Those of you with sharp eyes may have noticed the buffet behind the dining table in yesterday's post.
It's had a pretty amazing makeover. This piece is also confirmation that I married the right man. As a youth pastor, my husband helps a lot of people move and every once in a while he gets first crack at some furniture someone wants to sell or get rid of. He came home one day after a move and said, "Oh. These people were getting rid of a piece of furniture and I thought you might want it. It's OK. It's not as bad as some of the pieces you bring home." Ha! So, I went outside to check it out, certain he had picked up some 1970's monstrosity with obnoxious hardware and a shape I just couldn't work with. I was so surprised to see this...
...a lovely antique buffet. A little mistreated (that faux painted wood is just wrong) and a little dinged up, but a very lovely piece.
I knew this piece was going to be a beast, but I decided to give it my all. I stripped the paint off the top to reveal the natural wood. I didn't stain it, but opted to just wax it. The base was painted in ASCP's Paris Gray followed by a "wash" of equal parts Old White and water. I brushed on the Old White mixture with a chip burhs and wiped it off with a dry cloth. Lastly, I hit the edges with some sand paper and waxed it with clear, soft wax.
The knobs are carved and have a sort of tortoise shell look. I purchased them at Hobby Lobby and they worked perfectly with the scale of the piece and the wood top.
My husband is usually pretty relaxed about all of the furniture coming and going in our home, but he was really hesitant about letting this one go. "Are you sure you want to sell it? It would look great in our family room with a flat screen TV hung over it." Oh boy, you're speaking my language. Then, the reality of my empty space at Lucketts flashed into my mind and I strengthened my resolve. "Don't worry. I'll find another one." I have to confess that I wouldn't have been too disappointed if it hadn't fit up the steps to my third floor space, but it did.
Now, let's just hope I find another one!
