Girl in Pink: Discovered by Fate, Inspired by Downton: A Table Makeover Story

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Discovered by Fate, Inspired by Downton: A Table Makeover Story

Today I'd like to share a few stories about this special little table...how I happened upon it, why I bought it, what inspired the makeover and where it's headed next! If you just want the details on paint colors and finish, feel free to skip ahead!

So here's the back story on this sweet piece... One Friday afternoon last summer, after a long morning of disappointing estate sales, I decided to make one last stop before calling it quits and heading home. The listing read "Farm Sale." I plugged the address into my GPS and started driving. It was much further out of town than I had anticipated and I wondered if I was just wasting more gas and time. When I finally pulled into the field designated for parking, and glanced across to the spot where treasures were sprawled out and a few shoppers were picking through, I began to feel hopeful. It was a big sale with lots of furniture, a stack of vintage suitcases, a sea of shiny silver plate and all kinds of other little things that make my heart skip a beat! As I got nearer, I recognized a familiar face. It was a fellow dealer from Camas Antiques, a very kind woman whom I didn't know well but had visited with a few times during my painting demonstrations at the store. It didn't take me long to figure out that this was her farm and her treasures that were for sale! We visited for a moment and then she kindly directed me over to a beautiful little table with the kind of details that make me swoon! She said that she had previously thought of me and how I could breathe new life into this piece with Chalk Paint®! She wanted me to take it and told me to name my price! I was thrilled. Of course I filled my truck with several other treasures from her sale, but this special little table and how fate brought me to it really left me feeling blessed that day!

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I actually started painting this little gem. For the longest time I really wanted to hold onto it and I knew that if I painted it, it would be on it's way to the shop and sold before I had a chance to enjoy it! But then, I started making plans to put together a very special window display for the antique store. And with a vision in mind, I knew what this table was destined for.

On Sunday January 4th 2015, the much anticipated season 5 premiere of Downton Abbey airs in the U.S.! This is my inspiration for the window display, this sweet table and pretty much every other project I've been working on for the past few weeks!

I am so excited to announce that in conjunction with the January window display, there will be a Downton Abbey themed event on Friday, January 2nd in downtown Camas! Check out our event page on Facebook for more details! If you're local, and a Downton Abbey fan, I hope you'll join me for what's sure to be a lovely evening that will get everyone in the mood for the premiere on Sunday!

Now, onto the table makeover!

After 2 coats of Pure White Chalk Paint® had completely dried and given perfect coverage to the once dark table, I added a wash of French Linen to highlight all of those beautiful details.

Once I had the wash just how I wanted it and it was dry, I applied a coat of clear wax. I did not use dark wax this time around as I felt the French Linen wash provided just the right amount of aging. The last step was to accent the beautiful raised design along the table's edge with French King Gold Gilding Wax, purchased at The Purple Pear. Because, if it belongs in Downton Abbey, it's got to have some gold on it, right?

I am loving my gold wings recently purchased at Camas Antiques, the latest addition to my Christmas décor. They worked well as an accent for staging my special little table today. When not being used as a photo prop, they hang from the mirror on our mantle.