Mr Handsome Vintage Buffet

I’ve seen a lot of these buffets on Pinterest and in the blog world.  Just about any incarnation of these buffets takes them from drab to fab.  The befores and afters continue to amaze me.  When I got this guy home, I wasn’t sure what my plan was for him.  Thus, my board in Pinterest titled “The New Buffet”!  What can I say?  I’m a visual gal who needs to see a road map before I get in the car!  Gathering ideas helps me figure out what my next steps are.

Here he is just loaded off of the truck:  

My original plan was all Graphite.  I knew I would have bleed through if I went with a light color and just wasn’t in the mood for Shellac.  The top looked pretty bad and the home it came from was a bit disorderly so I didn’t think the top could be refinished.  But if I were going to skip Shellac, at least I could do is strip the top to make sure my assumption about the top being a hot mess was correct.  Enter stage left, my refinishing tools. 

This was my first venture with Formby’s Refinisher.  I liked it.  It took some muscle, but did a good job of getting the lacquer off of the top.  It made the sanding so much easier and wasn’t as messy as using a liquid stripper.  Pour a little into a container, dip the steel wool in the liquid, rub it in and watch the gooky stuff come off!  

Oh my…he is starting to strut his stuff!  This top is screaming for refinishing….Please don’t paint me!

My next step is to work on the base.  The drawers come out for a good scrubbing, slight sanding and then a thin coat of shellac.  I find it helps to eliminate any residual odors and gives a beautiful sheen to the wood grain. 

I stick with my original plan to use ASCP Graphite.  It takes two coats, and then gets some gentle distressing.  I’ve discovered using a damp cloth on the unwaxed paint gives a worn look and is not as messy as sanding. 

I applied a coat of clear wax and then dark wax to deepen the Graphite.  I’ve read some folks skip the clear wax when using Graphite and apply the dark wax directly onto the paint. It darkens the Graphite and gives it more depth.  I’ve not mustered the courage to attempt that yet! 

After the base is completed, I wrap him up and start to finish the top. 

I like the Dark Walnut Stain from Minwax, and since this piece may get some usage, I decided to apply poly acrylic for protection. 

And now for the unveiling…drum roll please...

And there he is in all of his glory.
As I mentioned earlier, these handsome pieces can go from drab to fab!

Thanks for stopping by…

Robin