Last year a lady contacted me in response to a Painted China Cabinet I had posted for sale online. Unfortunately, she was 2 hours too late because it had JUST been sold.
Her name is Marija, and once we started chatting, I immediately liked her style. She has great taste, knows what she wants, yet doesn’t spend a fortune to get it… my kind of girl!
She asked me, “If I was to find a similar china cabinet, would you custom paint it for me?” My response – YES!, YES!, YES!, … I L-O-V-E painting these detailed pieces!!
A few months later, Marija finds this jewel of a Cabinet and a Vintage Victorian Bed online and commissions me to custom paint both to compliment her decor.
I painted this cabinet in 2 tones for a clean neutral look. We chose Annie Sloan’s ‘Country Grey’ for the exterior, and ‘Old White’ for the interior and drawer. A light distressing highlights the details and it’s been sealed and protected with CeCe Caldwells All Natural Clear Wax.
An interesting twist to this story. Carole at Toronto Shabby Chic was the one who purchased my original china cabinet… and she also paints and sells furniture. By sheer coincidence, Marija went to purchase a piece from Carole’s home. Facing her from across the room… you guessed it… the original china cabinet she had wanted to purchase a few months earlier! Here’s an excerpt from an email Marija sent me that evening.
…what a small world. I found some frames on kijiji that I wanted to buy and as I’m walking into that house, I see a beautiful china cabinet (the one that I missed by minutes) that you refinished. I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I had to laugh and ask them if they purchased it from you and sure enough, they did!
There you have it, it really IS a small world!
Oh, and by the way, if you’re into Shabby Chic, drop on by Carole’s FaceBook page to say “hello”… and please give her a BIG hello from Denise. 😉
To Marija, if you’re reading this, it was a pleasure painting your cabinet… and so nice meeting you, David and the boys! If you’re ever in the area… coffee is on me!
I’ll leave you with a few more pics and have a marvelous day!
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You’ve so patiently and beautifully answered so many questions about this lovely piece. I hope you don’t mind one more! I’m curious what finish you used on the inside of the drawer- my (4 y.o….) daughter wants me to paint the insides of her dresser drawers so they make a rainbow, but I’m not sure what finish to use or what’s the best sealant (if any?!)) for that kind of a project. The dresser is brand-new from PBKids.
Hi Amy! I luv your daughters’ paint a rainbow idea! When painting the inside of drawers I like using a self-sealing durable enamel – SW All Surface Enamel or non toxic paints like Dixie Belle Paint or Fusion. Both do not require a topcoat but wax or poly could be applied. Clothes or valuables will be perfectly fine once everything has dried and cured. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Denise, I also have a very similar china cabinet that I am planning on painting in the next few weeks.. I have the entire matching dining room set including the credenza..
I’m curious whether you sealed this piece first to prevent the tannins in the wood from bleeding through? I’ve never painted a piece of furniture from this era ..
Also, I’m obsessed with this piece and these colors that you chose! It is truly stunning!
Thank you for sharing!
Kelly
Totally random but….do you happen to know the color of your wall paint? The combination with the cabinet is stunning and I’m looking for wall colors that go well with Country Grey
Hi Angie! Not random at all. This blog is all about painting. 🙂 It’s CIL’s “Softest Juniper” which I bought years ago at Home Depot. You can check it out here.
Puzzled about how to get fretwork back in. Are all nails removed and then nailed back in to same holes? Do you use new nails? how does glass not get broken? Removing seems easy, it is reinstalling that looks tricky.
It can be tricky, but I much prefer using the original nails in the original holes. Here’s another tutorial that may be helpful Joan. https://salvagedinspirations.com/how-to-remove-fretwork-repurpose-it/
OMG, I have this cabinet with slight variations – no medallions on the side but other trim instead. Love the wood but may eventually paint it now that I see this.
Did you have to remove the glass in order to paint the scroll work located behind the glass?
Yes, removing the fretwork and glass makes for easy and clean painting. 🙂
That is an amazing piece n you did a beautiful job!!!!
Did you use any of the dark wax for your “distressed” areas? I like how subtle that looks on this cabinet. I have a very similar cabinet that was my grandmother’s that I intend to paint with these exact same colors!
Ashley, this china cabinet was sealed and protected with CeCe Caldwell’s All Natural Wax. No dark wax was used.
What kind of brush did you use on this piece? Is the country gray on the entire outside and the old whit on the inside?
Michelle, I believe I used a dollar store brush for this piece (brush strokes were not an issue…my client was after a hand painted look). And yes, Annie Sloan’s Country Gray for the entire piece and AS Old White for the interior.
I love this cabinet!
This is beautiful! Love the soft contrast of Old White and Country Grey!
Gorgeous! What a beautiful find, and your painting of it is fabulous…thank yo for sharing!
Very pretty! I love the details of the piece!
I love the piece you painted ,its looks so good . Just a quick question I have used Annie Sloan paint on a cabinet, And I seem to get brush marks do you sand these out or should I water the paint down? As well when you put on the clear wax, My piece seems to be very tacky ,Are you supposed to buff this a bit or will it go away in time? I also have a china cabinet that I am thinking of painting and I was wondering if the old white would not look good ,now that I seen the cabinet you painted, Like I said its looks fantastic
Reply would be great . Sue
Hi Sue! Yes, to minimize brush stokes while using Annie Sloan you can either water down the Chalk Paint, sand lightly between coats, and/or use a high quality brush. Doing all 3 will make a big difference. As for waxing, I’m guessing if your piece still feels very tacky, either too much product was applied or it may not have been rubbed in 100%. When waxing, working in small areas with a small amount of wax works best. Then buff, buff and buff some more until the wax feels it has “soaked-in” to your piece and feels perfectly smooth.
