First, a confession: I left this primitive chest project unfinished for WAAAY too long. Sometimes, I do that.
I move on to the next thing before finishing something completely. I'm not proud of that character flaw.
And here is my cabinet, just as I bought it at a garage sale. (Well, minus a half a hasp that got bent when it fell out of the back of a truck, but that's another story.)
I love green, and this paint had lots of character - alligatoring, patina, etc. I used it this way for several years.
Then, I decided to lighten things up in my house, and I wanted to use this cabinet in my living room. I painted it white - using flat oil-based Rustoleum.
While I liked the pristine white look, I didn't feel this piece, with all its character, was quite right in perfect white paint.
It almost seemed like I was trying to hide the character and pretend the scars didn't exist. I was cogitating, trying to figure out what I might do about it, when something happened:
I dropped a can of black onyx stain, which splashed onto the pristine cabinet. (Yes, I am a klutz as well as a procrastinator.)
As I wiped it off, I sort of liked the way it looked. So I began covering the piece in stain and wiping it off.
Then the unthinkable happened; I ran out of stain. After all, I had just spilled a considerable amount of my can.
Simple - just go to the store and buy another can of stain, right? Don't ask me why, but it didn't happen.
The half-baked cabinet sat there in my living room - a little reminder of my character flaws that greeted me every time I walked in my front door.
I pretended it was intentional - the splotchy state of this primitive chest. I pretended it was "character."
Finally, I'd had enough. I grabbed the palm sander and went to work on it. After all, I could always slap more paint on if I didn't like the results.
I liked what was happening beneath the sander!
Hello, alligator. Nice to see you again.
Same for you, Mr. Green.
Good bye, splotches. Hello, hand-hewn character.
Why didn't I take an hour and do this months ago?
I get to keep the alligator paint and character, along with little green reminders of the past. And I get a white piece of furniture. (BONUS - it holds my "waiting for the next season" living room decor.)
That, my friends, is what I call a win/win situation!
Word for the Day:
2 John 1:8
Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.
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Sunday
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Sunday
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