Lamp Black and Mahogany Chest

I picked up this beautiful chest last weekend from Craigslist and got to work on it right away.  I know it’s not fair to the other pieces in my inventory that have been patiently waiting their turn, but I was so excited to get my hands, and paint brush, on this one.

The finish was in really rough shape, but structurally this beauty was in great condition  The top had definitely seen better days.

My initial plan was to paint it a dark gray.  I had picked up General Finishes Queenstown Gray and thought that might work.  I painted a coat on the drawers.  This gray has a lot of blue in it and looks very battleship gray to me – not the look I wanted for this piece.  I switched gears and decided to go with one of my paint all stars – General Finishes Lamp Black.  I have used it on many other pieces and I am never disappointed.

My initial plan was going to be to paint the entire piece, but after I stripped and sanded the top, I decided to stain it.  That wood on the top was just so pretty!  I am always amazed at what can be hiding under an old finish.

Here she is all finished up.

Okay, so check out that original hardware.  I cleaned and removed the years of tarnish with Tarnex.  My kids were not happy with the sulfur smell while I was cleaning – it is definitely stinky.  Worth the effort, though.  The hardware just pops against the black now.  Love.

I stained the top with General Finishes Brown Mahogany stain and then sealed it with 3 coats of GF High Performance Top Coat in Satin.

For the interior drawers, I decided to go with a contrasting color.  I painted them in General Finishes Antique White.  I think it is gives this piece an elegant tuxedo look.

The interior drawers gave me a little trouble with the dreaded bleed through.  I used two coats of Zinsser cover stain primer and two coats of shellac which finally stopped the bleeding.  I almost threw in the towel and painted the drawers coral.  I kept thinking to myself, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

i also gave the interior drawers a special detail with black grosgrain ribbon and nailhead trim on the edges.  I definitely have a new found appreciation for the DIY’ers who have done intricate nailhead patterns on furniture.  It took me forever to get those nailheads in!  I cannot even imagine doing an entire dresser front.  Wowza, the patience that is needed for that.

I love this piece so much.  I kept going out to my workshop just to look at it.  Am I the only one who does that?

Thank you for reading.

Susan

Linking with Miss Mustard Seed