Beach House Buffet - Destin Gulf Green

Mrs. Smith and I picked up this buffet in the Winter, but it has been taking up space in TheSmithGarage for long enough. Got to move this on to someone who will enjoy it - maybe in their Beach House! We do live in California, and everyone in California has a Beach House, right? At least they did before the housing bubble popped! I know, I know - sarcasm is killing the moment, just had to go there. We actually live about 2 1/2 hours from the closest Beach Houses, but people do come to Redding to furnish their homes on the Northern California Coast - so here is a great piece that will fit in your Beach House.

I chose Destin Gulf Green by CeCe Caldwell because I wanted to go BIG with color on this buffet. It had some damage on it when we picked it up, so wood filler was necessary to make it house-worthy. I also decided to primer this one, because whomever painted it prior to us receiving it had some horrible peely paint on it, and instead of having the paint fall off during the project, I decided it best to get some consistency in the coverage before applying my precious paint. Here it is before the primer - I actually used it as a workbench when I was working on the Italian Hand Carved "Map" Desk.

And below after it is primed and ready for paint.

Now CeCe Caldwell's paint does not require primer before painting. It will stick to nearly everything. I chose to prime this project first because of the finish I was looking for.

I sanded this after painting just a little, which gave it some texture from the brush strokes, and also helped to polish the clay and chalk in the paint. I waxed only the top, to give it a little more protection, but also for the look I was going for. You can notice that waxed, the Destin Gulf Green appears just a little richer. I spent some money on the hardware again for the look. I felt like the piece needed some large drawer pulls and I wanted a nickle finish to stand out, yet look clean and polished. The ball shaped pulls for the doors have a spiral carved in - almost giving them a fossil-like feel.

I left the inside white - no changes there. I can't believe how fast this went on once I finally got to it. It is now in the car waiting for delivery to OSAM (I'm just going to start using this term - it's what we say around here, so you will have to get used to it). So if you like it and you're local - stop in and check it out - and buy it! We like re-creating furniture that people will love.

It has been a very busy weekend - several projects going at one time, trying to get paint on furniture so we can show off our colors. Paint is already selling, so if you want some - we are ready for you. I hope you get a chance to try out CeCe Caldwell's so you can see how easy it is for yourself.

Until next weekend...

Mr. Smith

Linking to:
I Should Be Mopping The Floor
My entry into Domestically Speaking’s Power of Paint Party is sponsored by Appliances Online and the Bosch Washing Machines.
Primitive and Proper
Shabby Creek Cottage
The Vintage Farmhouse
Miss Mustard Seed

Henry Link Bamboo Dresser

Another project for this weekend that will for sure be finished is this Henry Link Bamboo Dresser. Here is a before picture. By the way - on top is a drop leaf table that a friend of mine pulled out of a dumpster for me. Friends rock.

So this was a really rough piece. Mrs. Smith and my son picked it up last Summer at a garage (shed) sale for $5. I know - there are people out there that paid top dollar for this same dresser - I hope you are not one of them. There were leaves in the drawers, a mud wasp nest in the structure behind the bottom drawer - all kinds of dirt. This picture above is after I used my shop vac, and a wire brush to prep it. No sand paper on this piece, the paint was just a little too "chippy", so I thought a wire brush would do the trick, and it did.

So here it is after just one coat of CeCe Caldwell's Carolina Sun Yellow, which is appropriate for this piece since it originated in South Carolina at the Henry Link factory. Did I mention it has a Formica top (that is a type of shiny plastic for those of you that didn't know).

Looks nice huh? Still wet on the bottom when I took this photo. Notice how muted the color is. It went on like mustard (the color, not the texture). So I am applying a CeCe Caldwell's clear wax to this piece. I just like wax because it gives furniture a professional looking finish, and it feels good and protects the paint from dings and chips. This is actually the first time I used CCC paint, and I liked it a lot. I was testing it to see if TheSmithHotel would be a retailer for Northern California. And the verdict - yep. We will probably take delivery of our first shipment in early March and we will have it at Oregon Street Antique Mall and our online store. More about that later.

So I am waxing this piece when a sudden thought comes to me - I feel like i want a cup of tea! Why you ask? After all, I don't drink tea unless I am sick, and even then I prefer coffee. I am a coffee snob, love it, drink it, breath it. I have used a French Press for the last 2 years, and recently started using a single pour filter. Just love coffee! So why the thought of tea? The wax smells like honey! I like honey in my tea when I do drink it, so I thought about tea. This wax smells so good. The first ingredient is Beeswax. It is all natural with no petroleum, so no dizzy sensations. It is really good stuff and very easy to apply. Here is a picture after the wax was applied.

Look at how vibrant this turned out! Someone is going to love this piece when it goes in the shop. You have to let this wax cure, so in the morning I will finish it off and put the hardware back on. I didn't even mess with the hardware, Mrs. Smith said it looked good in its current capacity, so no changes there. Be back tomorrow for a finished product, stop back by to check it out.

Saturday Morning - bright and early before anyone was up - I stepped out into TheSmithGarage with my cup of joe. I buffed out the wax that I had applied the night before and put the hardware back on (as is). This piece looks smooth - very smooth. The wax settled in and the tone softened quite a bit overnight. Here is the finished product:

Someone will really enjoy this in their Beach Theme room. I hope you enjoy as well.

Mr. Smith

Linked to
Beyond The Picket Fence
You Are Talking Too Much
Redoux
Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Fridays
Primitive & Proper
Funky Junk Interiors

Since I am not an "expert" on CeCe Caldwell's paint quite yet - here are some other blogs I follow that already carry CeCe Caldwell's and have a few more words to say about the product.
Orphaned Decor
Bungalow 47
Vintage Shabby Chicks