Most of the time, I don’t know how a piece of furniture is going to turn out until it’s done. I know I want to paint it, so I’ll sand it down, prep it, and prime it. Then, I’ll wait. Does this piece want to be formal, country, modern, distressed? What color would look best on this piece? Is there a good spot for decorative painting? Or some decoupage? Does this piece need to be really hard-wearing? Or will it have “occasional” use? What kind of decor would it work with? Who would be interested in buying this and what might they use it for?
I started out with this mid-century record cabinet. It was in good condition and my shop owner had added some cute stencils to it. It sat in our shop for a while and I kept eyeing it…knowing it wanted to be painted. Good pieces of furniture communicate with me. So do doughnuts, but I’m trying to tune those out. Anyway, I finally asked if I could take it off her hands to work on and she graciously agreed.
This piece wanted to be white. I can’t tell you why…again, I speak most dialects of “furniture”, so I understood what it wanted. Originally, I thought I was going to do another sheet music piece, but once it was painted white, I realized this was a prime piece for some decorative painting. Stripes? Something symmetrical and formal? Birds and branches are what stuck with me and I could clearly picture them looking good on this cabinet.
So, what color? I originally grabbed the black, but I felt it would be too harsh. Should I do aqua? It’s a hot color right now. Maybe something really bold like orange? Pewter Gray? Perfect.
I then painted the branches and birds freehand and added some gray in the grooves of the trim work.
I kept it very clean and simple. This cabinet did not want to be formal or fussy.
I reached for some nickel knobs, but they weren’t working with the gray paint. The glass knobs added the perfect amount of sparkle and worked with the style of the piece.
I hope walking you through my thought process about this piece will inspire you to “listen” to what your own unfinished furniture pieces might be saying to you. You can become an expert “furniture whisperer” in no time.
PS – If I start leaning over and actually talking to pieces at yard sales, can someone please put me on medication?
I posted this the SNS at Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, and Favorite May Projects at Beneath My Heart.
83 Responses
you did an amazing job – i totally love it!
I LOVE IT! I just redid the cutest dresser for my girls' room. I may actually blog about it next week. We're about to paint our living room and dining room tonight….rainwashed blue. I had about 10 different colors on the walls from bisque, antique white, to halycon green. The blue "spoke" to me! I guess I communicate with objects too!
I know what you mean about pieces communicating with you. That's how I am with rooms. And doughnuts. 🙂 I'm working up to the furniture. Your project is a total transformation of that piece. You are my paint role model!! 🙂
So beautiful! I love the soft gray color on the white. And the birdcage reflecting the theme sitting on the top is delightful!
Oh I just love this cabinet! How you can paint and draw so perfectly freehand is beyond me, it looks beautiful!! Like Suzanne above, I love the birdcage on top.:)
You KNOW I love the big graphic statement of the tree branches. Right up my alley. 🙂 It looks so fresh in the white. Fantastic job.
WOW! That looks awesome! You did a really good job. I love it!
I hope you keep talking to the furniture so that you can continue to share such beautiful work with us. Awesome work!
LOL, you are a wonderful 'furniture whisperer!' You should do consultations….
I love this piece, you read it perfectly. And the birdcage is the crowning touch.
Oh what a funny post! I can so relate though. I got a piece that I finally figured out what to do with. I think it will like it, so we shall see. I love this piece! You really brought out it's inner beauty!
The direction you took this piece in was just perfect and I love how you've styled it. It was so funny to read your creative process….it's so similar to mine!
Kristine
xx
That is so pretty, it could be a focal point in any room.
Great job!
LOL! It's the way I feel about junk…junk whisperer, I like that! This piece turned out wonderful!
I adore birds and this is incredibly beautiful! You have outdone yourself!
Brenda
No medication needed, I'll just join you in your chat. 🙂 I love that piece!
