A pretty blue girl...Vintage Sideboard Redo

Hey y'all! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I truly hope you enjoyed your time with your loved ones this holiday season! Congratulations to all of you winners for our 12 days of Christmas giveaways and THANK YOU to all you amazing vendors that participated!

Today I wanted to bring you a tutorial on this lovely beauty I restored and refinished for a client just in time for Christmas! Her story is a good one!

Here's what she looked like before:

Though she was still lovely, she was a hot mess! You can't tell from the pictures, she had some structural issues that needed to be addressed.

For starters, part of the right leg was missing the back part of that last spindle. Also, the veneer had seen better days and was starting to lift and warp on the top and one of the sides.

Here's where it gets tricky.  Since my workshop is very dark in the winter, and it's too close for me to open up the garage door, I don't have step by step photos like usual for this tutorial, but bear with me.  I promise to explain it in full detail.

First, I removed the veneer from the top using a damp towel and blow dryer. I hope to be getting a heat gun soon but in the meantime this is my trick! I get a towel damp and leave it on the top of the veneer I want to remove for  a few hours. Then I finish the job using a blow dryer on high heat and the veneer peels right off!

You can replace the veneer for the sides but it's not necessary. Veneer can be purchased at most big box home improvement stores and local lumber yards. Make sure you clamp well and use a good quality wood glue when replacing veneer.

Time for a pretty picture to break up all of these words...

 Sigh...isn't she dreamy!? Please note, the slight yet perfect distressing? She's gorgeous!

Back to the tutorial. :)

Next I replaced that missing spindle! Want to know just how easy it is to do this!? It's as easy as buying some Mold Builder Liquid Latex Rubber 16oz/473ml or silicone molding materials from Amazon!*

I prepared the molding compound according to the instructions on the packaging then pressed it to the other side's spindle, wrapping it around and fully pressing down to allow all the detail to be imprinted in the silicone. I let it cure as per the product's indications. Once it was ready to use as a mold, I began the layering process with wood putty or Bondo. I let each layer dry fully before adding more until it was complete. You never want to fill it right away when it's such a thick spindle, but for small trim or detail it would be fine! I used some wood glue and more clamps to hold it in place once it was dry and popped out of it's mold! :)

I then gave this beauty a custom color using the following formula of Annie Sloan Colors:

3 parts Aubusson Blue, 3 parts Chateau Grey, and 1 part Old White.

This color matched some textiles in the room where this sweet piece will live out her days.

I decided to surprise my client and paint the inside of the buffet in Chateau Grey for a special two tone look when you open up the door!

The best part about this doing piece was that it was a sentimental piece. Most of you that know me, know that there are pieces I WON'T paint, but I told my client that if she wasn't going to be selling this piece, due to the personal story attached to it, I would go along with painting it. I have to tell you that I am SUPER pleased with the result and I would paint this baby again in a heat beat! :) My client extremely happy and that is ultimately ALL that matters to me!

 Isn't she LOVELY?

***Update! Someone pointed out that I forgot to add what she was sealed in! I used General Finishes' High Performance Top Coat in Satin. Three coats of it.****

*This post contains Affiliate Links. For more info, check out our full disclosure at the bottom of our blog!