You’ve probably been wondering what in the world is going on with Andrea and David and their 1950’s brick ranch? Â Well, not so much at the moment, but I think the wheels are going to start turning again on this house update project that I told you about in December. Â With David’s back issues and Andrea breaking her wrist, things came to a complete halt for over a month, but they are ready to get it going again. Â This time, they are going to hire out the painting of the den and kitchen cabinets and walls and that will be welcome progress.
In the meantime, we’ve been looking at fabric to recover 2 wing chairs in their sunroom and we are hoping to get that room at least mostly complete soon.
There is a still a lot of furniture that needs to be recovered or gotten rid of and we are still deciding on some of that. Â But, for now these chairs will be recovered soon. Â Yay for progress!
Andrea loves shades of blue, so she found this solid grayed down aqua fabric for the wing chairs. Â We had problems finding enough fabric to buy to cover both chairs, but she hunted this down and texted me pics. We’ll use the stripe as the desk chair seat fabric and the Ikat print for pillows on the sofa and chairs. Â They have a white loveseat in the living room (pillow above) that we are bringing out to this room, so we are going to stay in these hues for this space and freshen up the rest of the room once the chairs are recovered. Â We will have a few more things to do in the sunroom, like get a rug or 2 and add some art, accessories and lamps, and I think that will be one room that will be DONE.
The next paint project will be that desk and chair above in the sunroom. We are going with a creamy white on that piece to further lighten up the space. Â There are a couple of wicker things in here and we are going to spray paint them navy blue. I think this will be a wonderful soothing color palette for the room with the red terra-cotta tile floors.
Speaking of painting furniture, we did get one project completed on that front. Â Andrea had a cherry console table with 2 stools in the foyer. Â I decided to leave the bench out here in the stained finish and to paint this console table and stools with chalk paint.
We want to have a balance of painted and wood pieces throughout the house, so I’m going to work on keeping that balance going. Â I do like this little bench as is and we’ll update it with some new pillows soon.
Now, a word about cherry Queen Ann furniture. Â This Traditional style furniture has been popular for SO long and so many people have this furniture from all different manufacturers. Â Everyone and their brother made this kind of furniture over the last 30 or 40 years and it’s been done to death, I think you’ll agree. Â It’s a fine style of furniture, but it looks a little dated when a whole house has Queen Ann cherry furniture. Â You’ve heard me rant about this before, but it’s just a personal pet peeve. Â There are so many interesting ways to mix up furniture in a home and having all matching pieces is not the way to do it. Â So, since Andrea has so much of this, we are going to paint some pieces. Â I know there are purists who refuse to paint good wood furniture, but I’m not one of them. Â If a piece has reached the dated phase and is no longer desirable in its current state…then I say PAINT IT!
So, I went over one afternoon and David, Andrea’s hubby, helped me get this set painted.
All the drawers were removed and the cushions taken off the stools.
We decided since the finish was SO shiny that David would hit it with his sander for just a bit. Â We didn’t try to sand the whole thing at all, but he just gave it a quick sanding to dull the gloss. Â You really don’t have to sand with chalk paint, but I thought it would be good to do anyway.
I’ve been working with Maison Blanche paints lately and really like their paints and finishes. Â They have a lot of colors to choose from and are equally as good to me as Annie Sloan paints are. Â I think their prices are pretty comparable and these chalk paints are easy to work with for beginners. Â You really can’t mess it up using this paint. Â This color is Robin’s Egg, a nice soft aqua blue color. Â You can search online for distributors of Maison Blanche in your area if you’re interested in trying it out.
We used a roller and paint brushes on the legs to get the first coat on. Â I did the table and David worked on the stools.
You’ll see the paint looks splotchy with just one coat, so 2 or 3 coats are needed to cover a dark piece like this.
And 3 coats later, we have this. Â Much prettier, don’t you think? A quart of this paint goes a long way and I only used about 1/4 of this paint, so there is plenty left for other projects.
Stools and drawers all painted.
