BEFORE and AFTER: A Vintage Buffet Makeover
I like the look of this vintage buffet makeover with a stripped top and a painted body.
This buffet threw me for a loop, though.
What seemed like an obvious decision to paint the entire buffet quickly became an idea to strip the whole thing and re-stain it.
It was in good condition but needed some help.
BEFORE – Vintage Buffet
Because of what I had found in the buffet, I thought preserving the wood would be the best option to honor the buffet.
It was an old arithmetic test from 1951! How cool is that, right??
In fact, I was so convinced that I was going to strip and re-stain this vintage buffet that I took all day off work and got down and dirty and stripped the whole thing. I’m talking hours of scraping gunky stuff into a nasty little “junk box.” ICK!
But then I started to question how stylish the piece would be with just stain…….
I originally planned to sell this piece and wanted to make sure that it was relevant and eye-catching instead of just a classic piece sitting there waiting for a person with classic taste to come and scoop it up. I was worried it wouldn’t sell.
Finally, I decided that indeed a paint job with a re-stained top would be more time-efficient and hip. And this is what resulted:
AFTER – Vintage Buffet
Addicted to Duck Egg
For this vintage buffet I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Blue (I also painted a “dumpster desk” this same shade. Love it!).
It’s such a soft, soothing color. I wanted the drawers to stand out, so I mixed in a little Pure White to create a lighter shade. I used Old White on the arches.
Related: What’s the Best Paint for Furniture?
I Hated It….
I love how it turned out, but I have to admit, I didn’t always feel so affectionate for this vintage buffet.
In fact, I hated it.
When I first painted it, I regretted painting it. It had no “umphf” to it.
I tried to re-use the old knobs after wiping them with some gold Rub n’ Buff, which can easily change the color of old knobs and pulls (especially if they’re tarnished), but these old knobs ended up looking like a nipple. HA!
And the color of the knobs was all wrong.
The Right Hardware
It’s true what they say that hardware makes all the difference! I had found these vintage knobs at a barn sale. I never knew what piece of furniture I would use them on, but somehow the stars aligned and this vintage buffet was PERFECT!
It as if these knobs were made for this buffet, down to the circles!
After trying to strip the gunk off of these detailed legs, I declared this was a project I was no longer interested in committing hours to stripping. 🙂 Instead, I decided I would clean them off and paint the body instead.
Related: How to Strip Furniture and Stain Wood: A Complete Guide to Getting Started
It’s a shame I ended up wasting so much time stripping the whole thing and then ending up painting it. However, it was some good experience, right?
Stripping Is a Messy Job
I can tell you that each stripping job I start, I always end up feeling desperate about half-way through.
“WHY the heck am I doing this again, instead of not painting???”
Especially when you start removing the old finish in a gunk box like this……..with splatters that look like a collection of discarded blood clots or something.
Gag me.
But stained tops with painted bodies are soooooo gorgeous. They’re really worth the effort.
And this buffet really needed improvement, too. You can see here the finish on top started to crack and chip.
And there was some chipping on the front. Those were easily fixed with stainable wood filler.
WARNING: For this project, done in 2014, I used a chemical stripper called Klean Strip, but as of November 2018, it has been discovered that Klean Strip and other chemical strippers that contain methylene chloride has killed two young men in the fall of 2017! PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS CHEMICAL STRIPPER. I am only keeping this picture in the blog post so that you can recognize this product and know what NOT to buy.
Instead, I recommend using a chemical stripper called Blue Bear stripping gel because it’s soy based and does NOT contain methylene chloride, so it’s safe for you to use. Blue Bear is the main paint stripper that I’ve been using for the past couple of years because it is safe and has a very low odor.
You have to scrap through layers and layers.
Even when all the finish is off, you’ve only just gotten started.
After getting as much of the finish off as possible, I used Odorless Mineral Spirits to help remove the leftover stripper.
Then I sanded it out.
I used Miniwax Espresso stain for the top and did some very light distressing of the wood with super fine sandpaper around the edges to give it a little character and to match the “vintage-y” feel of the knobs. Plus, the dark stain was sooooo dark, the sanding actually helped to lighten it up a little.
You can really see the wood grain on this top, which I love! It’s now as smooth as a baby’s butt :).
As an artist, I can’t walk away from a piece without painting the back. I know many people do leave the back unfinished and consider it a waste of paint, but seriously, without painting it, it would make a piece look very unfinished.
Do yourself a favor. Paint the back 🙂 It just makes them look finished, you know?
A Final Look
Checking out these pics as I complete this post, I’m so glad I painted this vintage buffet. It feels more fresh, prettier, and it’s been given another opportunity at life. Not that stain wouldn’t have given new life. But I just love this look so much better! 🙂
AFTER
So the next piece of furniture you’re planning on making over, including a vintage buffet, remember that they look super cool with stripped and stained tops with painted bodies!
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You have to live with it but I have to tell you that I’m heartbroken that you painted this beautiful piece of furniture. You can slap a coat of pain on something cheap but this was a beautiful antique before you painted it. You should at least put the paper that you found in back of the drawer so maybe down the road in the future someone will restore this piece back to the way it was but better. Maybe put your before and after picture with a copy of your blog in with the other paper. Was so looking forward to see you follow through and restore it back to its intendent glory.
