Another little before and after to share with you today of a buffet table!

I wanted to call this post “Of love found and lost” but that sounded a bit dramatic for a buffet table post I think.

I found this lovely buffet table a few months ago and was giddy with happiness! I’ve always longed for one!  I planned to keep it, knew right where it was going to go. I was so happy. So, Jed Clampet style, with a happy husband (not) we piled it onto the truck one afternoon with a whole bunch of other pieces and brought her home. After lugging and hauling and putting it in place … it was too big for my space (insert sad sigh here)

I had big dreams for her. But she did at least get the makeover I dreamed about!

She was in rough shape as someone had tried (unsuccessfully) to paint the top. They apparently did not have Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in their stash!

After scuffing her up a bit and fixing some damage, she got a good cleaning and then the fun started. I decided to use a custom blend of colours to pretty her up, and chose Miss Mustard Seed’s French Enamel and Kitchen Scale mixed (and a teeny tiny smidge of Grain Sack) She took two coats (with bonding agent).

I painted her at my house (so, um, excuse the mess) oh and yes, before anyone asks (especially my husband) yes, that is an oriental carpet there in the picture, and no I didn’t get paint on it!

Want a little secret to a super smooth finish? Sand lightly between each coat with high grit sandpaper. Baby. Smooth. Finish. Every. Time.

Here I am distressing and stressing that I really should go get a manicure. Really. Bad right? Sorry – maybe you should look away right now.

Here she is almost done and on her way to the shop, paint and hemp  oiling are finished, just missing antique wax and hardware!

After she was painted I brought her to the shop to finish, she had been hemp oiled (2 coats) but I felt she was missing something so I added some antique wax – what a difference! I love how MMS Antique Wax ages and “dirties up” a piece in all the right ways. I applied it with a brush, brush-on, wipe off. Fill in the grooves and the cracks and crevices. So lovely.

This piece turned out so lovely. I really wished I could have kept her.

And I secretly wish I would make myself start learning to use the good camera :(

She WAS for sale but sold as soon as she hit the floor. (She is staying for a couple more weeks though until the owner can pick her up – I’m secretly very glad as I get to visit with her a little longer and pretend she is mine)

Have you ever had a piece you loved but just didn’t fit in your space?

Thanks for popping into the Porch! Hope you are having an awesome day!

Wendy

xx

*affiliate links are in this post. Please click here to read the full disclosure and privacy policy.

*This blog post was updated in September 2021. Front Porch Mercantile is no longer a physical retail store and has grown into Front Porch Lifestyle. Now Wendy offers her services as a business coach to other creatives while continuing a blog more focused on living a creative life.