So I was out thrifting with a friend, when I saw this sad mid-sized buffet / hutch. It was slightly more than I wanted to spend ($50) but sometimes you just gotta do it. This was made from a local furniture store in Tacoma called The Tacoma Chair Company, that had long since been out of business.
It was in serious sad shape... had I known how much work it was to redo a buffet, I might have found one with better bones. :P
Live and learn.
This buffet was made as cheaply as possible. The "wood grain" was actually a fake painted on look... but I'm a believer in making the best of things, so in I went.
It was in serious sad shape... had I known how much work it was to redo a buffet, I might have found one with better bones. :P
Live and learn.
This buffet was made as cheaply as possible. The "wood grain" was actually a fake painted on look... but I'm a believer in making the best of things, so in I went.
So this piece was always intended for my husband - FC (Fave Carpenter). His hobby is metal detecting and it not only has all sorts of 'gadgets' and misc parts that go along with the hobby, it also accumulates lots of little things (he calls them treasures). With nowhere for these little things (treasures) to land... except where they shouldn't be.
FC if you're reading this --- Love you sweetie! :) hehe
Anyway, I thought it'd be nice to give him a designated spot to put the 'treasures' he digs up. This buffet was the perfect size, and since it was in sad shape and made out of icky cheap wood, it was perfect for manly use. It just needed a manly paint job.
It took me months - yes months - to figure out what colors to go with. I tried three different colors before finally deciding on what you see - black and gray. Since it was going in the same room as the monopoly table I went with the same colors so they'd get along better.
I sanded & refinished the top (cheap cheap cheap wood) but in hindsight I think I should have painted the whole thing. It looks odd to me with just the top open wood. But FC loved it, so I left it.
Following is a pictorial of the process.
FC if you're reading this --- Love you sweetie! :) hehe
Anyway, I thought it'd be nice to give him a designated spot to put the 'treasures' he digs up. This buffet was the perfect size, and since it was in sad shape and made out of icky cheap wood, it was perfect for manly use. It just needed a manly paint job.
It took me months - yes months - to figure out what colors to go with. I tried three different colors before finally deciding on what you see - black and gray. Since it was going in the same room as the monopoly table I went with the same colors so they'd get along better.
I sanded & refinished the top (cheap cheap cheap wood) but in hindsight I think I should have painted the whole thing. It looks odd to me with just the top open wood. But FC loved it, so I left it.
Following is a pictorial of the process.
The inside of the drawers had been lined with horrible paper. :P It was very sticky when I removed it, so I sanded a bit and laid in felt lining to the top drawers. I didn't put the felt in permanently, that way it'll be easy to remove later if needed. But the felt will provide a place for FC's nice treasures to sit without getting trashed. He does occasionally find cool coins, rings and other jewelry.
As with many of my pieces I used Annie Sloan Chalk paint (Paris Gray and Graphite). I put at least two coats and sanded it smooth after the last coat. I typically use 400 grit for a super baby soft finish. You can check out my chalk paint page for more info on how I use this paint.
The logo is from FC's Metal Detecting Club. It's a skull with two metal detectors instead of crossbones. The perfect manly logo for this manly buffet.
And there you have it - a manly buffet.
As with many of my pieces I used Annie Sloan Chalk paint (Paris Gray and Graphite). I put at least two coats and sanded it smooth after the last coat. I typically use 400 grit for a super baby soft finish. You can check out my chalk paint page for more info on how I use this paint.
The logo is from FC's Metal Detecting Club. It's a skull with two metal detectors instead of crossbones. The perfect manly logo for this manly buffet.
And there you have it - a manly buffet.
Here's my usual side by side comparisons (my favorite part).