When Simple Becomes Complicated
I've been working on a dresser and a night stand for about a week now. The duo are nearing the finish line, but the tops are giving me some trouble. I can't quite seem to get the exact look I had in mind. I've seen it done before. I know the steps. Should be easy, right?
Um....[ahem]....wrong.
That's my lesson right now, friends. I'm learning that things can seem simple and relatively straightforward on the outside, but once you dive in and get your hands dirty, they can quickly become complicated. Sometimes it's best to step away and get a fresh perspective and reevaluate.
Taking a cue from my little life lesson, I stepped back from the dresser and the nightstand for a bit of a break. In the past, I've learned that continuing with a project when I'm frustrated often leads to mistakes.
Let's not talk about that...
So now I had the perfect opportunity on my hands to finish a cute little parlor table that I picked up at a furniture auction last week. It has adorable barley twisted legs and a refectory top.
Not only that, but it had a sticker on the bottom for The Davis-Birely Table Company. I did some research and discovered that they were in business from 1901-1938. That means that if my table was made at that factory, (which it probably was) the table could be anywhere from 78 - 115 years old!
Boo to the yah.
I started out painting the base in a custom mix of French Linen and Old White Chalk Paint®. My "plan" was to refinish the wood top and paint the bottom.
While I was working, I accidentally painted a piece that should have been left wood, and immediately grabbed a damp rag to wipe the paint off.
Now this would have been the perfect time to stamp my feet and walk away in frustration, but much to my delight, the paint had settled itself into the grain of the wood. My "mistake" actually turned out pretty cool! I liked the effect so much that I threw my original plan out the window and gave in to the new look I had achieved by accident. I set about painting the table in sections, letting it dry, and wiping it down with a damp cloth.
Here's the result:
Isn't this table too cute?
Here's a close up of those barley twisted legs.
I really do love how the paint gave this piece a lime-washed look without taking away from that beautiful wood grain.
Everything got wiped down with Hemp Oil so the wood would look lovely and revived.
It's kind of funny how your mistakes can take you in a completely different direction and give you results that are better than you ever thought!
So for now, I've decided not to worry about how complicated seemingly simple things can become. Like my dresser, I have to "go with the flow", step back and allow myself to be open to other alternatives.
Who knows what could happen?
