This buffet was a freebie we scored from FB marketplace. It’s amazing how many great old pieces come up for free or next to free. While we’ve missed out on many, we were fast enough to respond and scored this gem. It seemed like the perfect piece to update in a black wash.
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The before
This buffet is petite and well made. It doesn’t have a manufacturer’s label but the dovetailed drawers and solid wood construction are very well done. Maybe it’s the time of year, but I wanted to give it a darker look while still enjoying some of the brilliant wood tones. The solution: dark wash.
The process
The rustic distressed look is not one that comes naturally to us. However, I admire it in other’s work all the time so every once and a while we give it a go. We had some left over chalk paint by Annie Sloan in Graphite so we decided to use that to give this piece a whole new look.
Applying a paint wash is super easy. All you do is mix the paint with some water and apply it sparingly so you can see the finish beneath. You can read more about paint washes here.
We mixed ⅔ Graphite and ⅓ water and applied it with a brush. We used a rag to wipe of some of the excess paint in a few areas to really highlight the rustic look.
There are several options available to seal chalk paint including waxes, polycrylic sealers, oils and glazes. We chose to use a black wax to darken the finish and add even more depth. Below you can see the paint before and after the black wax is applied.
To complement the rustic look we used a charming woodland print from Hallmark to line the back of the hutch.
The after
The finished piece is both rustic and charming. The wash + wax combo allows the natural wood tones to come through and really gives this buffet/hutch more character.
What do you think of this makeover? Is rustic, distressed a look you love or are you more of a clean, flawless finish type? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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