Three Steps to The Basics to Painting

First - Clean Painting

The first step and the most important step is to cover your floor.  Cover the area you plan on working in with thick cardboard, newspapers or old sheets. Choose a workspace where you won't be disrupted such as an extra bedroom, a garage or a basement.  You do not need to buy expensive drop cloths unless you plan on painting on the rug. Living in an apartment for many years, I took old bed sheets which I folded in half, and not once did I get anything on the carpet.  You can get them at the thrift store for only a couple dollars.  Wash them before you use them, and the greatest thing, is you can wash them after several uses!  I folded my sheets in half so that the paint wouldn't get through on to the floor. You may want to consider plastic drop sheets which guarantee nothing will end up on the carpet.  Being a careful painter is a good habit to develop, as it will show in the end result.  SO, if you do slip up, that is what the sheets are for.

Second- Sanding

Sanding is a necessity with any sort of furniture painting.You don't need to sand every inch of paint off of the furniture, but rather you need your furniture to have some sort of teeth to grip on to the paint. Do buy the finest, or (close to fine) sandpaper. In the past I have messed up paint finishes by sanding with too coarse of sandpaper.  This usually appears with swirl marks in the paint finish. If this happens, carefully sand it with very fine sandpaper and add another layer of paint.

The trick to sanding is to just sand with fine sandpaper. Sand in the direction of the wooden grains, this way you won't get noticeable swirl marks.

DEWALT Sheet Sander, FOAM SANDER

One of the biggest questions I get asked is how to paint over the melamine tops that are common to some of the french provincial furniture.  The simple answer is to sand it with a relatively fine sander.  Apply a coat of flat white oil paint.  Oil paint is extremely durable, and with the flat sheen it acts like a primer. 

Third - Priming

I didn't fully appreciate priming until I stumbled upon a fabulous primer that I cannot live without. Every primer is a bit different. With black or darker paint finishes, I would not recommend priming first.  The reason for this is most primers come in white and gray which is basically white with a bit of black in it. Until Behr's most recent Paint and Primer mixed together, white and gray primers were about the only option.

Rust-oleum Black Primer Pack of 6

For a good year when I first started painting I primed my furniture and painted over the white primer in a color paint and it looked terrible when it came to distressing the furniture. I reached out to many painters to tell me their secrets of great distressing and I found very few that would help me with this problem, until one day I just decided to sand more and toss away the primer and It worked!

- (So, now you know that for projects other than white, sand a bit more for the paint to adhere to the surface, or use Behr's paint and primer along with sanding, or use a black flat oil paint with sanding.)

There are situations where priming is a necessity. One of these instances is painting walls. You need to start with a primer. Priming can give you a very good base for any color you plan on using especially if you are painting over wood which sometimes can be especially hard to cover well.

For the longest time, my favorite primer was Gripper as it is a fantastic primer. I first used it to seal a floor that was being painted white in an apartment building.  It held up on apartment floors that dozens of people would walk on daily.  I figured that if it held up on the floors it would do just as great of a job on furniture.  

Kilz is another very popular primer. Some people think it is one of the best primers out on the market.  If you do use this brand, consider the spray paint primer.....Kilz Original Primer Spray Paint.  The oil primer is especially thick and very hard to manipulate and I found it very gloppy and extremely hard to work  with.  I have not tried their water-based version, so please don't discount this brand all together.  

Since moving to Seattle, I have had to shop at Ace Hardware more often, instead of Home Depot, and I have been pleasantly surprised! Their Ace Brand Name projects are high quality.  Not only are their paint colors beautiful, but I have been able to try out some new brands I wouldn't have otherwise tried.

My biggest secret is a primer I found through Ace, but can be ordered on Amazon or at Home Depot which is called Cover Stain By Zinsser in the oil paint. You can buy this at Home Depot and almost every Hardware Store, and the best part is that this oil based paint is TINTABLE!

High Hide Odorless Oil Primer without Sanding - Odorless Primer

*The most surprising thing is that their oil-based primer is thin rather than thick, and it goes on like butter. Considering it is an oil paint, that is rather shocking.  I prefer to work with oil because it covers well, and it is quite durable.  I do like my paint thick, but perfectly even.  This paint seems to have so many features that I just cannot live without now. 

*As it dries it evens itself out compared to other oil paints which show every brush stroke.

*In addition, the paint dries rather quickly. It can be dry within 3 hours, which you can apply another coat. By the next day you can sand, and it sands especially easy compared to any other brand.  

*This oil paint has teeth! It grips to almost anything without being scratched.

