Shabby Chic Storage Cabinet Step by Step Tutorial - pressed wood

Shabby Chic Storage - Chippy & Distressed

Once upon a time there was an artist. She was surrounded by wonderful people in her life who believed in her, so much so that when she put her mind to it she could create just about anything! This is how I felt with this sweet and stunning shabby piece I am sharing with you today. I personally am not an extremely shabby person though I like a soft distressing now and then. So this one was a challenge for me.

Meet Cinderella, her name was chosen from the rags to riches story because I truly feel that was what this cabinet went through. She was a cleaning supply storage cabinet in a bathroom before I got her.

I feel like her fairy godmother and my paint brush is my magic wand. She is glistening in her Shabbiness now. Though the Shabby Paints Shimmer Paints and Glazes probably have something to do with that too.

Want to know how to create this Look? Keep reading for my step by step tutorial...

Step A: Clean... with Vinegar/Water (50/50 mix) and a splash of blue dawn, rinse with water and a clean microfiber cloth.

Step B: Sand... and scuff up the surface to help the paint have something to hold onto, since this is not real wood. Wipe it down with a damp microfiber cloth to collect all the dust.

Step C: Paint in layers... I painted the following layers:

1. Three layers of Brown Bronze Shimmer Glaze over the creamy laminate like surface. Let dry to touch.
2. One dry brush layer of Buffalo Brown. Let dry over night.
3. Rubbed a bar of soap all over the areas I wanted distressed.
4. One full coat of Vanilla Bear with whole rice mixed in (to scrape off later)  Let dry to touch.
5. One layer of Stunning Silver Shimmer Paint. Let dry to touch.
6. A watered down later of Hazelnut ReVax and scrape off while wet with a metal or hard plastic putty knife, exposing the darker brown & bronze layers underneath. Work quickly and in small sections!
7. Used more Hazelnut ReVax with a small artist's brush to shade and darken corners and under the tops of the shelves and overhangs.
8. Went back in with a smaller brush and added some Black ReVax to darken the corners and under the overhangs even more.

Shabby Chic Definition:

"Shabby chic (pronounced: "sheek") is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique" - Wikipedia

If only the world could now how much work it takes to make something this old, old enough that someone may want to refinish it. LOL! I hope you have a wonderful day and a blessed weekend. Thank  you all very much for stopping by!

This item was entered into the "The Fab Furniture Flipin' Contest" for the month of June, I was honored to be a part of this contest last month and thrilled to be in it now. This months theme is  "Shabby Chic Storage" and is sponsored by The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company. Though I was not able to use their product for this project. Take a moment to go check them out.

Hosts this month did shabby projects also here are their blog links:

OFMP: The Marissa Dresser (by Carrie of 38th St)

SHABBY TO CHIC STORAGE WITH OLD FASHIONED MILK PAINT ( by Charlotte of Ciburbanity)

Interested bloggers should contact Stacy (info@anastasiavintage.com) or Evey (info@eveyscreations.com) if interested in participating in future contests.

Thanks Again!!!!

~ Grace

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Twitter: Grace Lauer Artist @gracelauer
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ATen-Hut! Dresser Makeover brings sitting room to attention!

This was a fantastic makeover to really pull the space together. Using Shabby Paints products made it ever so easy! Now it has an almost military look about it. Which is fitting since our sitting room is decorated with military items and things from our travels.

The only thing wrong with this dresser in the before state was the finish on the top. The drawers work like a hot knife going through butter and the pulls are all there and in good condition. But it's presence in the room was just "there".

A quick hand sanding to get off all the peeling finish on the top and a good cleaning was all I needed to do for prepwork. Here is the original finish (the base before being painted black) with the new Hazelnut ReVax top finish. This was a color recipe of (1 part = 1 teaspoon): 

• 3 parts Hazelnut re-vax
• 1 part old gold shimmer/water (50/50)
• 1/8 part Licorice

I think it is stunning and it went right over the top of all that golden yellow finish! So easy!

Next I painted the drawer fronts the same way and finished the base frame with Licorice (black) chalk paint and sealed it with the Sheer Vax by Shabby Paints. The pulls are old vintage 60's cabinet handles from ebay... but I loved the details and brass addition to the piece. I used the old holes for the pulls on the outside and drilled new holes just inside those to attach these handles.

Please let me know what you think of this piece. I am happy to answer any questions if you want to leave them in the comments or contact me on social media listed below. Thanks for reading! 

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Facebook: Uniquely Grace
Twitter: Grace Lauer Artist @gracelauer
Instagram: @gracelauer_henna_artist
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Happy Earth Day! - Oak Table Flip to World Map Statement Piece

Hello World of readers! Happy Earth Day to you!

Well this one took a while but well worth it. He is done... meet Magellan! Painted by hand with my favorite paints on the market! These make refinishing so easy to do!

Shabby Paints Brand paints used were: Cali Taupe, Old Gold Shimmer, Hazelnut ReVax, Sheer Vax and a custom Mixed color...

Vintage Sue Blue - 

• 3 parts marine blue
• 2 part licorice
• 1/2 part so serene
• 1/2 part oh so shabby

This blue was hand mixed by myself to achieve a color from my childhood. Our living room was this color for many, many years. In honor of my mother and her "vintage" love for this blue... It is now my first custom color I will be offering and it is called "Vintage Sue Blue". Love you Mom!

The entire piece has been hand painted and the land masses were drawn and painted freehand.

Here is an insight to the creative processes. I really wanted to label the land masses and larger bodies of water. So I took some transparencies and cut them into pieces and wrote on them while they were laying on top of the map design... testing to see how it would look.

I asked around and in the end I decided not to add the words. The top was then distressed and dry brushed with Hazelnut ReVax.  

The bottom legs have a gold dip dyed look to them with old gold shimmer dry brushed onto the Vintage Sue Blue base. I began this step by painting Cali Taupe under all the old gold shimmer edging.

Once the old gold was painted on I painted the legs with the Vintage Sue Blue recipe listed above. I painted it down over the tops of the Cali Taupe/Old Gold to a measured height and created the line you see here.

Once the blue was cured over night I dry brushed the Old gold on the underside of the table with a chip brush. Don't you just love the depth it adds to the legs?

The entire piece was sealed with two coats of Sheer Vax. I love the Vax product by +Shabby Paints, it is so easy to use, non toxic, VOC free and MADE IN THE USA!

Hope you like this project. Please help support me by sharing, pinning or commenting below with your thoughts about this piece. Thank you!

EDIT/UPDATE: This project won a prize from Shabby Paints as a monthly favorite project. Thank you Shabby Paints!!!! I could not have created this without you!

Find me on...
Facebook: Uniquely Grace
Twitter: Grace Lauer Artist @gracelauer
Instagram: @gracelauer_henna_artist
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