Day 62 of quarantine.
Here in Georgia the quarantine has been long, and at some points difficult. I have been blessed with a peaceful time at home with my husband and pets. We've been quarantined since March 13th--and on Monday, May 18th--my quarantine will officially end. I will be returning to my office in Tyrone and life in this new normal.
My husband is out for the remainder of the school year. Kids clean out their lockers and desks this Wednesday, and his last official week of teaching ends on Friday. His contract is signed for the next school year--teaching middle school honor's science!
During quarantine we tackled some of our long awaited projects. We painted our front porch and back deck, we painted our breakfast nook, I built a new table for the hallway, and we did some long needed yard work!
One of my pet projects was taking this gorgeous art deco armoire and turning it into a more modern and chic piece for our home! One downside of older homes--especially ones that are over 100 years old--is that closets are in short supply. Before walk in closets became the must have of every home, most homes kept wardrobes and large dressers for clothes. In our home all of our closets were later cut into the empty space beside the fireplaces. They are small, and you have to be especially careful of how much you cram into them.
Having basically a whole extra closet was a welcome addition, especially seeing how I have a rather extensive wardrobe of outfits.
The original stain was ruined from years of love and wear, and while I admire the design--it didn't exactly fit with our home.
The Process:
The first task was to properly clean the wood before sanding. It was a bit dusty in spots and errant dust can cause problems during refinishing. I used a standard non latex cleaner (avoid latex or really any wax in cleaners as they will cause paint to bubble) and a cloth to clean the dust.
Sanding started with a medium grain sand paper. While I was going to paint over the wood--I was careful to sand with the grain to avoid scratches. The sanding for me is the most annoying part of the process. However it is a must to get the paint to set properly.
After sanding was complete I went over the wood with another round of cleaner and let it sit for about an hour.
I chose Ace Hardware's Fiddlehead Fern Green for this piece. I have several pieces in my home painted this shade and I absolutely love it. As you will see it is a nice blue/green color that isn't too dark or too bright.
This piece required a good two coats of paint. I removed the mirror--which was more trouble than expected--and spent a few hours just doing the first coat. Lots of nooks and crannies on this one.
While the first coat was drying I began texting a friend about the project.
"I'm painting the armoire today"
"Oh cool what color?"
"Green"
"LIKE BABY YODA!"
Yes....like Baby Yoda....
The second coat--as always--went on quicker and easier than the first. That was when I really started to see the color shine! Before I'd worried that I'd chosen too dark a hue...but with a second coat the old brown was completely covered up and I could rest easy.
I decided to paint the hardware white to add a nice contrast! This ended up being the most annoying part of the process. Although I'd cleaned the pieces, chosen the appropriate paint for metal, the darn paint would not stick! It took a total of 6 coats to cover two tiny circles. Not a fan.
The Finished Product:
After hours of tedious work, the armoire was complete and ready to use! Surprisingly it fit my entire wardrobe into it! Shoes and all! Quite impressive seeing how I tend to collect clothing at an alarming rate.
The green color really brightened up the bedroom, another lesson in not underestimating a splash of color!
Overall I'd say the project turned out pretty well! I want to wallpaper the inside of the wardrobe, but that will have to wait for another day! I'm thinking something green and white? @ me with suggestions!
Before and After
I hope the quarantine was as productive and restful for you and your family as it was for mine! Remember to follow us on the majors of social media, and @ us with any questions, ideas, or just to say hey!
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