 *Also, it is one of the ONLY oil paints that dries to a matte finish. I often add two coats of the primer, then I seal it with a Polycrylic water-based sealer, and then I add Johnson Paste Wax. It produces a perfect Swedish finish. This OIL paint can be tinted most light colors which makes it a dream to work with. It has rejuvenated my passion for painting and I couldn't be more excited to paint furniture right now.

My Secrets to Professional Finishes:

When a professional painter or woodworker looks at a piece of furniture often the first thing they look for is how even the paint finish is. As you gain experience in painting you will begin to appreciate the beauty of having a perfect finish.  There is one painter I heard of who dips her chairs in paint, (which would be extremely costly) but her paint finishes are known to to have drips of paint in many areas of the furniture which I suppose adds character.  I take a different approach - that painted furniture should be as even as possible not showing any brush strokes whatsoever.  I suppose the first time you paint furniture you don't even notice the paint stokes, but over time, an experienced painter would perfect their techniques showing a different level of painting skill.  My furniture does show brush strokes here and there, (as I am not perfect), but I do try my best to make it as even as possible. 

How do you achieve this?

A. You can spray your furniture with paint sprayers. Often times it is not worth investing in a paint sprayer and a compressor just for one or two pieces of furniture that you plan on painting over time.  If you are looking at painting furniture as a business, it would be a wise investment after getting some experience painting finishes by hand. Another way of spraying furniture is simply to buy paint in a can. This usually works quite well for small projects such as chairs, picture frames or end tables, but it would get quite expensive for larger pieces.  Often times people run out of paint this way so without additional coats the painted piece shows blotches of color, obviously needing 2 more coats.  Also the nicer colors such as the off whites and grays are not available in a spray.

B. Use a foam paint brush. My friend Nancy in Virginia was the first to teach me this technique.  She gets ALL the credit on this one!!  These foam brushes can be found for every cheap at dollar stores or on amazon.  They can also be found at home depot for a dollar or two.  Although if you plan on painting furniture as a business, get them online or from a dollar store, as they tend to sell them in packs of 10 for only $1.  They are cheap but every effective throw away foam brushes that even out your stokes.

30 Foam Paint Brush

How I use them is that I brush on the paint with a simple chip brush, (3 Inch Chip Brush 24-Pack) then within a couple minutes I go over my strokes with a foam brush. I usually have to do 3 or 4 coats of paint with this technique, BUT all my furniture turns out every even and as if it was professionally sprayed. Often times the trade off is that you don't have to clean a sprayer, so I use this technique more than I spray furniture.  Often times you can get a bag of 12 foam brushes at your local dollar store for only $1 DOLLAR, and why not when you just throw them away.  You can clean them if you are very careful, and use them 2 or three more times. 

C. A SMOOTH foam roller can create a stunning even finish. This is often the quickest route for painting walls, or large pieces of furniture. Use a combination of a foam brush and a roller for a larger job. It is well worth the time and effort to use a smooth roller for your interior walls. Your finish should be as smooth as fresh drywall, (or close to it).  The only thing you might see is the raised finish from the previous paint finish that was existent on the walls before you began painting. Do remember that if you paint in the direction of wooden grains it will produce an even paint finish.  All these extra techniques will produce a higher quality finish.

Foam Roller Smooth

2. White Paint Tones. You almost never see higher end finishes using bright white paint, except for Hollywood regency styles which use glossy whites with modern pieces. I tend to lean towards whites that are tinted towards the beige tones or green undertones as they are closer to the Swedish antique paint finishes. The beige and green tones are some of the original limited paint colors, so your piece will look more antique than modern which then translates into being more expensive looking.  

I do enjoy French grays, or really milky white grays rather than white, because it gives it an antique feel which is rich and doesn't look freshly painted.  You don't want your piece to look freshly painted, unless you are going after the Hollywood Regency style. 

Some of my favorite colors are:

Martha Stewart- Sandpiper, Fossil, Bedford Gray, Heath, Mourning Dove, Ash Bark, Cityscape, Eiderdown, Tadpole Green, Flagstone

Ace Paints - Hazy Day, French Gray, Heartland, Tahoe, Ramie, Warm Scones, Navajo White, Wooden Spoon, Chinos, Gray Day

3. White Washing- White washing is a spectacular finish where the base coat is beige tones and a lighter color is added on top.  I have found the best colors to work with are those with a brown undertone, such as beige, and adding a creamy white with yellow undertones on top.  White washing is basically adding glaze for a translucent finish.  Paint on the white paint with glaze, and and use a relatively dryer damp cloth and wipe off the cream paint, leaving a wash-like appearance.  It produces a very nice effect. 

