I painted my first piece of furniture 12 years ago. It was a bookcase from my Nana’s house. The piece had seen better days and just didn’t work with my decor. It was a dark wood, with plenty of nicks and scratches. But I really liked it, and it was a sturdy, well-made piece. My sister suggested painting it; to give it a makeover. So I did. I chose a beautiful shade of blue that fit nicely in my living room.
(Obviously not my bookcase, but this coffee table is similar to the colors)
That’s how all this, my obsession with painted furniture, started. After that I looked around the whole house…what ELSE could I “makeover”?
Refinishing furniture brings me joy. Finding an ugly duckling piece with scratches, stains, hardware missing, and fixing it up like new makes me so happy. I love the transformations. I can always see the possibilities in something. Being able to work magic with a paintbrush is so satisfying.
Before
AFTER!! (We also used re-design with PRIMA transfers, also available in the shop)
At Paint Rust and Pixie Dust, we choose good, quality pieces to refinish because we know they’ll last a very long time. Older, vintage, and antique pieces that have “good bones,” ie: solid wood, dove tails, finger joints, and steady legs that can stand the test of time. Call it recycling, up-cycling, or repurposing-we are down with it all. We have a great selection of pieces already painted in the shop, and we will do custom paint work for you.
Before
AFTER! (Jolie paint and re-design with Prima Transfers)
AFTER (Surprise inside the side drawers, using re-design with PRIMA stencils)
Some people shudder at the thought of painting wood furniture. They think it will “lose value”, or “take away from the quality of the piece.” And that’s fine. Some people are purists when it comes to that sort of thing. I always say, “is your home a museum, or is it a HOME?” Be comfortable, enjoy your space and your things. Are you using it or selling it? Are you really going to haul it down to the event center the next time Antiques Roadshow rolls into town? Probably not.
Before (She is beautiful, but really needed a makeover to lighten and brighten up the space, and cover up her scratches, dents, and stains.)
AFTER! Isn’t she gorgeous???
AFTER We kept the top natural as a nice contrast to the lighter paint color by sanding out the scratches and using Jolie’s Topcoat Finish to seal and protect.
Look around your home. Does it need an update? We understand that a lot of pieces can look dated in their original state, like my Nana’s bookcase. Or, the wood is so dark it seems to absorb all the light in a room. We will help you choose a great color or colors for your pieces. We use and sell Jolie Paints and Finishes, and with 42 gorgeous colors, four sealing waxes, three topcoats, and three gilding waxes-it’s a great, economical, and environmentally friendly way to decorate your home (and office). And for the wood purists, Jolie waxes will condition and make your wood shine.