The last step is adding the Satin Varnish to the pieces, again from Maison Blanche.  I really love this finish too, it gives a nice soft sheen to a painted piece.  I know that wax has been used for years on chalk painted furniture and I think it has its place, especially with more distressed and vintage looking pieces.  But, I’m going for more of an all over painted look and we opted not to distress these.  So, protecting them with this water-based varnish is a good  idea and it takes away the chalky feel of just the paint finish.  It’s easy to work with, applies nicely and dries fast too. It’s become my favorite way to finish off a painted piece of furniture.  I doubt I’ll ever wax anything again.  That’s my personal preference.
Now, keep in mind that a hand painted piece like this will have some brush marks and imperfections. Â It will not look like a factory sprayed piece of furniture, but it’s still charming and pretty, just not perfect.
Closeup after adding the Maison Blanche Satin Varnish.
Giving this console table a new lease on life is a good thing and now Andrea will enjoy this piece in her foyer for years to come.
If you missed this area, the foyer was painted with BM Revere Pewter, the same color that went in the sunroom. It’s a great color!
She was looking at fabric on the stool covers and got that done this week too. Â I found this fabric and she went back and got enough to use here. Once we hang something on the wall in here, the foyer will be mostly done…except for a new light fixture. That still has to happen too. I’m going to wait until we are further along to help Andrea with accessories and lamps. We are going to freshen up her house with some newer things and also keep her most favorite accessories. I’m going for a cleaner, less cluttered look for her.
I love how this little console table and stools turned out. Â Looks so fresh and updated now!
There is still LOTS to do at Andrea and David’s house to get this house updated and into the 21st century, so I’ll still be sharing all along the way this year as each project gets completed and done. Â I know Andrea is more than ready to get this thing tackled!
Note: Â This post is sponsored by Maison Blanche paints, but all ideas and uses are my own.Â
My passion is upcycling furniture and other things, mostly wooden (frames, etc.), and I have been doing it a couple of years. My quandary was always how to finish and protect the paint, so I was thrilled when just last week someone told me about a product that is so similar to the soft varnish you used. You can get the Americana Decor soft touch varnish at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby.The container has a lavender label. Just wanted to pass that tip along to readers like me.
Watching the transformation of this house is fun!
Nope, can’t get behind painting cherry Queen Anne furniture. Classics are classics… I have some mass produced oak tables in my family room I would happily paint, but never will I touch the Queen Anne stuff throughout the rest of my house!
I am one who loved Andrea’s house and furniture from the start and wouldn’t have messed with much. I’m not that old, either. Guess I have fuddy duddy ways, however!! LOL!
Kate, i agree. But at least the bench stayed intact. I remember in the late 60’s when it was the fad to “antique” furniture. My mother did a beautiful mahogony bedroom suite in that antique white antiquing stuff. After a few years she regretted it and still regretted over 40 years later.
As far as Queen Anne goes, yes, maybe it has been done to death, perhaps there is a reason? If the table was solid cherry and not veneer over pressed board, I feel perhaps that might be a mistake.
I amm looking forward to see the finished product. Sometimes you have to see it all together to get the whole picture.
In many things we are kindred spirits but I cannot consider Queen Anne furniture attractive when painted. I love the grain and the patterns within the cherry or mahogany. I am reminded of all the wonderful Craftsman woodwork that got painted over. Styles change but classics do not.
I know not everyone will agree on painting Queen Anne furniture, but as I said if you get tired of the look, it’s a nice way to keep it and still use it. It may not be for everyone and I get that!
I don’t have a problem with painting the Queen Anne table but what dates it is putting the same hardware back on. You could have found updated knobs/handles that would have made a huge difference. I hope you won’t put too much furniture in the house and clutter it up. And for goodness sakes stay with muted colors to keep it calm.
Anne, we can always change those knobs out later. I’m just trying to get some things done around there and keep moving forward.
I agree with Anne. I don’t care for the hardware. I would have changed them to a more up to date style! Love the fabric on the benches!
We may change out the hardware if Andrea is up for that. We are taking baby steps here and have so much to do, so hardware is not on the radar right now.
I agree the brass pulls should have been replaced with updated hardware. Something is off on that table now that it is blue. I would have left it as Queen Ann. I don’t think painting it in blue adds anything to this piece.