French Provincial Upholstered Carved Queen Bed'

This beautiful bed is from the very exquisite European House on Ebay

4. Distressing- Distressing can add depth to your furniture giving it a very antique rustic appeal.  You can distress with a hand electric sander, or a hand foam sander which gives more of a delicate worn feel over time than deliberate wear and tear would. 

The key to distressing is to sand in areas where worn paint would appear over time.  Locations such as the feet of furniture, sides, the wood around the handles are natural places furniture would wear over time.  For heavy distressing take  a few tools such as a hammer, screwdriver and a chain and rough up the surface of the piece.   The more you rough up the surface the more aged the piece appears. 

Adding crackle paint in some areas can give your furniture piece an antique feel.  In addition, Porcelain Crackle Glaze can give a piece of furniture an aged look. The crackle makes it look as though the paint has changed through the years. How this crackle works is that you apply it to areas you wish to age.  Let the paint dry completely, and rub in dark glaze or shoe polish, or brown glaze to expose the lines. 

Jansen Distressed White French Vanity Desk By Lakeview Style on Ebay

5. Glazing- Antiquing a piece often is done with glazing paint as seen on the dresser below.  A glaze is a translucent binder which less paint pigment is added to produce a look which is somewhat clear with a bit of color.  You can buy glaze mixed together at your local hardware much like ordering paint, or you can buy glaze alone and mix in paint yourself. 

The incentive of buying the glaze without paint is you can then use the glaze with a number of other colors without buying a quart of each color you intend to use.  It really comes in handy when you want to use different colors with different furniture. 

 Blend & Glaze Decorative Painting Liquid
Ralph Lauren Faux Technique Glaze

The close up on the chest below shows brown glaze, and what looks to be either genuine age or porcelian crackle added to the chest.  In my opinion too much glaze was left by the handles. 

How I work with glaze is first to apply it with a chip brush and then take a rag which is slightly damp, (but more towards the dry side), and wipe it off, leaving a faint amount of glaze. 

I have found in the past that it is important to really select your rags carefully.  One time I used a black facecloth, and tiny pieces of the black fabric were left behind in the paint.  A white tericloth face cloth doesn't work well either.  The best idea is to use old tee-shirt rags because they wouldn't leave any traces of the fabric behind.  Again, experiment and see what works best for you. 

I hope I have inspired you to get your hands dirty and try new techniques.  Have fun with your transformations.  It is amazing what just a simple gallon of paint can do for your home and furniture.  You don't need to spend much to make a big impact. 

Huge Blessings!

Meranda

FRENCH LOUIS XVI - DRAWER WHITE COMMODE By Art Deco Imports

FRENCH LOUIS XVI - DRAWER WHITE COMMODE By Art Deco Imports

French Settee Shabby Bench Ebay Seller Caught My Fancy

Vintage Painted Cottage Shabby White French Provincial Night Stand End Table From Painted Cottages

Vintage Painted Cottage Tall French Provincial Shabby White Dresser From Painted Cottages

Drexel French Provincial Dresser

FRENCH LOUIS XV COMMODE Paris DRESSER Ebay Seller DrinkWaterPink

French Dresser

FrenchBureau in Bird Egg Dallas Nadeau Furniture

French Style Painted Chest of Drawers - Tall Dresser Ebay Seller A Treasured Home

FRENCH shabby cottage chic HIGHBOY DRESSER CHEST Ebay Seller DrinkwaterPink

French Provincial Gold Damask Hand Painted Gorgeous! Ebay Seller Dmdesign43

FRENCH Provincial Drop Leaf Server Buffet Seller Vintagewayfurniture

Vintage Painted Cottage Shabby White French Provincial Mesh Tables From Painted Cottages on Esty

Drexel French Touraine decorated Gilt Mini Chest RARE Re-Painted For A Gallery Ebay Seller Starwarsdan

Dixie furniture French Provincial Style Dresser Ebay Seller Alchemysewperfect

CHARMING SHABBY CHIC FRENCH COUNTRY DRESSER Ebay Seller La Belle Orleans

Lane French Provincial Cedar Chest 70's Ebay Seller Dmdesign43

Henredon French Louis XV Style Marble Top Dressers

Henredon French Louis XV Style Marble Top Dressers

Tall French Provincial Chest on Chest Drawers

Close up (Faux Finished) of Tall French Provincial Chest on Chest Drawers Craigslist

Bassett French Provincial Chest of Drawers From The Sandiego Craigslist

French Provincial 6 Drawer Dresser

White French Provincial Dresser

Vintage Painted Cottage Shabby White French Provincial Dresser From Painted Cottages on esty

French Provincial Chest By Painted Cottages on Esty

For even more on French provincial furniture, we encourage you to check out this great book by Robin Ruddy.

