Believe it or not, when I saw this photo on Craigslist, I fell in love with this piece.
I know, hard to believe. Sometimes – well, most of the time – Craigslist photos are pretty bad and you have to look closely for the details. I noticed the silhouette of the beautiful curved top and the carved details of the legs and knew this piece had potential. The hardware looked like it might be nice, too. It’s hard to tell from the photo what that red blob is, but that is the top of the vanity seat. When I saw it in person, I knew it was a keeper. Here it is all finished.
The top was in good shape and the wood looked really pretty. This piece is made of mahogany and it refinishes so beautifully. I stripped the top and then sanded it. I stained it with one coat of General Finishes brown mahogany stain. I then sealed it with several coats of GF high performance topcoat. The round corner detail is just so stunning and the wood top is drop dead gorgeous.
I lightly sanded the rest of the piece and then primed it with Zinsser Coverstain primer. This is a vintage mahogany piece and I knew it would be a bleeder. I did have some bleeding even through the primer, so I added a thin coat of shellac and that fixed the problem. I painted the entire piece with a soft white Benjamin Moore Advance paint in a satin finish (my preferred sheen for these pieces).
I shined up the original hardware with Brasso. I’m not usually a fan of the “batwing” style hardware, but I loved these pulls and felt that they suited this piece perfectly. Just very classic, timeless, and they have a French aesthetic to me.
I removed 3 layers of fabric from the bench seat. They were dusty, smelly and had about 1,000 tacks holding them on. On the upside, the tacks were much easier to remove than the usual upholstery staples I find. The cotton batting underneath was in good shape, but a bit on the thin side. I don’t know about you, but I like a little cush when i sit down. So, I added a layer of 1 inch foam, and replaced the original cotton batting on top for added softness. I upholstered the seat with a beautiful and neutral fabric I found at Hobby Lobby.
As a finishing detail, I added a gray upholstery trim around the edge, adhering it with Magna Tac 809. This is a permanent fabric adhesive and works great.
It’s all in the details, folks.
I have a tendency to get emotionally attached to the pieces I refinish and this one is no exception. When I finish a piece, I have been known to say “I think I’m going to keep this one.” I truly would love to keep this piece, but I just don’t have the space.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
Susan
Linking with The Painted Drawer and Finding Silver Pennies
Susan, this is lovely. And, definitely understand getting attached to a piece but having to let it go due to space considerations. I like think that I get to enjoy it for awhile and then allow it to go to a good home :).
Thanks Rachel. Sometimes I do keep them for awhile before selling. My customers have all been amazing, so it does make it easier to let go!
Lovely. You’re right. The beautiful mahogany and the curved edges on the top are stunning. I love your choice of fabric for the seat and the trim is a classy finishing touch. It looks like a frame for the fabric.
You did a wonderful job with this, and you’ve introduced me to 2 new products: Zinsser Coverstain primer (I just use Zinsser clear shellac), and Magna Tac 809. If it works better than a glue gun, I’m interested. The fabric looks lovely; it was an excellent choice. Great job. I saw your link at The Painted Drawer party.
Thanks for stopping by. I think the Magna Tac is way easier to use than a glue gun for a project like this. Much easier to control where it goes, no burnt fingers, and less messy. You can just squeeze out a very small amount – I haven’t been able to do that with my glue gun. And, it has excellent hold on fabric.
Loved this vanity and bench.
I am going to be painting a gossip bench in the near future
and was so inspired by your fabric that I went to
Hobby Lobby and purchased some the very next day.
Also , thanks for the tip on the glue.
Your work always inspires .
Thank you so much, Deb! I love that fabric – good luck with your bench!
I love the classic look of a stained top and a white paint for the bottom of a furniture piece. Beautiful work on this vanity Your photography and staging is so well done and inspiring. Thank you.
Absolutely beautiful transformation! Love your blog and am now a new follower!!
Thank you so much Karen. I really appreciate it.