Our dining room has just had a monster makeover. Simply by swapping out and updating a piece of furniture! It’s like a decor miracle or something. Oh annnnnnd a lot of hard work:)
Remember the dining room hutch?
I loved it. And I also didn’t love it. It had lots of storage, which was nice. But it was almost too much storage. The top portion just kept accumulating clutter, which is a no no for me. Or I’m trying to make it a no no. I’m getting better. Except with shoes.
Anyhooooo….it wasn’t working for me. And around the same time that decision was arrived at, my parents sold their house. The house we moved into when I was in grade six. Which is why there are still Corey Haim posters in my hideout there. They were ripped out of Teen Beat. #ohthememories
They’ve bought a condo and so being a ruthless DIYer I called DIBS! on the dining room buffet. Which I knew could be made into something awesome after spying some serious inspiration.
After my mother and I managed to lug the unit out of their house and into my car (get outta my dreams! get into my car…sing with me!), the buffet made its way to our house. And I worried I was taking on a job I couldn’t handle. This was a biggie.
And that’s why I did the bar cart first. I wanted to practice.
Normally I’m a jump in with both feet kinda gal, but for this I really wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing so I didn’t end up with a super ugly buffet.
Because this was my inspiration. Thank you Sarah Richardson for setting my DIY bar higher than ever before. I spied it one morning and instantly KNEW that’s was the look I was after.
After removing all the hardware, I got to work sanding the bananas out of it. I started with 60 grit paper to really strip the sucker down, doing the detail work by hand and the rest with my hand sander. I then used a 120 grit paper to prep for priming, and in between each of the two coats of primer.
Once I was ready for painting, I gave it another quick sand and then applied three coats of furniture paint using a foam roller. I let each coat dry overnight and gave each a light sanding (followed by a clean with a damp cloth) before the next coat was applied.
Don’t you just luuuuurve the colour? It’s a PARA Canadian Heritage colour called Roblin’s Mill. It’s the perfect greige – not quite grey, not beige, just perfect. And looks so lovely with the polished up brass hardware. Which btw was a giant pain the rear – honestly, it was easier sanding the whole unit down than it was to shine up that brass. I don’t joke. It was totally worth it though. So shiny and pretty.
Finally, I sealed that sucker right up using a clear protective coating – three full coats on the top (sanding with 220 grit in between each coat), and two on the rest. I figured the top is going to get the most abuse, which is why I went with three coats. Waiting 24 hours before I could finally put stuff on top was AGONIZING.
I’m so pleased.
I also love that I can use the top and wall above to decorate, entertain, serve food, and SO MUCH MORE! I turned two old windows we had into mirrors-ish with Krylon’s Looking Glass spray (which is SUCH FUN!) and popped them above it to offer some sparkle from the chandelier, along with some candelabras.
I like how simple and neutral it is, allowing me to use the whole space as a neutral backdrop for holiday decor, food, and all my dishes. Yay dishes!
I’ll be LIVE on Periscope TODAY at 5pm ET sharing all the products and tools I used and showing the finished piece in person:)! See you there!
Products Used:
- PARA Paints Super Stick Primer
- PARA Paints Roblin’s Mill P2119-01 Cabinet & Furniture Paint
- Ryobi Random Orbit 5″ Hand Sander
- Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish
Disclosure: As you know I am SO PLEASED to have been chosen as one of this year’s Para Paints #ParaBlogCrew members. Para provides me with all the paint a girl can use (AWESOME!), however does not compensate me financially. I love their paints and am delighted to fill my house with their amazing colours:)
