#10 Oak end table

Transformation cost: $37.39

I was a chalk paint virgin, I admit it! I know, any self-respecting person who’s been DIYing (that is a verb, right?) as long as I have should have used chalk paint a gazillion times by now but, what can I say?,
I guess I’m just late to the party. Anyway, with this piece it was time to venture into chalk paint territory. It was quite a departure for me; I pride myself in being a meticulous painter, and I can lay off like the best of them. After watching numerous Annie Sloan tutorial videos I went to work. Applying chalk paint was like going back to preschool; with a cylindrical brush I slapped it on in every direction, stabbing at it to get into all the nooks and crannies, being careful not to apply too much or to have any drips or runs. After the first coat it looked like the paint and the table had got into a brawl but after the second coat a lovely, flat, uniform finish was achieved. Waxing over the paint is the finishing touch to give it protection and a more dimensional look. I’m very happy with how this piece turned out, I will definitely be using chalk paint again!

I began by stripping the finish off the top of the piece to expose the lovely wood grain. It came off so nicely!

Next I color washed the top of the piece with a 1:2 mix of chalk paint:water. I brushed the wash on then removed excess with a rag until I got the depth of color I was looking for.

I then applied 2 coats of chalk paint to the rest of the piece.
At this point I decided I didn’t like how the color washed top looked against the base so I changed tack.

To finish the piece I went over the top with 2 coats of MinWax PolyShades Honey in a satin finish, I applied a coat of clear wax followed by a coat of white wax to the body of the piece, and I installed a new drawer pull.

#9 Bamboo wicker chair with upholstered seat

Transformation cost: $42.64

This piece was being discarded by a friend of mine who was helping her parents move and clean house. Other than missing 3 casters and having a small split in one leg it was in great condition and is a good quality piece. At first I envisaged this piece with a pretty damask fabric and pastel paintwork but the price of the fabric sent me back to the drawing board. In the end the geometric pattern I found at my local craft store (where upholstery fabrics are permanently 30% off!) gave me the inspiration I needed to take a completely different tack!

Cleaning a piece before painting is arguably the most important part of any transformation, and this was no easy piece to clean. However, with my trusty toothbrush, some compressed air and patience the dirt disappeared!

Using the old fabric and foam as a guide I cut and sewed the new cover, carved out a new seat pad and covered it with batting followed by the new fabric cover. The final touches were to hot glue some ribbon trim to the edges of the fabric and re-create the original tufting using four fabric-covered buttons.

Meanwhile I treated the framework of the chair to 3 coats of Krylon ColorMaster paint & primer in gloss black .

And the finishing touch was to reunite frame & seatpad

#8 Book lover’s table

Transformation cost: $27.30

Even though the flat surfaces of this piece were ugly, beveled, veneered particle board, the tapered legs and upright pieces are solid wood with some attractive detailing. I instantly knew I could make it look elegant. A fortuitous accident with a paint finish resulted in exactly the look I was hoping for; a cracked, aged finish in elegant gold & heirloom white with (in places) touches of the almost black original color.

The first step was to remove one of the pieces of particle board; to be replaced later with something much more lovely.

I removed the legs and gave everything a good clean and a light sanding.

Next I applied a coat of Kilz Complete oil-based primer, followed by Rust-Oleum metallic gold paint, followed by Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in heirloom white satin finish.

When I applied the metallic gold paint it inexplicably wrinkled in random areas. I liked it so I left it and let it dry thoroughly before applying the top coat of heirloom white. When I went to age it with sandpaper, the wrinkling gave way to a beautiful cracked look.

To attach the new glass top to the rest of the table we would need screw holes. The glass supplier was going to charge $5 per hole so I enlisted my brilliant husband. With a spear-headed carbide drill bit, plenty of lubrication and patience he expertly made the four holes I needed.

The finishing touch was to install the new glass table top. The finished piece is a lovely, elegant table perfect for someone who wants to show off their reading collection!

#7 Sash window mirrored organizer

Transformation cost: $24.11

I’ve been dying to experiment with mirror paint so when a neighbor was discarding her old sash windows I knew this was my chance. I also chose this project to see if crackle medium works with spray paints.

First I removed hardware, metal stripping, and one of the two panes of glass. I then gave everything a good clean and, with the remaining glass protected, a light sanding.

I filled screw holes with wood putty and primed the exposed wood. When putty and primer had dried I applied a coat of Rust-Oleum Metallic gold paint to the front of the frame. I then added a piece of pegboard in the empty opening and secured it with some 1/4 square doweling.

Now for my crackle medium/spray paint experiment. I applied crackle medium over the gold paint and let it dry for 1.5 hours. When the top coat of Krylon Chalky Finish in Bonnet Pink went on – Nothing. Zip. Didn’t work. Note to self: Crackling doesn’t work when the top coat is a spray paint. Instead, after a couple of days, I lightly sanded the top coat to expose the gold paint underneath and give it a more aged look. I then gave everything a couple of coats of clear gloss enamel. I know some of you will be thinking “Why put gloss enamel over a chalky finish. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?” Well, since my purpose was to use up this pink paint more than to have a chalky finish, it’s all good!

Now for my next experiment: My first encounter with mirror paint. Fortunately I read the can before starting or it could have been a disaster. The mirror paint is applied to the BACK of the piece of glass. In all honesty both sides ended up almost equally reflective but it’s obvious to me now that you don’t want the paint on the front where you’re going to clean!