The cabinet is wonderful…love the little birds! I have a table I have been planning on painting for months and Hubby keeps asking when I will get it out of the garage. Now I will tell him I am waiting for the table to "speak to me"!
hugs,
Sherry
This looks absolutely gorgeous. I love it. Hugs, Marty
You are such a visionary – love it.
My bed usually calls me from the bedroom….
You wouldn't need medication, MMS. I feel the rest of the world would. Just my two cents!
I'm in love with those birds and like your chalkboard topped piece I'm going to be replicating this one, too.
Replicating is such a gentler way to express COPY or KNOCK OFF, don't you agree?
~Kolein
You know what? This piece is speaking to me too! It's saying….I want to go to Anita's house! Gosh I love it!
What a transformation! Love it!
You inspired me to paint some things! I painted three chairs and got the gumption to hand paint a huge bird cage (my wrist is sore now!) but they're almost finished. I'm going to post the birdcage as I'm turning it into a table. I'm excited to do the sheet music thing too!
Thank you so much for grabbing my button…I'm honored. Love your blog!
The birds and branches are fabulous! The cabinet itself is pretty cool. Love the makeover!
Oh, that is so, so cute!!! Adorable. And free-hand?! I officially hate you. In a good way, of course. 🙂
I love this. Can I steal it from you? 🙂
Amazin!!!!
Beautiful! I love how furniture talks to you. Fabric speaks to me all the time. And butter pecan ice cream!
Now that is hotness! Love it!
this cabinet turned out absolutely gorgeous. I think you are very good at listening to furniture… me I tune it out. I need to improve my listening skills!
gail
ps I have a piece very similar that I talked to for hours the other day. I think it was speaking a foreign language, cause I could not understand WHAT it wants to be.
WOW! This is absolutely beautiful. Love it, this is an outstanding piece of work.
That is absolutely gorgeous! And how great to get inside your head and hear your entire process. 🙂
Sweet! I'm the same way…with everything! I pretty much just start putting things together and have fun surprising myself with the end result. Make sense?
I hope you're having a lovely weekend, Marian!
: )
Julie M.
You girls are cracking me up with your comments. 🙂 Amen on the Butter Pecan Icecream.
This is one of my favorite pieces (and I love your pieces). Birds + branches + gray + white + sparkly knobs = magical!
That is most wonderful!! I bought a package of stickers yesterday…my favorite one says "Even if the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas…". I think that applies here.
Beautiful!!
This piece of furniture is so lucky you heard it. You are so talented!
Im just getting into being brave enough to try painting furniture pieces and Im learning as I go. Today I re-did a bread box and although i used your white one with the Hane Austen saying on it I went a different color-black and distressed it.
For something bigger like this do you use a paintbrush, foam roller, what? And what shade of white is this? Im almost afraid of the color white b/c I dont want it to be too bright. Can you help?!
Sarah
handbagsnpigtails.blogspot.com
esgutierrez4@msn.com
Absolutely beautiful, love your freehand and its such a lovely shape.
Can you tell me where you get your glass knobs from? i am having a hard time finding some in Australia…thanks Jenxo
The cabinet came out great! I have that same stencil & am going to create some artwork with it. I never would have thought to put it on furniture! How creative!
This is absolutely beautiful!!
Love it!
How do you do it? YOu amaze me, girl! I love those birds. Too cute.
I buy my glass knobs in bulk off of e-bay and my very favorite white paint color is "creamy" from Sherwin Williams.
oh i love it! the furniture lead you in the right direction and knew exactly what it needed and wanted! oh- gotta run…. i think i hear some ice cream calling for me!
This is why the rest of us are just amateurs! Great job!
I think I hear it talking. Listen. It says: I should go to Anita's house and be in her new office. Yup. Heard it.
It's amazing, I love it!!!
Stunning!!! I LOVE it!!
That turned out really nice and unique!
Oh my… this piece is AMAZING.
Furniture Whisperer you are. The ultimate at that.
I love the big boxy shape in white! It's so fresh. And your subtle touch with the grey.. it's perfect. I wouldn't have thought grey but I'm rethinking it now!
