Wednesday, November 2, 2011

How To: Vintage Cabinet Gets A Chippy Finish

As a part of my Master Bathroom Makeover, I decided to hang a vintage cabinet on the wall that was previously on the floor in my dining room.  This particular space is pretty large and I needed something that would take up the space visually, and also provide function in our bath.  I am doing a farmhouse style makeover in this previously contemporary bath, so it has been a challenge, dragging on for months of projects.  Last week, I showed you the White Shutters that I hung to the sides of the windows.  The bathroom has been missing the cabinet doors for two weeks as we re-style them into something more appropriate for my style. 

I am going to show you the progression of what happened with this cabinet.  I have people ask me how I pull off this look, so I thought I would show you step by step. The technique is a layering of sorts of different colors with a solid coating of a final color before sanding back to reveal the color changes in specific areas.

 First I started with the green cabinet mounted safely on the wall.
-Before-
This bath is a lemon yellow and white to match the Master Bedroom.  If you missed the bedroom reveal click, here for that post.  Since the walls were yellow, I decided to add a significant amount of a bright yellow on the first layer.  I didn't cover the entire piece with this yellow.  I am just going to want it to show through in the areas that I painted it.  Also, I realize that this yellow is garish.  It will not be once I am finished.  This is a special mix that Sherwin Williams makes for me.  (I have the formula if you are interested.)


I am messy about this, it helps later by adding texture that my stain will pick up and highlight.  I even let some of the paint drip.  I don't care at this point.  No perfection here.  I let the yellow cure for a day or so. Next I added accents of barn red.  This red is a Valspar Signature Satin Finish Color in Heirloom Red.  I usually use Sherwin Williams Duration, but I had this, so I used it.  No waste.

I also made sure and got a few spots of the paint colors on the hinges and the vintage lock in the middle. You can see how I just kinda dabbed paint there too.  The accents that were laid up on the yellow parts, needed two coats to cover the yellow effectively.

After waiting a few days for that layer to cure, I came back with one of my favorite paint colors, Sherwin Williams Duration in Creamy.  Why my favorite?  I find it to be the most versatile white shade and is easy to alter with stains if needed.  So here is the cabinet with a nice layer of Creamy.
I let this sit for a few days, not because I needed to.  I was just busy.  So I came back with a sanding block and it wasn't rough enough to begin to removed the white.  So out came my Black and Decker Mouse with an 80 grit pad.  I sanded back the layers, having to change the pad out three times to get the finish I was trying to achieve.  Here is what it looked like at this point.  You can see the colors peaking through.


At this point, I gave the cabinet a thorough cleaning, removing all sanding dust.  The room was a mess, so I stopped and gave it a deep cleaning.  I was also pretty tired from all the manual labor, so I stopped for the day.  Notice in the image above you can see that the yellow is still bright and garish.  It is the next step that tones that color down to more of a brown mustard color.

I want to age this patina and the way I achieve this is to rub on a stain by hand.  I use a clean shop rag and MinWax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut.  I always where latex gloves for this process.  I don't like losing the touch I get with bare hands, but it just isn't worth the horrible clean up that is required on my hands and nails if I don't wear gloves.  On this particular piece, I rubbed so hard that two of my fingertips became exposed.  That alone was a thirty minute ordeal of scrubbing.  

The process is a wipe on wipe off type of application.  As I work, my rag becomes more saturated, so I must grab another clean one for the rubbing off part.  After I get the overall cabinet done, I come back with a throw away brush and concentrate stain in the cracks and crevices in key areas of the cabinet and gently remove the excess on the other area around the cracks.  

So here is the near completed cabinet.









Just scrolling through those final detail images makes my heart race!  Aren't they yummy??!! 

I will let this piece sit for a week or so to cure completely before coming back with my favorite of all favorite waxes, Fiddles and Sons for a nice top finish.  I never rush this step.  The stain takes several days to completely dry and harden.  I don't want the chemicals in the wax to lift a thing.

If you are still reading...thank you for taking the time to stop and hang here at The Homeless Finch.  This was a pretty lengthy post.  We are all super busy and it means a lot to me when people take the time to check out my projects.  Don't be afraid to leave a comment either.  It lets me know you were here!!   Now let me go and rest my tired little ole right arm...Phew! All that rubbing!  Guess this gets me out of cooking tonight. Well.....probably not...


-The End-














51 comments:

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Very Cute. I love it! martina

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

Beautiful aged finish Lesley.

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

I love all the colors peeking through.

Dee

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

I'll be honest, I gasped a little at the yellow. But the end results are really great! I think the stain really blended it all nicely and I'm sure the wax will give it an even better finish. Such a cute cabinet!

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

WOW, Lesley! I love it now. I adore the touches of red you added. The whole thing is amazing. And *I* think you deserve pizza for dinner ;-)

Cassie Bustamante said...

this is a fantastic tutorial. i love the colors you used and the final product is amazing with all those layers and colors! wonderful, lesley!

Gayle said...

This looks fantastic, I'll be trying this myself very soon. Thanks for the step by step guide.

Twice Nice said...

Great tutorial, so we can all reproduce that wonderful chippy look! Very cool cabinet!

Michele {The Scrap Shoppe} said...

How about that! I don't have a clue when it comes to aging furniture. This is a fabulous tutorial, Lesley! And the cabinet looks spectacular!

None said...

I Love it. I love the worn old chippy, falling apart kind of look, this would go right into my house!

Carol said...

OH it is so cool!!!! i have a couple of pieces in the basement that I want to finish in a similar way. Just waiting for hubby to put up some walls now there and a heat source :)

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

I do enjoy when a true artist takes the time to explain techniques. It is an art to achieve these kind of finishes!!! Love your blog...Have a wonderful week!!!