Hi Nancy! I know, part of me was looking forward to seeing it all stained again, too, just to see if I could do it beautifully! But I ended up not restaining the whole thing for a couple reasons. 1) I lost my mojo at the end with the detailing on the legs. I had already invested so much time, the thought of the sanding down the detailing broke me out in hives. 2) I had to think about where this piece was going to be sold. The vintage market where my booth is located, unpainted pieces don’t do as well. People want painted furniture, so I decided to do what made business sense. 3) I had to paint it to suit my own tastes (I LOVE painted bodies and stained tops). In the event that this piece doesn’t sell, I will have to restyle the body, or live with it in my own house. I wanted something light and pretty and that would make me smile. That’s what painted furniture does for me. Sorry you’re heartbroken! Thanks for commenting and for the suggestions! 🙂
Hi Serena,
Just a quick comment about paint vs stain. You did the RIGHT thing, I think. Reason, its not like this was a Wonderful antique in the first place. It appears to be a depression furniture piece that was not all that valuable before, (that s why we can buy these cool things at the thrift store in the first place) and painting it actually did the piece a big favor. Keep doing what you do so that we can keep admiring your work. You were RIGHT on this one for sure!!!!
Buzz, you hit on something important: vintage vs. antique. The truth is that an antique is something that is at least 100 years old. Some people say that it must be created by hand to be considered antique, too. Not sure on that. So, I would agree. This piece wasn’t so valuable in monetary terms. I think it’s invaluable because of that wonderful treasure of a Math test I had found inside. But you’re right, painting it was the right choice, and I don’t regret it. 🙂 Thanks for the awesome comments! 🙂
Serena,
I love it. Love the nice wood top with the grain showing and the painted body, and all the highlighting you did. Those knobs are perfect. It should sell like hot cakes, whatever that means. A beautiful piece.
I think it’s simply lovely!!
Beautiful! I really love the colors. You did an amazing job as usual. Wish I had more time to paint.
Thanks Kris! Yeah, it’s hard finding the time at the end of a busy day. I usually end up having to stay up until 2 a.m. working on projects! I feel like a zombie in the morning, but at least I got some paintin’ in! 🙂 Maybe try to set aside 15 minutes at a time and see if you can increase it!
Love it Serena – so fresh and the details just pop now. The color combo is perfect. I am half way through a painted and stained piece – hope to finish it after Easter. Glad you replied to the paint hater – yes there are are some antique pieces that should not be painted – this was not one of them. How boring would our homes be if we ALL had stained wood furniture and no color! And think of all the rejected, dumped, broken and damaged pieces that have been saved from landfill by artists like yourself. xx
You’ve got a point, Tracey! We turn the discarded stuff into pretty things that are more relevant to today’s decor and style. I wish she had been nicer in her comments, though. The sad part is that she was a long-time reader since 2012, and followed along via email. I appreciate people who are here and who have stuck around for so long. I probably should have just not responded, but there’s this pervasive movement of naysayers insulting DIYers for their choice of painting wood, and I decided to step up to say something about it. I’m okay with people that don’t like something that a DIY does, but “ruined” is such a harsh word, you know? Why make someone feel bad about their creativity and effort? Constructive criticism is welcomed. Insults are not. Anyhow, send me a pic (or tag me on FB) of your piece when you’re done! Do you still have your FB page up?
Always sad to have a run in with a follower 🙁
I’ve seen the word “ruined” being used a lot lately at I think it is quite a nasty word. Rather than just stating that they preferred the “before” piece which I think is the polite way to share your opinion – and I am all for everyone having their own taste and opinion. But I think saying “ruined” is a personal slur on the person who did the work.
Still have my FB page but not doing much with it at the moment – hoping this week away over Easter will rejuvenate my enthusiasm! I have even had Dillon move some other pieces of furniture out of the garage to the back verandah ready for me to get stuck into on our return!
Beautiful!!
It’s to bad that you can’t respect someone else’s opinion weather it agrees with yours or not. I will be glad to keep my opinions to myself and will remover myself from this site. and you still ruined a beautiful piece of furniture. and it appears that you removed my comment from your site. We can’t have any opposite opinions here now can we.
Honestly @Kathy Jerman… I think you elected to ignore Serena’s request…”keep your rude comments to yourself!” EVERYONE who has commented on this site has obviously stated their opinion…but they were not rude in their deliveries. What Serena does is hard work and if you dislike a particular item, you should provide a more constructive critique instead of blatantly rude comments….OR try this out: “Say nothing!”
I’m sorry that you’ve removed yourself from Thrift Diving, Kathy. I truly am. You’ve been a long-time reader (since 2012). You were probably one of the first subscribers, which is pretty impressive. I thank you for following along as long as you have.
Even though Expresso is not my color I think you did a marvelous job on this. I envy you as my hands shake too bad to paint well. I love seeing all your Artisanship :o) You are not an Artist, but rather an Artisan, My Dear! The difference is your Passion and how you can see things that most folks would never think of and I appreciate that. just do what makes you happy and ignore the crowd of one, if you know what I mean ;o)
Looks awesome. There are plenty of antiques that remain the original, which actually looks grim and somewhat depressing to me. This is fun and so useful for use as a food location when having a party or just dinner with friends. Beautiful ! Love it ! (Keep it and use it—you know you want to !)
Nina, I agree with you–you’re so right!! The dark dreary colors are what spark people to get rid of the furniture in the first place, because it looks depressing. LOL. If only people knew how good it would look with a coat of paint! Something to brighten up a room. And yes, if it doesn’t sell by the summer, I’m keeping that baby! LOL Thanks for commenting!
Looks great my friend!