Most of the time, I don't know how a piece of furniture is going to turn out until it's done. I know I want to paint it, so I'll sand it down, prep it, and prime it. Then, I'll wait. Does this piece want to be formal, country, modern, distressed? What color would look best on this piece? Is there a good spot for decorative painting? Or some decoupage? Does this piece need to be really hard-wearing? Or will it have "occasional" use? What kind of decor would it work with? Who would be interested in buying this and what might they use it for?
I started out with this mid-century record cabinet. It was in good condition and my shop owner had added some cute stencils to it. It sat in our shop for a while and I kept eyeing it...knowing it wanted to be painted. Good pieces of furniture communicate with me. So do doughnuts, but I'm trying to tune those out. Anyway, I finally asked if I could take it off her hands to work on and she graciously agreed.
This piece wanted to be white. I can't tell you why...again, I speak most dialects of "furniture", so I understood what it wanted. Originally, I thought I was going to do another sheet music piece, but once it was painted white, I realized this was a prime piece for some decorative painting. Stripes? Something symmetrical and formal? Birds and branches are what stuck with me and I could clearly picture them looking good on this cabinet.
So, what color? I originally grabbed the black, but I felt it would be too harsh. Should I do aqua? It's a hot color right now. Maybe something really bold like orange? Pewter Gray? Perfect.
I then painted the branches and birds freehand and added some gray in the grooves of the trim work.
I kept it very clean and simple. This cabinet did not want to be formal or fussy.
I reached for some nickel knobs, but they weren't working with the gray paint. The glass knobs added the perfect amount of sparkle and worked with the style of the piece.
I hope walking you through my thought process about this piece will inspire you to "listen" to what your own unfinished furniture pieces might be saying to you. You can become an expert "furniture whisperer" in no time.
PS - If I start leaning over and actually talking to pieces at yard sales, can someone please put me on medication?
I posted this the SNS at Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, and Favorite May Projects at Beneath My Heart.