I finished the piece with a sheet of hardboard on the back, to protect the mirror finish,
and a couple of multiple tool rack pegs.

#6 Gold frame

Transformation cost: $20

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing but almost nothing is just what this piece needed. I had endless ideas for how to refinish this frame and what to put in it (chalkboard, cork-board, dry erase board, pegboard etc. etc.) but every time I went back to it I kept thinking the same thing: “It looks great the way it is and whatever I do to it might only make it worse”. In the end I came to the inevitable conclusion that all it needed was a good clean and some mirror glass.

More detail of the frame

#5 Safari chair

Transformation cost: About $18

Just a day after my last post it snowed, and some of that snow still has not melted; it hasn’t exactly been ideal weather for painting and there’s been little to no progress on any transformations! Fortunately I have this little ace up my sleeve. I do feel slightly like I’m cheating with this post since this transformation took place in May 2015, more than 2 years before I started this blog. However, it is an old favorite of mine and it does meet all the criteria to count towards my goal. I picked up the chair from a neighbor’s trash and transformed it into an end-of-year teacher gift. My inspiration came from the fact that Africa was part of this teacher’s Social Studies curriculum. 

I had recently painted a zebra tissue box cover for my BFF in England
(and then one for myself) so I had some practice painting an animal print.

I started by cleaning the chair then lightly sanding it and applying primer.

The animal prints were painted with 4 or 5 different colors of acrylic craft paint.

Two coats of polyurethane finished the job.

#4 Wicker/wood storage chest

Transformation cost: $39.10

I’m so glad I chose to make this piece my first bespoke project; I’m sure I would not have upholstered the lid of this trunk had my client not wanted to use it as a window seat as well as a storage chest. The lid of this piece is a non-standard size and shape. A made-to-order seat cushion would have been very expensive so upholstering the lid was an obvious, win-win solution.
The color scheme in her office (white furniture, pale blue walls and hints of grey) was the basis of our paint and fabric choices.

I began by separating the base from the lid. After a good clean I applied 3 coats of
Rust-Oleum 2X ultra cover in semi-gloss white.

For the non-standard shaped lid I cut a piece of 1″ foam to fit then wrapped the lid and foam in batting.

I then covered the lid with our chosen upholstery fabric. By a stroke of luck I found a fabric whose design almost perfectly matched the design of the wood carving on the base.

Since the fabric pattern matched the wood carving so beautifully, the finishing touch was to hand paint the wood carving in colors to match the fabric.

And finally top and bottom were re-united.
Before the wood carving pattern was easily overlooked; now it gets all the attention it deserves!

Doing double duty as a window seat & storage chest in my neighbor’s home office.

#3 Upholstered bench/coffee table

Transformation cost: $50.06

“What gorgeous legs!” was my thought when I saw these at the end of a neighbor’s driveway on trash day. The wood grain was so beautiful I knew I couldn’t bear for these to get tossed in a dump truck.

I began by cutting a piece of fiberboard to fit the shape of the base. I attached 8 pieces of 3/8″ square dowel that would keep it snugly in position.

I covered the fiberboard with 2.5″ thick foam followed by batting followed by my chosen upholstery fabric.

I debated with myself whether or not to paint the legs but, in the end, I chose a Minwax stain & polyurethane (PolyShades Honey in a satin finish) so as not to conceal the beautiful grain. I cleaned and lightly sanded to prepare the legs for 2 coats.

The finished color is a beautiful rich brown. All that was left was to secure the upholstered top using 4 L-brackets.

  • Looking fabulous in a neighbor’s living room.

#2 Plant pot

Transformation cost: $23.99

It took several passes before I could envision this pot as anything but gaudy. When I did finally pick it up in my truck (this sucker weighs 37 lbs – I was not about to carry it the half a block to my house) it rolled over and spilled dirt all over my truck bed.  However, knowing the value of a heavy, clay pot like this I decided it was worth giving it a second chance.

After a good scrub and a light sanding I applied the base coat of Behr “Outdoor Cafe” in semi-gloss.

I then applied crackle medium to everywhere but the rope detail

I let the crackle medium dry for about 1.5 hours (don’t wait more than 4 hours) before applying the top coat of Behr “Anime” in semi-gloss. This was my first attempt at a crackle finish and I had some reservations after reading accounts of failed attempts. It turned out well though. I think the secret is to apply the top coat as quickly as you can (try to not brush over any one spot more than once. That means loading the brush with quite a lot of paint) then walk away and let the magic happen!

At this point the top coat color I chose was paler and more yellow than I wanted so I applied some Sepia “Tint It” which gave it a slightly darker and more aged look.

I finished the piece with a couple of coats of Krylon Crystal Clear Enamel

Overflowing with a garden mum in Nov 2018

#1 Chandelier

Transformation cost: $15.95

Having admired a chandelier hanging from a tree on a recent garden tour, I didn’t hesitate to snatch up this piece. Apart from a fairly decent layer of grime it was in good shape and didn’t need a lot of work.

I started by discarding the shades, bulbs and shafts that were sheathing the bulb holders.

These bulb holders were supposed to unscrew nicely but the little buggers wouldn’t budge.

Sometimes you just need more WD40 and the help of a friend even more stubborn than yourself.

I have to admit pulling out all the wiring “guts” was oddly satisfying.

Removing the grime and adding candles was the finishing touch