Barrel Coffee Table Redux

I saw this tubby beauty a few weeks ago for a STEAL (a steal, I tell you!) and I snatched her up as quick as a wink (unless you have trouble winking, in which case, probably faster). 

The legs and top were what caught my eye.  What I knew wouldn't work was the tacky door and boxy profile.  I had a quick fix for a little weight-loss for this piece!

I [finally] inherited a jigsaw for Christmas last year and I'd been dying to try it out.  I found some brand new blades on sale and set off to the basement for a remodel - quick as a jig (Bwahaha.  Hahaha.  Ha?)

Using the jigsaw, I cut out the side panels relatively quickly and easily.  The door was easy to unscrew and remove. 

I had to patch trim around the legs and lower shelf  after I removed the panels.  This was probably the most time consuming aspect of the project (well, maybe the stenciling took a while, too), as wood filler needs a couple of applications in deeper rivets. 

I'm sorry I didn't take any process pictures of this project.  I think I meant to, but then got distracted by the excitement of the jigsaw and the stencil work on the top.  After the wood filler was dried and sanded, a couple quick coats of homemade chalk paint saw the bottom half of this piece ready to go. 

I used a small angled paintbrush to paint multiple layers of colour on the top and then a foam stencil brush to stencil on the fleur-de-lis accents.

I finished it off with a couple of coats of varathane floor finish - my favourite - and she was looking good! 

I had painted over the wood filler with an off-white homemade chalk paint, so when distressing, this colour came through on the decorative feet and legs.  I liked how it tied into the check pattern on the table-top. 

Now this barrel coffee table is much more sleek, modern and stylish - and no longer retro and dated! 

Antique Kitchen Island (Vanity) - Part 2

So...we left off with some sanded and naked drawer fronts.  I liberally applied ebony stain (and actually after this picture went back and touched up the veneer patches because they weren't quite right!), and the patches started to blend in pretty well.  Not perfect, but getting there! 

 

There was also quite a bit of patching and rebuilding to do on the body of the vanity/island, so I set to work with my putty knife and some wood filler. 

It took a few rounds to build up this missing corner piece (not a great photo, but the whole section was gone!) and to sand it smooth. 

 

There was also a chunk missing on the left-hand side, so same process applied there.  Fill it in with wood filler, sand when dry, and add any extra wood filler that might be needed, and sand again!

 

I spent a bit of time stripping and then sanding down the top of the island/vanity because I want to oil it with mineral oil so that it will be food safe for the kitchen.  Plus, I love the contrast it will have with the white paint. 

I also slapped on a first coat of off-white homemade chalk paint.  I can't wait to see what the final product will look like.  I still need to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of the drawer fronts...