and retain a element from the cupboard’s earlier look.
The Harlequin Design Continues Across the Sides
The facet panels acquired the identical diamond sample because the entrance. Blue shapes alternate with cream sections, with inexperienced dots positioned at their intersections.
On the entrance corners, the design crosses the vertical body and meets the drawer fronts. The shapes fluctuate in width, reflecting the freehand portray course of.
The close-up additionally reveals the mottled end on the cupboard prime and the worn impact alongside its projecting edge.
Earlier than and After the Georgian Chest Makeover
The unique chest had a darkish end that hid a lot of the element in its wood body. The completed model brings consideration to the 4 drawers, curved base openings, and brass {hardware} by means of contrasting paint.
One element stands out within the comparability: the unique handles stay in the identical positions, however the painted diamonds change how the drawer fronts seem. The {hardware} not defines the design. The sample does.
For one more vintage furnishings transformation, see how a broken Victorian dressing desk acquired a mustard yellow end with cream stripes.
Would you might have restored the unique darkish wooden or chosen the blue harlequin sample?
Pictures and venture particulars courtesy of @olyaupcycle.
