Part of the charm of beach life at the Zenneth Manor Inn is the fun and relaxed atmosphere we cultivate through mixing unique and vintage pieces. That often involves a bit of DIYing. Here is one of our newest spring projects.
With a little chalk paint we now have a "new" bright and fresh vintage piece.
Chalk paint is all about layers and allowing some of the original patina to show through. Usually the first two coats are relatively unattractive (code for ugly). Experience has taught me not to panic, perserverence and a third coat blends the layers all together.
This was our third coat, which sounds labor intensive, but it's not really. Chalk paint dries quickly. Since blending is part of the whole technique, perfection is not. Even sanding isn't necessary between coats or at the beginning with chalk paint.
Our before: a vintage maple sideboard had good bones in its favor. But the dark stain, was simply too formal and clashed with our oak hardwood floors.
The original federal style drawer pulls also added to the traditional and dated feel. Vintage is good, dated isn't. Adding modern hardware, that matched up with the original drill holes, was a quick and easy update.
One of my best little "helpers"
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