Lesson From Miss Loretta

Every now and then, I get into a project that really whoops me. Every stage of it presents some challenges and when it's all over, I can look back and honestly say that I've poured some blood, sweat, and tears into it. Loretta was like that.

She's a pine hutch cabinet that I recently finished in Miss Mustard Seed's "Curio". It's a pretty walnut brown color. This piece was the first time I tried a technique called wet sanding for the finish. Basically you brush on hemp oil and lightly sand the surface. It helps smooth your paint job and get the oil absorbed into the wood. It also make a buttery smooth finish. I picked up some crackled porcelain knobs through Hobby Lobby that have a pretty scalloped look.

There's slits cut into the top shelf to hang wine glasses too.

And lots of storage underneath.

Loretta was definitely a learning project. I had to do a lot of sanding when I first picked her up. She had ragged edges and unfinished sides. When all was said and done, it took over an entire hour to get all of the polyurethane and old paint off and to smooth her down.

I originally wanted to paint her a pretty tricycle red, but when I mixed the paint, it looked raspberry and didn't cover well. Then I tried a grassy green but then I thought, "who would buy a green hutch cabinet?" Walnut brown it was.

That was just the start.

The wet sanding took off a little too much paint the first time around, so I had to double back and repair the "bald" spots.

The knobs went on perfectly but the handles...oh my. The screws they came with weren't long enough. The screws I had in my salvage pile were mismatched. The original holes were too close together to fit the new handles. I drilled new holes and I thought I was in the clear until I realized that one was about 1/16 off. I had to re-do those as well.

Long story, Loretta ways a labor of love. She's definitely a rustic country piece that needs to be in a hard-working home. She should be surrounded by earthenware dishes, pie pans, and fresh farm eggs. That's how she rolls.

Thanks for the lessons, Loretta. You've made me a better painter.