Donna
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Fabulous makeover!! Love the white and gray! Subtle and yet perfect! You listen well!
Hugs
SueAnn
I love this piece! Looks straight out of a mag! -Denise
It turned out beautifully! The design you did fits it perfectly. I like the glass knobs because it doesn't take away from the design. I think the gray was a good choice, too.
Beatiful cabinet, I really love what you have done to it! The colour and bird/branch design works so perfectly for that piece. You have given me some great and different ideas, thanks!
🙂 Flick
I love it! I recently moved from England back to Michigan and I keep thinking to myself, "I'll paint that over there, and I can paint that old piece of furniture." I've never painted or re-stained anything and yet I keep defaulting to the statement, "I'll just paint that!" I've been really inspired by you and some other bloggers and now I just have to get my nerve up to do it.
Absolutely beautiful! One my favs of your creations.
I'm not a huge "commenter" but this one deserves it. The glass knobs and the combination of the white and grey a current favorite of mine make this cabinet sparkle. I too feel as though furniture speaks to me, hoping none of my loved ones think this is a reason for incarceration.
Great work! I love the colors you picked, and the birds are just too sweet. Looks wonderful!
Turned out awesome.
So happy to find your blog, too!
Love, love, love what you did to this piece!
Oh so sweet! This would be equally perfect in a nursery or a formal living room. Well done, MMS.
It's a keeper.
I love this! I wanna learn to speak "furniture!" *sigh* I'd even go on medication with you. 🙂
Gorgeous!!
I understand. It's beautiful. Unfortunately, furniture doesn't speak to me, but fabric does :).
What a beautiful piece- good job listening!!
I really like this piece. I wish my furniture would talk to me. Then I could finally decide what color to paint it. I know I want it painted. Maybe I should do what you do and get it all primed and then decide. At least that way, I'll be moving forward in the project instead of a stand still.
I mentioned your cabinet over at Houzz. Layla did an ideabook on painted furniture and I just had to bring up this great piece. Hope you don't mind!
just stumbled into your blog and love what you did with the record cabinet! i have just finished a project on my record cabinet and i will link to next week's party with it!
(that is if you still are doing it…sniff 🙁
Hi,
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Gosh I have heard of people saying plants speak to them, or even trees, but furniture!?
Well I guess it was a tree before it became a cupboard.
Anyway I think you listened well because this turned out great.
Anything with birds on makes my heart skip a beat!
I totally get the furniture whispering thing…just wish I could interpret them! 🙂
Love,
Bird
WOW, gorgeous as usual! I so envy your talent for hand painting.. you have so many options the rest of us don't! I love the glass knobs on it..you're right, it was just the sparkle it needed.
Lisa
Seriously gorgeous. I love this one!
Looks awesome! 🙂
WOW! This one stopped me in my tracks. I really, really love it! It's modern and classic and cottage all at the same time. You did a wonderful job!
It's absolutely beautiful! I love the grey-on-white … it's gorgeous. I don't know how you're able to "commune with the furniture," but you hit it dead on. Great job!
This is really stunning. Love the birds and branches, I need to do something fun like this on some furniture!
This cute little thing really catches your eye! What a great little redo Miss Mustard! I think I would love to have it in my house:)
I LOVE what you did with this one! Beautiful!
wow. just wow.
This is Beautiful!! LOVE it!
You have TRULY inspired me, I have a cabinet I recently repainted, but it's calling out for more, this is it. So understatedly elegant. What a beautiful piece. Thanks a bunch!
This is beautiful. I have a cabinet that has been begging for a re-do. Love it that you did it free-hand. Good job!
I'm bookmarking this because I just totally love it and want to make one for myself!!
I'd love for you to share this at my party this Thursday!
http://www.houseofhepworths.com
xoxo
I envy your ability to speak all dialects of 'furniture' — it's a true gift! Beautiful job!