Hi! It is beautiful. I am getting ready to redo my dining room set. I am scared to death!!! I have researched so much and feel like everyone has a different take on how to do it. Did you sand the piece before painting? Do you mind emailing me your steps?
Thank you so much!
It’s very natural to be nervous Helga! I remember it took me weeks if not months to muster up the courage for my first pieces! I’ll send you an email. 🙂
Denise – do you like the CeCe Caldwell wax better than the Annie Sloan wax?
Paula
When I use an all natural soft wax, it’s been CeCe Caldwell so I can’t comment on which I prefer Paula. I know both brands are luxuriously soft natural waxes to work with. Nice wax vid’s btw. 🙂
Hi there. How did you paint the detail wood in the front glass. I am wondering how to do that on my own
Beth, the fretwork was removed from the door and then hand-painted with a small brush. Fretwork is easier/faster to paint with a paint gun/spray paint, however my client requested hand-painted and that’s exactly what she got! 🙂
Beautiful piece! Can I ask if you have ever made your own chalk paints? I am looking to paint a china cabinet I bought. This will be my first exposure to chalk paint!
Thanks Kerry, and from your other question on the HMCP post, I see you’ve already found the recipes! 🙂 Have fun with your project!!
It’s amazing how much one piece of furniture can be transformed by a great paint job. Both, the before and after pics, look great because this cabinet is a beautiful piece of furniture. However, I love the character that the ‘Country Grey’color gives it.
Beautiful transformation Denise. What color is that? It’s lovely.
Warm Regards, Denise
Hi Denise! This piece is painted with Annie Sloans Country Grey and Old White.
I think this is the perfect color to do my kitchen cabinets I’ve been gearing up for. Did you mix the two colors? What ratio? You said somewhere the outside Country Grey but is it diluted as it doesn’t seem grey to me. Trying to get brave and attack my kitchen. Thanks!
Shelly, I would describe Annie Sloan’s Country Grey as a beautiful beige-grey and I did not mix or dilute with anything else for this cabinet. All monitors & screens display colors slightly different – so if you’re taking on a big project like a kitchen, I would test to make sure it’s the exact color/tone you want. 🙂
Thanks for the post on painting drawers–good questions!
What a beautiful job you did on this china cabinet, Denise! I love it! I haven’t tried chalk paint, but I’m going to have to go get some sooner rather than later. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
This is a lovely piece! Your work is beautiful! Can you tell me how you paint the door and fretwork? Do you remove the fretwork and if so how is that done and how do you put it back in?
Drooling over this beauty!
Thank you Tami! Yes, all hardware and doors are removed including the glass and fretwork. The fretwork is held in by a sash (or 4 thin pieces of wood which make a frame) which is fitted into the door frame with small finishing nails. The nails and sash is gently pried away from the main frame and then very gently nailed back into place after everything is painted. Since my client wanted a brush finish, even the fretwork was hand painted with a small brush.
that’s what I was going to ask. how do you get the fretwork back in? I painted a cabinet with a door like this once and gave up trying to nail the fretwork back in. I was afraid I was going to break the glass.
If and/or when I work on another piece with a sash/frame work that holds in fretwork or glass, I’ll take a lot of pictures and write a post on it so you and others can have a visual. I know seeing pictures is sometimes more helpful than an explanation! 🙂
Have you done another piece yet with fret work and showed pics? My husband keeps saying we are going to break the glass of the china cabinet I bought if we remove the fretwork but I want it out of the cabinet so I can etch the glass. Headless tiny nails holding the sash so nothing to grab and afraid to pry against the glass. Help. Thanks.
Unfortunately I have not Erin. But this is a great blog post idea and you’re not the first to ask so when I get another piece with the insert, I’ll definitely take lots of pics and show how its done. In the meantime, if you can carefully pry one corner of the trim that is holding the fretwork in place, the rest usually can by pulled off with a pair of pliers. It’s just getting that initial piece up that requires some care.
Wow! This is a piece to be proud of! Beautiful choice of colours and just the right amount of distressing. You realize what a truly small world it is when these things happen. 🙂 Dianne
Denise- This piece is just fantastic!!!! You do such beautiful work. I wish I had the skill and courage to attempt what you do! I’m just now working on a “lazy susan” from Ikea that I chalk painted with your calcium carbonate recipe.
Thank you,
Tess
I started this business by working on small pieces I felt comfortable painting and re-styling. Then as my confidence grew, I worked on bigger and bigger pieces. I want you to give yourself HUGE credit Tess! You DO have skill and courage because you’re taking initiative and action!
Dee, yet another fabulous job on the china cabinet. It looks fabulous! Yes I do remember Marija. She looked at the cabinet and asked if I got it from you and I smiled a big smile and proudly said yes. So glad I was the one who “won” … looks like Marija “won” also with this spectacular piece.
Happy New Year honey x
Wishing you a fantastic 2014!
Thank you Carole! A big Happy New Year and FABULOUS 2014 to you also!! x
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 One of the best makeovers I have seen! I LOVE IT!
Oh my, this is gorgeous! You did an amazing job!!!! Love the Country Grey with Old White – great combo.
I have a china cabinet that my mother bought used about 45 years ago. I have been wanting to paint it (and I have chalked painted many things) but I just can’t get myself to do it. I am not sure if it’s because I don’t know what I want the color or “new” look to be or if I’m just afraid I will regret it. Seeing this one is giving me that push again non thank you for always inspiring!
I totally get it Julie. My Mum passed away many years ago and there are a few pieces of hers I just can’t touch… at least not yet. Sometimes it’s very difficult to restyle a piece which has been in a family for years. The feedback from clients who have transformed heirlooms; they are SO happy that the furniture is updated and being used and showcased once again.