French furniture has become my choice of furniture because it has so much potential. You really cannot paint a classic chippendale dresser yellow or pink, but you can with a French dresser. The curvy lines of most French furniture pieces are just brimming potential.

There are three ways that French furniture pieces are typically redone....

1. Bright Colors and Patterns - Typically either solid colors or dramatic patterns such as the prints Jonathan Adler is famous for.

2. Faux woods and Marbles such as are found in the palace of Versailles, or Tuscan blacks.

3. Antique Swedish looks - High end white finishes.

So just how did I start painting?

I owe my creativity to my parents. My father always took an interest in my hobbies as I grew up and encouraged me even if my projects might have been a disaster. My mother also enrolled me in sewing lessons as a young girl, which introduced me to simple creative projects that I could do on my own.

I originally graduated from college with a police science diploma, and soon was volunteering in police departments, but I found as hard as I would try to fit into that culture, it just wasn't me. I moved on to the fashion world, and I got several positions in bridal salons.  I also dabbled a little bit with sewing and jewelry.  Later I began the process of starting a business creating tiaras, but even with all of my hard work and intentions, it just didn't work out. I decided to go back to school, pursuing law, which maybe was how God directed me to my husband Michael.  In some of my previous apartments I painted the walls, but that was the extent of my painting experience. The apartment right before I got married I plastered the walls of my bathroom into squares giving it the look of Tuscan tiles. I was surprised I got my damage deposit back, because it was a mess. I wish I would have taken a picture.

I am Canadian, while my husband is American, so I wasn't able to work full time when I first moved down to Virginia. We went through the extensive immigration process, which meant at first I couldn't work right away after arriving in the United States.  It allowed me some time for small projects and makeovers.  But it wasn't until the second year of our marriage when our apartment building went through a management change that things really opened up for me.  I ended up becoming manager of our apartment building. Actually, I managed two buildings, which allowed me plenty of opportunity to learn how to mix different paints, and do small DYI makeovers. It helped tremendously that the owner of the building was super nice. He was grateful for any improvement and allowed me great freedom in decorating the buildings.  I really took to painting and really took an interest in color theory. I have learned to love faux finishes and the possibilities they hold for creating period looks.

Two of my major accomplishments in the year we managed the buildings was getting the floor sanded and stained in our apartment, and the beautiful design I painted on the front porch of the building using concrete stain.

Our Second Apartment

My Concrete Stain Patio Makeover

After the apartment buildings got sold, we moved on and I started painting furniture.  As we were in the process of moving, I needed to get rid of some furniture and I discovered the joy of selling things on craigslist.  I found that there were a lot of people out there interested in looking for nice quality furniture.

I decided to look for only furniture I loved myself. I focused on colonial and traditional furniture styles which were easy to find in Virginia. I learned that people really loved classic white and black finishes.  While some of my girlfriends painted colorful pieces, I learned that only certain types of furniture worked with certain colors.

As I got more into painting, our small 2 bedroom condo quickly became overcrowded with all my painted projects laying around. I felt so bad for my husband, but every business has to start off some way or another. We constantly had wet painted furniture all over the condo, and there were times when it drove me kind of batty. I learned how to be a very neat painter, because often times I had carpet I had to keep a meticulous eye on. My husband started blogging, which over the years turned out to be a full-time business. He left his job as an attorney, and we both moved towards making money online. Living in a 2 bedroom condo, with one bedroom holding all of our furniture, I painted furniture while he worked hard on our Internet adventure. Today, we have over 60 websites and we are having a lot of fun. I still paint furniture, (which can be found here) and enjoy it a lot. I still paint up classic furniture, but in my free time I really enjoy trying to master Swedish finishes. They intrigue me, and I am still experimenting with other finishes as well. I am still learning and growing, and I am hardly a master painter.

If you want to add me as a facebook friend, please feel free.  I would love to hear about your pastimes and hobbies.

Here are some of the french provincial pieces I have painted over the years....

