Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Painted Chest

I bought this blanket chest about 4 years ago to serve not only as storage, but as a coffee table in the 3rd bedroom of my former home.  I used that room as an office.  I bought it from a catalogue, and boy was it hideola in person:



I needed a coffee table for my living room.  I had been using a tea table of my mother's, but it was too small. So, since I was home today for July 4th, I got a wild hair.


The graphic is from The Graphics Fairy.  First coat of paint is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Old White" - applied haphazardly.  Second coat is Behr's "Silver Screen" in a 50/50 wash with water.  The floral trim and the groove were painted with Sherwin-Williams "White Dogwood", which is a great pink that isn't Disney Princess pink, nor does it scream "I AM PINK!"  It's perfect.

I transferred the graphic using a stylus and graphite.  It's outlined and painted with a Sharpie paint marker.  After it dried, I sanded it lightly and then gave it another wash with the Silver Screen to soften and age it.


Both sides have the Paris wreath graphic from The Graphics Fairy.  Same transfer & wash method as the top.





For the front and rear panels, I used some French/English script invoices from a scrapbooking paper pad called "Life's Journey".  After they dried, I dry brushed them with the ASCP and wiped it off, then the same with the Silver Screen wash.  This softened the colors of the paper and aged them a bit.

detail of the floral trim and groove 
painted in "White Dogwood"

the finished table

I think it turned out OK for my first endeavor.

Linking to:
 Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life



14 comments:

  1. It's beautiful. You did a great job and I love the layering of color. Looks so pretty now!

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    Replies
    1. Jennifer

      Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment!

      Pamela

      Delete
  2. It looks great! I have yet to attempt graphics on a piece, maybe one of these days. You did a nice job on it!

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    Replies
    1. Tracy

      Thank you so much - I had a lot of fun with it!

      Pamela

      Delete
  3. Well done!! Hopping over from Show and Tell xo P.S. I'm your newest folower

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  4. Hi Pamela,
    I stumbled onto your blog via graphics fairy and am mesmerized by your pink lady cover photo. What can you tell us about it.

    Linda S.

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    1. Linda & Joan:

      That painting has *the* most incredible back story. It's by a favorite painter of mine - Giovanni Boldini. He is a fairly well-known society painter of the late 1800s/early 1900s.

      The painting is of his muse - Marthe de Florian, and I can't do just to the story of how the painting came to light, so I'll refer you to this link:

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8042281/Parisian-flat-containing-2.1-million-painting-lay-untouched-for-70-years.html

      Thank you for stopping by!

      Pamela

      Delete
  5. Beautiful job! I have been wanting to do a similar project, and now you've given me the instructions I need to begin! Also becoming your newest follower!


    Ann Rider McMains

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    Replies
    1. Ann:

      Thank you so much! Please let me know how your project turns out!

      Pamela

      Delete
  6. What a great job - love it.Came over via Brag Monday.
    XO Marie

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  7. Marie:

    Thank you so much for stopping by!

    Pamela

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  8. That is an amazing transformation...Connie

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