from Gardners 2 Bergers: French Graphic Furniture Transformation

When we were in Las Vegas this past Spring we met Bridget from Bloom Nevada. She is just the sweetest and really really hit it off. If you've never been to her stores, you'll thank me for telling you about her. She has three in the Nevada area, each a little different ranging from French Industrial to Vintage to Paris, French style. When I saw how closely our styles matched, I thought it would be amazing to do a joint project with her.

This was so fun because I was able to take a peak at all the pieces she had stored in the back ready for makeover. We selected a little antique dresser with darling ladder sides!

Materials

I started out sanding but Bridget and I wanted to look for a color for the base, so...

Zack took over!

You can see how well you should sand the top before applying stain. We wanted the top to look like a fresh piece so we had to make sure the existing varnish was sanded out of the grain.

Here we are- ready for Weatherwood! I used a synthetic brush to apply the stain, but I've said it time and time again-- a sponge brush works best! (I know some people just hate them, but trust me, it just gets the most stain in the right places!)

Remember, Weatherwood stains are reactive. They react with the tannins in each species a little differently creating different colors. In this pic, you can actually see the grain starting to darken where I first applied the stain, the reaction happens very very quickly on oak.

Now you can really see the color change. The top dried in about 10 minutes because it was so warm and dry. 15-20 minutes is pretty typical.

You can see in the video below a time lapse of the color change. It just happens right before your eyes!

Ta Da! The top is ready for a topcoat. Did I mention that Bridget also stock Miss Mustard Seed products? We selected Miss Mustard Seed's furniture was in White. Weatherwood stained wood + Miss Mustard Seed's White Wax is truly a stunning combination- you have to try it!

For the base, Bridget took over. She painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Napoleon Blue. Bridget used a chalk paint technique to create the aged chipped finish. When the paint was still wet, she used a wet rag to create a slightly distressed finished on the edges. It turned out really beautifully.

Next, Bridget used a custom stencil with an vintage French advertisement from The Graphic Fairy. I love this touch, especially how it adds to the darling handles! She used old white to stencil the wording and then sealed the bottom of the piece with Annie Sloan furniture wax in clear.

And that, my friends, is how we ended up with this little gem! I am super thrilled at how it turned out. And it was just fun to collaborate with a friend on a pice, you know?