White Re-Painted French Provincial Dresser

My Antique Telephone Bench Makeover

French Provincial End Tables Cabinets

French Chair Makeover

My Favorite French Provincial Buffet Cabinet

2 Tier French Provincial Table

Bombe French End Tables ~ Glossy Black

French Provincial Table ~White Re-Painted

French Provincial Tall Chest ~ Hand Made French Keyholes

French Provincial Dresser Hand Made Keyhole Escutcheons

Classic Black French Provincial Buffet & Hutch ~ Painted Interior

Tall French Provincial Dresser ~ Re-Painted White

French Provincial Chest Close Up

An Antique Chest, Not French Provincial, But an excellent example of what style can look great with gloss paint

French Provincial White Chest Dresser

French Provincial Chest Dresser White Painted & Distressed

Antique French Provincial Chest Before Being Painted

Antique French Provincial Chest After

Classic Black French Chest

Classic Little Girl French Provincial Dixie Nightstands ~ Re-Painted

French Folding Chairs Sprayed With Walnut Gloss

A Twin Size French Provincial Bed ~ Re-Painted

A Full Size White French Provincial Re-Painted Bed

French Provincial White Headboard Re-Painted

A French Styled Sewing Cabinet Painted in Blue and White Washed

White French Provincial Bed

Shabby French Provincial Mirror

Regency Barrel Chairs Torn Apart and Re-Upholstered

Regency Barrel Chairs Torn Apart and Re-Upholstered

Black Re-Painted French Provincial Dresser

French Provincial White Re-Painted Dining Table

A Large French Provincial Black Chest Makeover

A Black Re-painted French Provincial Buffet

2 White French Provincial Dining Tables ~ Re-painted

A Green French Provincial 4 Post Bed Makeover

The Shape of this French Provincial Dresser is The Prettiest I have Seen

My Favorite Serpentine French Provincial Dresser

My re-painted black French Provincial Table

White French Provincial Dining Table- Repainted

Faux Metallic Gold French Provincial End Tables

A faux Gold With Black Oil - French Provincial End Tables

My Pink French Provincial Makeover

My Green French Provincial Furniture Makover

The MOST Beautiful Marble I have Ever Seen- Beautiful Marble topped French 1920's painted wood desk By Bridges Over Time in Newburgh, NY

Bridges Over Time, 97 Liberty Street Newburgh, NY 12550

Bridges Over Time, 97 Liberty Street Newburgh, NY 12550

A marble coffee table or end table can bring a touch of elegance to any home.  Most of the marble tables seen in high end hotels and homes have marble tops with wooden stands, such as what is seen in Rococo furniture.  As mass manufacturing has gradually increased over the last 50 years, furniture has also tended to lose its quality.  One excellent example of this is Ikea's latest quest to manufacture plastic styro rococo frames, which were at one time made from carved wood.  Many manufactures are abandoning wood and stone altogether, and are leaning toward pressed wood and plastics which is sad to see.  So it is really to find something equivalent to these vintage french marble tables, and due to their elegance lines they still remain very popular.

The process of turning a raw stone into a beautiful piece of furniture is a rather complicated process.  One aspect of marble furniture that must be appreciated is the rather dangerous job of finding and processing it.  Marble is found in the mountains which means that obtaining it involves the use of dynamite.  They essentially blast off parts of a mountain and collect the boulders that are blown off.  Those huge pieces of rock are then taken into  workshops where they are cut into large slabs. The slabs then are cut into sizes and are then waxed and polished.  In many countries these jobs are carried out by very advanced machinery, but in developing countries, many of these processes are still handled by individual workers with the help of small, semi-automated machines, which makes it very labor intensive.

Maintaining marble tables is a very delicate process.  Marble scratches and stains quite easily if it is not sealed.  If you do buy a french provincial marble coffee table set, you will have to consider the cost of having it sealed yearly and then polished as frequently as possible to maintain the good looks of the marble.  Many people who own marble furniture consider a glass covering that protects it from scratches and stains, which allows them to avoid expensive cost and maintenance.   Some common tips for protecting your marble furniture include avoiding placing wet, hot or cold drinks on the surface and always using a coaster.   Keeping your marble clean of debris, drinks and sharp objects will help keep your marble furniture beautiful for a lifetime. 

My Final French Provincial Painted Faux Finish Marble Table

My French Provincial Marble Coffee Makeover

My Final French Provincial Painted Faux Finish Marble Table

My French Provincial Coffee Table Before Painting

My First Attempt At Faux Finishing This French Provincial Marble Coffee Table.

Some Other Finds:

Weiman Tables - French Provincial Marble Coffee Table

Antique Italian Marble Coffee Table

French Provincial Marble Furniture Set

FRENCH Louis XV Scarce Color Marble Top Table Ebay Seller Vintage Way Furniture

Marble Coffee Table French Provincial

ANTIQUE COUNTRY FRENCH, LOUIS XV STYLE

French Provincial Marble top table

French Provincial Marble Top Coffee Table

Marble top Coffee Table

French Style Round Beligum Marble Top Coffee Table By Country Classic Antiques on Ebay

Designer Shannon Bowers of Dallas - Veranda Magazine

So why are so many Swedish pieces white?  Well, Scandinavian countries would often be very dark and dreary in the winter months, and many homeowners responded by painting the interior wood walls and furniture in their homes with lighter paint colors in an effort to extend the available light hours of the day. They creatively painted their walls in beautiful decorative motifs and patterns much like we wallpaper our homes today.