I love the fabric you chose! It really pops and pulls together the brass and white pieces on top of the table! I would love to cover one of my wing-back chairs in that fabric pattern. Could you tell us where you found it?
I’ll bet it really lifts Andrea’s spirits now every time she sees her updated fresh “new” furniture!
Love this blog!
Hugs, cat
Thanks, Cat, I’ll see if Andrea knows the name of the fabric, since she went back and bought it after I brought in a sample.
This table is beautiful and the fabric is too. I love it all, so fresh.The distressed look makes me itchy, I want to get some soap and hot water and scrub it all down and repaint. This makes me want to find something to paint!
I think the table looks much better painted. That style just seems so outdated otherwise. Love the color choices. And I really like the idea of using that satin finish varnish on painted pieces; will have to try that for sure. I guess that finish would work with other paint brands as well?
Sure, Jane that varnish is water based and could work with any paint. You can also use any water based Satin varnish, there are many out there.
Nice job, Rhoda. I’ve got a couple of pieces to re-do that my Daddy built for me about 30 years ago. I think I’ll try the paint that you used.
Wow! I love how the fabric pulled all the colors in! Great job and I love original antique furniture and painted antique furniture! 🙂
The table looks great! I agree with you – I like a balance of non-painted and painted wood. The dark wood can make a room feel really heavy, especially if you have dark wood floors too (like I do). I also like the imperfections in the paint and some brushstrokes; if I went through the effort to hand-paint something, I kinda want to see my hard work!
I spoke my mind, deleted it.. The only person who needs to approve is the owner. We are all very different in our tastes and styles. Have fun with this project.
The Robin’s Egg was a great choice. It really updates the piece to be painted in such and uplifting color. I too love the varnish. Not everything has to be distressed. I pick and choose 😉
Love seeing the transformations of the home & etc’s – Y’all are doing a wonderful job!
I love that fabric on the stools! Gorgeous. So glad the project is back underway, and we get to enjoy the progress. For the Negative Nellies…just because I may not personally want a certain style, etc in my own home, it does not mean I cannot appreciate it in other homes. Diversity makes life so much more interesting. Plus, this is a work in progress, so let’s not judge anything till it’s completed. Now I’m off my soapbox and out to enjoy this beautiful SC day! ?
It is nice to see everything flow together through the house, looks great! I have a three season room that is being built and is near completion. I can’t wait to see Andrea and David’s sunroom when it is done, I can use some inspiration!
I know my hubby would not want to paint our furniture, and really neither would I. But, I think the table did turn out very pretty and the fabric on the stools just makes the whole foyer really pop! It’s a great way to repurpose a piece of furniture that you no longer like.
I am confused about how ” speaking your mind” is being negative! Each to his own. The table looks nice but I wouldn’t want a houseful of painted furniture. How long will it be before the painted look is gone? It seems to be a vicious cycle trying to keep up but I guess that is what keeps the blog wheel turning.
I have a $7000 set of furniture and it won’t be painted for sure… but I guess if I had a mismatched set I would go for a painted piece or two .
Kaye, I’m totally fine with differing opinions on here. I knew that there would be many who would never paint Queen Anne Cherry furniture, but there are many who love a painted piece. I’m trying to keep the balance in painting a few things, but certainly not everything, just like I’ve done in my own home.
Oh and its not cherry
Great job! I pray David and Andrea are on the mend. They are so fortunate to have a friend like you to
update their items that have memories without blowing a budget. It’s amazing how small changes can
perk you up and make you smile. Love how you inspire me! Thanks. 🙂
Yes Rene we feel so blessed to have Rhoda helping us and blogging about it. We are having fun and finally back to moving forward. Rhoda and I spent several hours lookng at rugs for the sun room….. more pictures soon! Thanks for following
Andrea
Love those fabric choices! Where in Atlanta did you purchase?
I think this fabric was from Forsythe Fabrics on Huff Road. I cut some samples for Andrea and then she went and picked it up and I think this one was from there. Maybe she can find the name for you later.
It was Forsythe Rhoda.