Refinished antique dresser

April 23, 2013 Chelsea | StyleMutt Home

Hi All! I've got a fresh-from-the-garage piece to show you today! It's an antique dresser I spotted at my go-to thrift store recently, (Goodwill off Sterling Road in Sterling, VA). It had beautiful lines to begin with and was set on old casters, so there was no question it was coming home with me. But the layers of what appeared to be paint mixed with some sort of dark wash were not so pretty. Not to mention the veneer. I don't usually think anything of painting over veneer when I'm using chalk paint, because it adheres so well to anything, but the veneer has to be done well. No pulling apart. The veneer on this dresser was in such sad shape, the top surface primarily. So, over the course of 5+ hours I worked on peeling it all up, (see my previous post to learn how). After the veneer demolition, I painted everything, except for the mirror, in Annie Sloan's 'French Linen'. I used very gentle distressing after two coats of paint; just enough to highlight the details and lines of the piece. I really wanted to keep the integrity of this piece in tact, as it is a true antique, so I wanted to keep the makeover simple.

Finished product, ready for a new home!

Really crazy about these details. I knew they'd be fun to play up with a sanding sponge.

The mirror I left in it's original chippy paint/wash. The finish was a mess over the whole piece, but when I removed the mirror and had it by itself...I kind of liked it in a smaller dose.

I'm a legs girl, what can I say...

Hello. I wear my morning workout clothes sometimes until 8 o'clock at night. It's awesome.

{This piece will be available on Saturday, May 4 at my spring sale}

~You, (and your bffs), are invited to the

Chelsea's Garage Spring Sale!~

Saturday, May 4

10am-2pm

Herndon, VA

(contact me at chelseasgarage@gmail.com for the address)

What you can expect:

-Complimentary refreshments

-Norah Jones, (probably not in person, but I'll work on it)

-One, two, or three of my children making an appearance if you're lucky

-My husband making an appearance if you're really lucky

-Oh yes, and lots of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces all ready for a good home

Among all the pieces available are:

coffee tables

accent tables

dressers

buffets

consoles

storage cabinets

chippy chairs

desks

mirrors

sofa tables

book cases

and a handful of home accessories

Thanks for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Rod iron set, this way and that

April 17, 2013 Chelsea | StyleMutt Home

Whew! It's busy time guys. Big time. We've been outside non-stop working, (and playing), in the yard, and I've been on a roll in the garage finishing up some of the last pieces before the big sale coming up on May 4.

This set was a recent find that I just couldn't leave alone. I didn't snag it right away as I tend to shy away from matching sets, but I found myself checking in to see if it was still available, week after week. A sign? I think so.

I picked up this set not just because of the cool rod iron and planked table tops, but because I saw a lot of versatility in this group. I gravitate towards pieces that I can see arranged in various ways with multiple functionality.

These pieces will be available at the May 4 sale, but for the fun of it I photographed them in two different ways in our home just to show off a bit of their versatility.

Set up ONE:

Using the coffee table as a coffee table and the end tables as end tables, (I only photographed one of the end tables but there are two).

Always a sucker for basket storage!

I love it when a piece is already perfectly distressed when it falls into my hands.

I spy a boy.

Set up TWO:

Using the two end tables side by side as a coffee table and the coffee table outside as a bench.

So there ya have it - a 3 piece set that can go several different directions. How fun is that?! All pieces available for sale on Saturday, May 4.

For this set I painted on a thick coat of Paris Grey ASCP and then a thin, dry-brushed layer of Old White ASCP. All the nicks and divots were appreciatively there when I first layed my eyes on these. I don't know who to thank for those but if you're out there, well done!

~You, (and your bffs), are invited to the

Chelsea's Garage Spring Sale!~

Saturday, May 4

10am-2pm

Herndon, VA

(contact me at chelseasgarage@gmail.com for the address)

What you can expect:

-Complimentary refreshments

-Norah Jones, (probably not in person, but I'll work on it)

-One, two, or three of my children making an appearance if you're lucky

-My husband making an appearance if you're really lucky

-Oh yes, and lots of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces all ready for a good home

Are you getting tired of seeing that at the end of each post yet? :)

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Chateau Grey cabinet

April 3, 2013 Chelsea | StyleMutt Home

I love me a grayish green. There is nothing like the color of dried mud inside the home, is there. It's soothing and tranquil, goes with anything, and there are about a billion variations to choose from. You can go more gray with a hint of green, or something similar to Annie Sloan's 'Chateau Grey', which is a lovely green with a touch of grey. This was the perfect choice for a beautiful versatile cabinet that I got to finish OUTSIDE recently.

This is my first piece done in Chateau Grey and I have fallen in love with this natural, mossy color. So much so, in fact, that I almost reconsidered all the Duck Egg aquas I've got going on, just to fit it in.

Almost.

It took about 4 hours to strip this top and sand it down, (!!!), but it was sooo worth it. That wood grain is no small detail and enhances the rich character of this piece.

Isn't it lovely? There's just something about a raw, natural color, lightly distressed, against a dark wood lacquered in high gloss. I love that contrast; so timeless.