19th Century Antique Swedish Buffet or Server By Dealer Disegno Karina Gentinetta

Continental Painted Chest A Tyner Antiques In Atlanta

Swedish Chest of Drawers, Dated 1737 Susanne Hollis

So how can you reproduce these swedish paint finishes?

Classic Swedish paint colors are always muted with aged patinas and heavy wear.

The biggest tip to recreating this look is to get the colors right. True gustavian paint colors are always muted and washed out, with beige or gray undertones. Swedish yellows are dark, never bright.  Butter yellows, and cloudy blues are also classic Swedish looks.  Many Swedish blues have a dark gray, white chalky or cloudy effect.

The Swedish color palette is a very basic one, consisting of green, blue, beige, brown and gray. All the colors are very muted as a result of limited paint variety. What colors can you really create with a handful of paint pigments? Artistic painters began to mix the primary colors with white or black to get variations of paint colors. Today we have several hundred paint color choices with various sheens, but many decorators turn towards the muffled hues found during the Swedish Baroque, Rococo, and Biedermeier periods because of their calming appeal and antique aesthetic.

Scandinavian Painted Furniture Step By Step WorkBook By Jocasta Innes

19th Century Swedish Mora Clock circa 1830 Jacqueline Adams Antiques

Designer Shannon Bowers of Dallas - Veranda Magazine

Designer Shannon Bowers of Dallas - Veranda Magazine

Finding the right paint color can go a long way in creating Swedish looks, while combining faux painting techniques such as white-washing can give furniture incredible depth in the finish.

White-washing is basically applying glaze mixed with white paint to the surface of your furniture, giving your piece a two-tone effect.  White-washing can also work with oil based paint in combination with paint thinner.   

For most of my pieces I prefer to work with oil paint, rather than with latex.  I would highly reccomend Rust-Oleum's oil paint in satin or flat finishes.

Flat is almost impossible to find in oil, and most often comes in very limited colors.  A flat finish is almost imperative in most Swedish finishes but not necessary. The best thing about Rust-Oleum's oil brand paints is that they dry overnight compared to many other oil-based brands with a drying time of 3 to 4 days. I have tried a few different brands that claim to have quick drying times, but they always fail to impress me, and they often still remain tacky a day after painting.   Rust-Oleum's oil products are fantastic, but they are only available in very limited colors. 

Rust-Oleum's satin oil dark taupe is one of the most frequent colors I use when I paint swedish finishes.  Using a faux washing technique with soft butter yellow satin oil paint is one of the best colors to use on top of dark taupe.  Additional oil colors such as the butter yellow can be purchased from specialty paint stores that tint oil paint.  I use this technique on a lot of my Swedish projects. 

Rust-Oleum 241238 Satin Enamels Spray, Dark Taupe, 12-Ounce

The other color which works well is Rust-Oleum's color Fossil in latex .  Again using white-washing techniques, Rust-Oleum's oil flat paint tinted with an off white works extremely well in creating a washed Swedish finish.  

Rust-Oleum American Accents Spray, Satin Fossil

I usually have to mix several of their oil paints to achieve custom swedish colors. Their dark olive oil paint serves as a green base for many of my colors. If you are a new painter, it is best to get your paints professionally mixed. I would suggest Sherwin Williams for oil paints, and you also can get virtually any color with Behr's Paint and Primer in one.

If you are a relatively experienced painter, you could take a few of Rust-Oleum's basic paints and mix them together. I add a bit of butter yellow oil paint (from Sherwin Williams) to Rust-Oleum's white oil flat paint to get an off white creamy white which can be used for many white washing techniques.

Here are a few of my staples:

My Paint Staples

Layering your paint finish with glaze with various lighter shades of your original tones is one way of achieving the genuine look of gustavian painted furniture. Original gustavian painted furniture was painted with paint pigments mixed with linseed oil. It would be like painting with translucent glaze as your main source of paint. I would imagine it was a rather long process painting most furniture.  They often needed several coats of paint which gave their pieces the incredible translucent finishes. After 7 coats of glaze, you too will achieve the layered effect you see often in swedish furniture.

Ralph Lauren Glaze

Ralph Lauren Faux Technique Glaze  

If you are working with latex paint, a glaze can go a long way toward adding depth to your furniture.

If you are working with oil, translucent finishes can be achieved by simply working with paint thinner and stippling it on to your furniture just like you would with glaze.