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

Love it!!! It looks at least 100 years old with it's new finish!

Vintage Restyled said...

Love the finished piece! Thanks for the tut! Have to give it a try.

Katie said...

This is great Lesley!! I love seeing the whole process you took to get this incredible aged look! Love it!

Teresa@magazineyourhome said...

Wow that was fantastic, love it!

Jaime Lyn at Crafty Scrappy Happy said...

Oh my goodness this is AMAZING!!!! I LOVE how you got to the final product. It was so worth all of the layers of paint---it is PERFECT! Thank you SO SO SO much for linking up!!!! You are such a great inspiration!
Jaime from crafty scrappy happy

Angie @ Knick of Time said...

We are doing a similar remodel in our farmhouse bathroom, so I was thrilled to see what you did with that cabinet! Looks incredible!

Please come link this beauty up at Knick of Time Tuesday! The party is open all week and I'd love to see your work there!

Blessings,
Angie @ Knick of Time Interiors

Anonymous said...

Awesome job! I want to try your process. I am wondering do you sand it heavier in the spots where you put the different paint colors ?

Benita

Courtney said...

Um...WOW!! You've done an amazingly awesome job!! Give yourself a pat on the back!!
Love the fact that you mounted the cabinet on the wall, so unique!!
You explained it all so well, too!
Well done!!!

Karen Isaacson said...

fabulous technique - I loved seeing each step and reading about the process. it looks amazing. -Karen

6th Grade said...

okay, i was scared there when you got all sloppy with the red but now i know you can be trusted 'cuz the outcome is awesome. really.

i'm gonna go sloppy somethin' up!

amy

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

The finish on that cabinet is amazing. Just curious where that last button that links to me came from??

Mary - because i like to decorate said...

Love the step by step! Inspires me to try stain over paint rather than dark wax for a different type of look. Thanks for the tips!

Deneen@dreaming-n-color said...

I love using this technique and I haven't done it in years! Thanks for reminding me!!! I love the cabinet. I learned this technique from Christopher Lowell. Remember him?

Honey at 2805 said...

This is stunning! Great job!

I have a friend that has used this technique (different colors) on a large floor to ceiling cabinet, in contract with her other solid color ones and it is gorgeous!

Sharon, aka Bootersmom03 said...

Totally LOVE the look! Thanks for sharing!

Julia @ 551Eastdesign said...

I love this so much! In fact I love it so much I featured in my blog today! Come by when you get a chance! :)

Honey at 2805 said...

Stopping back by to say thank your for linking your lovely project to Potpourri Friday!

Unknown said...

What an awesome finish you achieved, I love it, thanks for a great post and share! Blessings Marilou

Unknown said...

Love it and I love how you achieved the look, beautiful,is love to feature it if that's ok with you please let me know.

Brooke @ Spruce Your Nest said...

I saw this at 551 East Design today and I was in love at first site! Great job! I am your newest follower :-))

The Texas Woman said...

Great Cab! And thanks for the tip about waiting a week before waxing!

Molly said...

Nice job! Thanks for all the photos and details! :D

Onegirlruns said...

this is such an awesome idea! when i saw the red i thought..oh my god...what is she doing...lol. but it's wonderful!

gail@My Repurposed Life said...

great tute! I've done it with a couple of colors, but using all the colors you used really makes it look OLD and CHIPPY! :)
gail
ps catching you this week, thanks for linking up and linking back

Ingrid@morestylethancash said...

The red was definitively a bold move that turned out wonderfully! Great looking cabinet.

ViNtaGe SouL TX said...

Great tutorial and GREAT job! The finish looks authentic and I love the fact that you took something that was meant for the floor and raised it to a whole new level! Again, great job!
Blessings, ~Julie

Candylei said...

Just amazing! I love it.

Jaime Lyn at Crafty Scrappy Happy said...

just wanted to let you know that I am featuring your project tonight over at my party features!!
Jaime from crafty scrappy happy

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Love this- Featuring it at tonights party- thanks for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday!

Dana @ CraftedNiche.com said...

Visiting from Crafty Scrappy Happy. THanks for posting such a great tutorial on this finish. Love the cabinet!!!

Nellene said...

What a great break down of how you ended up with that fabulous cabinet! Thanks for sharing...

Kathy Owen, Petticoat Junktion said...

you did an amazing finish on this piece. love it, found you through Feathered Nest

Heidi said...

You did an awesome job!
I really like the result and looking forward to follow your tips. Thanks for sharing :)

Unknown said...

O My Gosh! It is BEAUTIFUL! My problem is I always rush it! LOL. Your cabinet came out awesome. I love, love, love the final product. Great work! Cheers!

d e l i g h t said...

This is great! Thank you for the detailed instructions and photographs! Love it!

Erin said...

Hi Lesley,

I'm visiting from Primitive & Proper! Love the way you redid this cabinet and *thank you* for the step-by-step on achieving that finish. It looks genuinely vintage!

Take care,
Erin
Carolina Country Living

Ang. said...

love it!!! not good at doing things ike this but your step by step inspires me!!! thanks, from a new follower!!!
Angela from NJ

Lisa Montsion said...

I love the yellow on the cabinets.

lisa

Anonymous said...

Nice post. I'm looking to to try this out - question: do you use wood paint (as opposed to any wall paint you might have lying around)? Is it oil based or water? And always a satin finish?

I'm wanting to redo a table with an antique India distressed look. Any feedback is most appreciated. I live in Europe so brands won't help as much as the type of paint you'd suggest.

Many thanks!