Labor of love. Familiar with the saying? Well, I’m not sure a better phrase exists to describe my recent armoire refurb. You know…the one I’ve been rambling about on Facebook. It was a mammoth of a project and boy-oh-boy am I excited to finally share it with y’all!
Allow me to begin by saying that I’m not sure what I love most about my new armoire: the fact that I love how it turned out or, simply, the fact that it is DONE! The two sentiments are neck and neck…definitely.
While I do love the results, I’m not sure a refurb of this size is in my near future — near being the operative word. It took quite some time, having only sporadic, two-hour-long naptime windows within which to finish it. However, I absolutely love how it turned out and seeing the transformation is extremely rewarding. I got exactly what I wanted in terms of living room storage as well as the exact “look” I was trying to achieve…all for a mere $80 or so. {score!}
Not to bore you too much with the details, I’ll just tell you that this armoire was a Craigslist find that I snatched for a whopping $65. (I searched — and searched, and searched — for a cheaper piece but, in the end, this one fit my criteria and I was happy to pay the price given its nice condition.) After priming, painting and distressing, I used a glaze finishing technique I learned HERE from Sausha at Sweet Pickins.
Okay, so check out the before & after:
A few more pics, because I love her so…
Alright…what do you think?!?!?!? Not a bad transformation, eh?
In case you’re wondering, here is a very quick explanation of the nitty-gritty:
- Remove all hardware.
- Spray pieces with Kilz Primer. (I did not sand this piece prior to painting, per the instructions of much better “refurbers” than I.)
- Paint base coat. (I used a shade of gray called Gravity by Valspar. It’s a gorgeous color! And, it was left over from baby’s nursery. ”Yay” for no additional paint costs!)
- Distress to your taste by sanding.
- Use glazing technique for finish. (Again, let me refer you to Sausha at Sweet Pickins. She’s amazing! I mixed Valspar Clear Glaze with Minwax Walnut Stain at a ration of 3:1. That’s 3 parts glaze, 1 part stain. And, no, I did not apply the finishing technique to the inside of the unit.)
- Reassemble and replace hardware.
- Sit back and admire!
That’s it in a nutshell. I’m anxious to hear your feedback. Have you refurbed anything lately? Let me know — I’d love to check it out. Oh, and one last thing…how many different versions of the word ‘refurbish’ do you think I can come up with? {wink}
Have a marvelous Friday and and an even better weekend!
XOXO
P.S. I’m sharing this little project (little…HA!) here:
Power of Paint at Domestically Speaking, Pity Party at Thirty Handmade Days, Inspiration Friday with At the Picket Fence, Tickled Pink at 504 Main, Hookin’ Up with HOH at House of Hepworths, Sugar & Spice at Seven Thirty Three, Thursday Link Party at Somewhat Simple & Show Me Extraordinary at The 36th Avenue!
Love it!!!! You did an awesome job!
Beautiful! Love it!
Looks awesome!!
Turned out great!! I’ve recently become a Craigslist stalker! ha! I did a china cabinet about a month ago and love it!
Wow! Beautiful job! And look how organized it is inside! Bet it feels beyond great to have finished the job!
Thanks, Jen! The organization was the driving force behind this beauty…with a near two-year-old boy and another little man on the way, we need places to stash, stash, stash! I know you know what I’m talking about! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Fantastic! Yes, that is a HUGE project, and I would think I would want a break from large-scale refurbing for awhile after such a big job, too.
Looks beautiful!!
Beautiful sarah – seriously, when can i hire you??
Awe…thanks, Michelle!! …made me smile SO big!
Oh, I have the perfect Armoire to do this too! My husband wants to get rid of it, as we are getting a new tv and will hang it on the wall. It would be perfect for all of my craft things. I have to pin this. Thanks for the instructions.
Thanks for popping in! So glad you found some inspiration. They make excellent storage pieces.
Simply gorgeous!! The finish is absolutely beautiful and we are so glad you shared this with us at Inspiration Friday this week!
Vanessa
Thanks, Vanessa! I’m thrilled that you popped over to visit my little ol’ blog. I just love At The Picket Fence! Have a great weekend!!
You can just do anything, girl!! You did a fabulous job, and I respect your enthusiasm to tackle such a big project. I have refinished one before, and I probably wouldn’t do it again. Too much work for me! ha ha!
That turned out beautiful! I love a good armoire transformation =)