The biggest tip I can pass on to anyone who is faux painting a dresser that needs several coats of paint for a faux finish is to apply only 1 or 2 coats (at the most) to the inside of the drawers.  If you end up having 5 coats of paint, your drawers will not open and close.  Use  finishing wax on the inside of your drawers to make them move with ease after painting them. For years I put up with drawers that were sticky after painting, until someone suggested that wax makes all the difference. 

My French Provincial Louis Dresser Makeover

My French Provincial Dresser Makeover......

Many french provincial reproduction furniture pieces have such durable finishes that they are almost impossible to chip, which is an excellent quality to have.  If you are looking for a french dresser, and you want to make it over using a swedish finish, I would highly suggest working with a dresser that has just a wood finish and no paint. 

Typical white french provincial furniture pieces are often found with rock hard enamel paint.  The challenge with these white finishes is they are especially hard to strip. 

Many vintage manufactures have taken the enamel finish and combined them with chemicals such as melamine paint and baked them in large ovens, which gave them rock hard solid paint finishes. Stripping these finishes is next to impossible.

Classic Swedish furniture finishes contain two major elements.

1. Layers of paint colors  

2. Natural distressing that has occured over time, showing the natural wood

So what do you do if your original paint is white?   

The dresser I painted was solid wood, but also had an original white finish, so I had to duplicate the look of wood with a coat of orange paint, so that when I distressed the furniture, it would give the appearance of some depth to the paint finish. 

The next layer is an off white beige color, which I was able then to distress showing the orange.

After the distressing, I used a white oil paint diluted with thinner and dabbled it onto the dresser giving it a little bit of a textured look.  Additional white washes were applied to give it an overall white effect. 

My French Provincial Dresser Swedish Makeover - Step One, Paint the Undercoat a Wood color

My French Provincial Dresser Makeover - Step 1 Painting The Undercoat a Wood Color

My French Provincial Makeover - Step 2 The Main Color Coat

My French Provincial Make Over ~ Step 4 Distressing

My French Provincial Makeover Step 4 Distressing

My French Provincial Makeover Step 5 Adding Color

My French Provincial Makeover ~ Step 5 Adding Color

My French Provincial Makeover Step 5 Adding Color

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

My French Provincial Makeover ~ The Finished Dresser

Option 1: Combining A Neutral Wall with Bright Furniture, and Accessories

One must for any brightly colored furniture is to have a neutral colored palette, giving your room a good base to work with. Neutral wall colors work with every color well, and give your furniture that perfect balance for colorful accessories and brightly painted furniture. White, or light gray is a neutral wall color that will work with any furniture color and most any decorating scheme. The palest shades of gray works with every color, and the darkest of grays will add elegance against bright furniture.

 Beige is one of the hottest selling colors for home sales as most people can see themselves living with a neutral beige. Not only is beige a color that is warm, it also works with every color on the color wheel. When investing in a sofa, it is smart to choose something with a simple earth tone which can be updated with your personal style by simply updating your throw pillows. This simple logic works the same with the paint color on your walls. Neutral colors give you the freedom to pick out strikingly colorful art paintings, or accessories.

Designer Kelly Wearstler

Option 2: Adding a wide variety of colors into your room, spells a distaster design. The color wheel is one of the most used tools by decorators and designers alike. The color wheel allows you to LOOK and CONSIDER colors you wouldn't normally glance at.

Here are your options with a color wheel:

A: Your choice color, and those colors neighbouring to the right and the left.

Color Wheel - Neighbouring to the right and the left.

B: Your choice color, and colors directly opposite on the other side of the color wheel.

FRENCH Slipper CHAIRS

Color Wheel Opposites - Designer Jonathan Adler

Option 3: The easiest way of coordinating a room with a colorful piece of furniture is to take the exact color and add it into the wall color, or curtains or throw pillows. Paint can be matched with any fabric or accessory with today's paint color matching technology. This is a very easy way of getting that "designer feel" in your home.

Like Colors ~ The Easiest Design Secret

Option 3: Wallpaper will add interest and detail like no other decorating tool can. Wallpaper will quickly transform a room to create the atmosphere for a specific design. Big retro patterned wallpaper can be easily matched with painted furniture. Beautiful red floral patterned wallpaper can quickly transform a room with a glossy red french chest.  Swedish interiors can be finished by adding a muted green or distressed gray cabinet. Modern looks can be achieved by bright bold furniture and large scale patterned wallpaper. What ever your design scheme calls for, wallpaper can quickly get you the look without the clutter.

