A Frenchie Makeover

Let me just say this Frenchie desk was a pain in the derriere to redo! 

 

It took me way too long, and since I got carried away and spent too much for it in the first place at the auction, between that and the time and materials spent, I won't end up making any money on it.

 

But I do love it.

 

Here's the before.

 

 

First it needed a major cleaning because it was absolutely filthy.  Then when I sanded down the chipped areas, I found that it had been painted twice before.  Under the green paint was a bright blue-green.

 

For ease of painting, I took the hutch off the desk. I painted the outside of the entire piece in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Paris Gray. It took three coats to cover the green. 

Inside the cabinet and the drawers I used ASCP in Old White. 

 

I tried distressing the piece, but neither the green or the shade of blue below the green looked good with the Paris Gray. I couldn't get to the wood using the wet sponge technique, and I didn't want to have to sand deeply since I was doing this in my dining room.

 

 

So I used glaze in the crevices to give it an aged look.

 

 

I painted the hardware in Old White, then wiped it off so the brass shows through.

 

 

I finished it with wax, then the doors went back on the hutch, the hutch went back on the desk, and voila, it was finally done!

From this ...

 

 

 

 

To this ...

Oo la la!

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