Vintage Buffet Makeover
Growing Up I Disliked Second-Hand Anything, even Vintage Furniture.
Can you believe I once hated coffee and vintage shops? My dad said coffee would grow hair on my chest, and I wanted no part of that! I always had to wear hand-me-downs, and eventually, I wanted to have new things!
I grew up and found out that the benefits of coffee far outweighed the potential dangers my dad spoke of (it hasn’t happened yet), and though I still avoid thrift shop hand-me-down clothes, nothing is better than the craftsmanship of a vintage piece of Furniture.
How I grew to love Vintage Furniture
Today, two of the things I love most are coffee and finding hidden treasures. Finding these vintage treasures and giving them new life has become my passion! My husband knows this. When we travel, he knows to find a good coffee shop and stop at every vintage shop on the way!
It was on one of our trips to visit my grandmother, we found this gem! We fell heels over head for the intricate carvings and details on this gorgeous buffet! It needed some repairs to make the drawers work properly, but it was in incredible shape. I knew immediately it was coming home with me!
It has lived in my studio for a few years, waiting for new life. With all the kids and grandkids moving away and the studio overhaul, it was time to give this buffet the life it deserved!
How to Prepare and Paint your Vintage Buffet
I thoroughly cleaned it and brushed shellac on it to prevent bleed-through. I then got to work on creating the old-world finish I imagined!
Here’s how to recreate this look with just a few steps! First, using a mister bottle of water to move my paint and keep it thin, I brushed on a creamy white coat of paint over the entire piece. To do this, I used a soft brush, such as Paint Pixie’s Giuliani brushes and Eye Love Hue’s Ho hum paint. 
Layering color on your Vintage Buffet
Allow the thin coat to dry overnight, then do another light coat with a chocolate brown tone. I used a Dark Chocolate Latte mixed with a touch of yellow to soften it. Again thin coats are applied with gentle sprays from the mister bottle to keep the paint moving across the surface. Let it dry overnight. 
Making the Detail come alive on your Vintage Buffet
This buffet has a lot of detail, and I wanted it to pop while keeping a softer feel. I grabbed three of my favorite DIY Paint colors, Cowgirl Coral, Cherry Picked, and Summer Crush. I gently touched the details with these colors using the Turquoise Iris Collection Short Stop brush from Paint Pixie. I did this randomly over the entire buffet, even on the edge of the top.
I used the mister bottle sparingly with this step to smooth out brush strokes but not blend the colors. Again, this step needed to dry overnight. My excitement was building with the what-if questions…you know, the ones. What if I had messed up? What if it didn’t turn out as great as I imagined? I’m thrilled I ignored those doubts and kept going! 
Finishing up the details on your Vintage Buffet
I used Paint Pixie’s Giuliani 2-inch brush for the final paint layer and Paint Pixie’s Magical Chaulk Paint, Key Lime Pie, Honeycomb, and Sugared Glass. I applied all three loaded on the tip of my brush in thin coats, again using the mister to keep the paint thin. I didn’t try to cover every inch of the buffet. Keeping the coats thin without blending so each color had its space, and the undertones could show through.
New life and home for this Vintage Buffet
This vintage buffet now has a new life and home right here in my studio! Do you have a Vintage Buffet or furniture that needs new life? Want to learn how to DIY your own? Be the first to learn new techniques, get notification of in-studio workshops, and new blog posts by joining my email list!