Hey Ya’ll and Welcome Back,

First of all I would like to thank everyone that visited last week and commented on the post and also by email. I have had so many requests for a picture of the barn-door headboard completed with the bed. While delivering this headboard I asked my client if I could get a picture of the bed after it was finished and YES it will happen! Please look for it in the coming weeks. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! And…her  husband now has the “vision” too.

So remember the bedroom suit with the tiger design? remember the barley twist table with the four chairs? remember…oh yea this “remember” is for this week’s post. Here is another wonderful piece from my very special client for you to remember. Yes it is a Hoosier cabinet. This type of cabinet has been made from the early 1900′s and almost all of these cabinets were produced by companies located in Indiana. If you’re wondering why they are called “Hoosier’s” its mainly because the largest of these companies was Hoosier Manufacturing Co. of New Castle, Indiana.

This is what I started with. Not bad huh? There were some issues with the veneer on a couple of the panels and after that was repaired it was my turn.

Here is the inspiration from Pottery Barn. They loved the different colors peaking through on the panels. Can you see all the colors?

Pottery Barn Inspiration

Initially, my client wanted Antibes but a softer green like the inspiration above. I mixed Annie Sloan’s Cream, Pure White and Antibes and had the match when they decided to use straight Antibes. If you have painted with this color you know that it can be very intense and was a bold decision on a piece this large. The Pottery Barn console looked to have used three colors. So, three colors are what I used too. First, I painted the whole cabinet with Greek Blue. I painted the whole cabinet instead of the distress points, because I  had no idea where those distress points were going to be. Second, was Old White and thirdly, Antibes. The panels were painted Old White again. TIP: If you don’t have any Old White, four parts Pure White and one part Cream makes a perfect Old White!

The distressing on this piece, I have to say, was well beyond my comfort zone!   I first handled the cabinets as if I were using it to find where my hands would naturally go to and that’s how I started the initial distressing. I sanded then let it get cold. I would come back to it and sand some more! After I had a starting point with this technique I then started the all-over sanding process. I used a sanding block, the kind you add your own paper to, because I wanted to control the grit of paper. The grain of the wood then took a life of it’s own and developed it’s own “worn” look.

I had fun with this first picture by using a “funky vintage” look. Cool huh? Okay, here’s the original.

I loved the built-in chopping board. I did show a lot more of the Greek Blue than the inspiration, but while sanding the drawer, WOW!…it just looked perfect!

The edges of the doors were well worn and I love the way they distressed. The latch was originally put on crooked and I left it that way.

After the distressing was complete I waxed with clear wax then added a dark wax glaze that completed the WOW factor. I watched this piece take on that amazing aged look as I worked.

I could see this cabinet waking up in the morning with the crock bowl and old flour sifter and biscuits being rolled out on the enamel top. The rolling pin belonged to my grandmother. I remember sifting flour as a little girl with the sifter.

I had such fun with this piece. I hope everyone that see’s this post enjoyed it as much as I have in creating it.

Thanks for stopping in for a visit and don’t forget to say hi.