I love EVERYTHING that Cindy at Edith and Evelyn does. She just has the magic touch. Today’s she’s showing us how she transformed this fabulous china cabinet. I’m taking taking notes, BTW.
I found this great French Provincial china cabinet at an estate sale and knew it would be perfect to sit inside an inset in the family room. It sat in the garage for quite awhile, waiting for us to complete the renovation of the family room, and once it was completed, we moved the cabinet inside so that I could start it’s transformation.
This is what the china cabinet looked like when we brought it home from the estate sale. It was a little tired looking, dirty, neglected.
And this is my inspiration photo, my hope for what it would look like after I finished transforming it with paint. I have loved this painted cabinet by Annie Sloan for quite some time and I’ve saved this image, hoping that I would one day find a cabinet that I could try and duplicate the look on.
This is the “after” photo of my French provincial china cabinet, after the transformation with paint!
I love the way it turned out, and it wasn’t that difficult, just layering the paint on in several layers. The inside is painted in ASCP Aubusson Blue {Annie’s was painted in ASCP Greek Blue, but I didn’t have any of that color on hand}.
When I do the inside of a cabinet, I never wax, just paint it.
On the exterior, I started with a coat of ASCP French Linen, one of my favorite darker grays to paint with. I ended up doing two coats of the French Linen, because one didn’t seem to give the coverage I wanted.
After the French Linen dried, I used a soft cloth and “massaged” a coat of clear wax into the paint. After the wax dried, I mixed a thin wash of ASCP Paris Gray and Old White. Taking one section at a time, I brushed on the thin wash, then taking a rag, I dragged it through the paint, creating a washed, dragged, and distressed effect.
Once it dried, I took a fine sanding sponge and did some light distressing to the edges. Then, working one section at a time, I used clear wax first, and then a mixture of clear/dark wax in the carvings and recesses, to bring out the details. I don’t used the dark wax full strength, I always keep a separate tub that I keep a mixture of dark and clear wax in, enabling me to control it a little better.
I always let the wax cure for 24 hours and then with a soft cloth, buff the wax to a beautiful soft shine.
It now sits perfectly into the inset in the family room and holds my collection of antique French religious statues that I have collected for years. This cabinet is the perfect piece to display them in. At some point I may switch things out and display white ironstone in it. Ironstone would look gorgeous against the blue background!
I’m continuously amazed at the transformation that paint can give to an old, tired piece.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my updated French Provincial cabinet!
Cheers,
Cindy
I’ve got a book signing at JOYCE HORN ANTIQUES Tuesday, Oct 6, from 1 pm to 4 pm.
While Cindy is guest posting today, I have a post at Bali Blinds (my sponsor) today, where I am a contributor.
Ideas of using Vintage Silver – Bali Blinds Blog
Love your blog, but do not like or appreciate the advertisements that get in the way of ready it! I understand advertising, but not in the midst of a good read. You have to stop reading and got to the spot to cancel………..not fun. Aggravates me every time!!!!!!!!!!
Logan, I know I prefer no ads. But when you watch TV, there are ads, when you listen to the radio, there are ads, magazines.. ads, movie trailers… ads.
I provide all of the content on the blog for free. I am very happy to provide free content, but as you probably know the blog costs a good deal of money to maintain. The ads in no way cover all of my expenses, but they help,
If my online shop continues to do well, I hope to some day get rid of the ads. So please tell your friends about my shop. Like I said, my goal is to make enough from my shop to get rid of the ads.
Hi Anita, I’m wondering if you can tell me when I will receive your book that I ordered last month. Thanks.
Diana, they just got here, and I am shipping them this week. Finally, I am so excited to get the shipment.
The cabinet is fabulous and you did a great job. Some day i may try this but i bet mine won’t look that good. Thanks Cindy and Anita for having her.
You did an amazing job with the transformation of that cabinet. I am looking forward to getting settled into my new home and finding a similar china cabinet to re-do for my dining room. I am sure I will be checking back and reading the details again! I am sure you enjoy just looking at this beautiful piece. I am pinning this and sharing over at FB and Twitter! If you have a few minutes, I would love it if you would stop by and share over at Celebrate it Sunday!
Despite my name, I am not French. My hubby has some French blood way-way back. I do, however, LOVE French style! I call my own copycat style Farmhouse French/Sharecropper Redneck~ LOL! Seriously, my maternal grandfather was a farmer with one mule–no tractor. I remember their farmhouse fondly, and when I say it was rustic, that’s a huge exaggeration it went way beyond that. But that’s OK, that’s what touches my heart. Anyhoo, that is one gorgeous transformation! I love Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax and have used similar techniques to transform furniture into looking good. You however, have achieved greatness with that piece, just FANTASTIC! I’m wiping the drool off my chin right now….
Anita – love your site and also love the cabinet. Do you have these instructions that can be printed? I went to print your blog and it would be 48 pages……which I can do – but want to use this technique/colors etc on a couple pieces.
Thank you
Becky, just copy and paste the directions into a word doc then print.
great one
Thank you for the tutorial on the cabinet above. I have one that also waiting for a loving touch. My sister introduced me to your blog. We have made a pact we are going to each tackle one project, on February , 1. This one will be mine. I am enjoying your creativity and your vendors/sponsors.
Naples, Florida
Thanks Janet!!
Love all the things you do. If only I was that talented. Have a similar piece that was my mothers, but would be afraid to attempt what you did. I will just keep watching your site and enjoy all you do.
Thanks.
Thanks for the inspiration…so many ideas….So little room!
Beautiful!
Just a beautiful transformation of the China cabinet. I plan to practice that technique on a small table before beginning the transformation of my kitchen cabinets !!!
Maybe practice on more that one small project….LOL…stay tuned.
Oh so pretty and perfect! I love your religious collection too….Christine
The china cabinet turned out absolutely fabulous !! I love it, I have never tried revamping furniture with paint, I have always stripped it and redone it with tongue oil and steel wool. maybe I will build up nerve to try the paint because it is gorgeous.
I love it! I prefer your blue to the one Annie used. Another Lynne posted about doing her kitchen in AS.
About two years ago I did all our kitchen cabinets in 2 coats of AS Old White, clear wax then highlighted the woodwork pattern in a mix of clear and dark wax and rubbed back with very fine steel wool then more clear buffed well. Still very pleased with it. The only thing I’ve had to touch up is the top of the cabinet under the sink which houses the compost bin. I think others in this house grab the top of the cabinet to open it instead of the handle! Very easy to repaint and wax that section, I couldn’t recommend it more.
I love all your “how to” posts.
Anita loved the china cabinet and the colors you chose to do it in. I love Annie Sloan paint and it turned out great. Thanks so much for sharing with us and all the great information. Love your blog and look forward to seeing it come in my email to see what you have done next. Great job.
Beautiful – a grand way to preserve the cabinet and then to get full use from it. This was really changed from Drab to Fabulous! Congratulations you are now a proud owner of a special piece of furniture and a gorgeous color as well. Furniture like this can become an inherited piece of charm. Appreciate and enjoy. Thanks for sharing.