Most of the time, I prefer to take tired pieces and give them a bit of an upcycled look. This one evolved in a different direction.
I knew from the beginning that it was going to get a two-toned finish, with Annie Sloan's Olde White and Paris Grey, and a dark stained top. What I didn't plan was distressing it as much as this. It was the top that led me in this direction.
When I stripped the dated, speckled lacquer off this pine top, and saw how knotty and rustic the wood was, I decided that heavily distressed was how it needed to be.
Whenever I distress like this, it always seems to feel a bit strange to paint a piece and then sand about a quarter of the paint back off of it. It's necessary, though, to get the effect I was going for ... the impression of real, live age ... where drawers are slammed, knobs are used, and corners are rubbed and kicked.
If you look carefully, you can see a faint stripe of Olde White at the bottom here, to add some interest and balance.
There's a bit of a surprise awaiting anyone who opens one of the drawers ... they are lined with plum Thomas Kinkade wallpaper, in a lovely damask pattern.
This little chest is sitting in my booth at the shop right now ... patiently waiting for its new home ... and I'm on to my next piece. Wheee ... this is fun!
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