During the tough economic times of 2009, many homeowners looked to update their home and keep within a budget which meant mixing styles, and looking to furniture reproductions and refurbished antiques. Furniture reproductions were in high demand as homeowners wanted a sense of comfort, familiarity but at a lower cost. Hand painted cottage-style furniture was especially popular in 2009, as well as hand painted furniture, and distressed furnishings.

Over the last several years many more parents are turning to vintage high quality furniture for their children that is affordable yet attractive. Today's children destroy the modern day pressed wood, and composite woods found even with the reputable brand names. The antique and vintage furniture is made of solid wood and can handle years of wear and tear, and has become an even more popular choice with parents as they continually update growing children's rooms at an affordable yet stylish choices with quality furniture of the past. Interior design trend forecasters have predicted that color palettes for furniture will become increasingly brighter in 2010, as the interest in reproduction furniture increases and colorful new fabrics become fresh choices for spring and summer.

Beautiful Pastel Furniture Choices

Colorful Blue French Provincial Accessory Side Table

Yellow French Provincial 9 Drawer Dresser Photo Credit Design Sponge Blog

 

French Provincial Chair From Furniture House La From Craigslist

Colorful French Provincial Accent Furniture

Regency Hollywood French Bergere Chair Eames Era Ebay Seller Vintage Lauderdale

Bubble Gum Pink Painted French Provincial Dresser By Jennifer Samodurov

Pink French Provincial Vanity Desk Photo Credit Emma Jane Pilkington Villaanna Blog

French Provincial Regency Louis XV Style Cabinet Seller Belvair

A French Provincial Mirror Combined with A Modern Piece Of Furniture. French Provincial Mirrors have been popular painted to Match existing furniture20 Drawer Green Painted Cupboard From The Butler & The Chef

Pretty Mint Green French Provincial Cabinet

Pretty French Provincial Buffet Cabinet

Colorful Painted Furniture & Accesories

Telephone Desk By Jaclyn Smith Home

Colorful Painted Furniture & Accessories

French provincial furniture has caught popularity with designers and decorators as the new Tuscan looks sweep the magazines.  More decorators are getting resourceful transforming old vintage pieces that have the charm of high end looks, into the expensive antiques they see in the designer show rooms.  Black has always been one of the most popular choices of the past andof today because it is a color that works with every other color of the color wheel.  Black and white will always open up your choices for your walls, and fabrics compared to other colors. 

Perhaps you are an experienced painter, and have transformed hundreds of pieces; we would love for you to leave your insights into painting tricks and tips of the trade.  If you are a new painter, I hope I can share some valuable tips that I have learned first hand over the years that I have painted furniture, and hopefully to encourage you in your next transformation of your plain dresser into something spectacular. 

Anyone can paint a dresser black, but there are certain tricks to make your painted pieces higher end.  When painting, your final product should look as though you didn't do it at home.  Rustic painters prefer to see brush strokes, and in antiques you often see brush strokes, but one of the biggest tips I can pass on is that your piece is very smooth that it looks like a manufacture finish, or a higher end antique worth thousands.  Part of achieving that finish is either using a spray, or using a foam brush which evens out your painting strokes.  Another way of adding to the overall finish is faux techniques most people do not know how to do, or even consider which we explain more below.  Each of these steps will make your painted piece look as though you bought it at a high end shop, and antique gallery, or possibly pass as an antique.   

1.  Distressingis a sure way of adding depth and interest to a dresser, table, or nightstand.  When I first began painting, I always made sure I primed my furniture, because I wanted the paint to stick to the furniture I was finishing.   I was afraid of the paint lifting off the furniture, so I always made sure I primed.  As I experimented and advanced in my painting, I found I was pretty limited when it came to distressing because you cannot buy primer in black.  Often times they could tint primer, and the best you could get was gray.  Behr has come out with a paint and primer mixed together, but at that time I was pretty limited.  Looking at all the distressed pieces out there, I couldn't understand how many painters achieved the finish of distressing.  It wasn't until much later, (almost a year)  that I just disregarded priming all together, and made sure my pieces were sanded well, so I could use my main color of paint instead of primer AND then paint.   The options then started opening up for me. 

French Provincial Black Buffet Tara Mundi Furniture Online

Some of the vintage french provincial furniture have "baked on" white epoxy finishes that are almost impossible to remove with stripper, so in those instances, if you want a two-toned affect, you will need to prime your piece, and paint it red, and then finish it with a black coat.  If you are an experienced painter, you could faux finish your piece in a wood color, and then go ahead and paint it black and distress it.  This will give you the same effect of a wood piece painted black.  This goes the same for melamine tops which are often seen on french provincial furniture.  Be sure to really sand your melamine top before painting. 

The trick to distressing is the sponge sanders found at your local hardware store.  I have found using a sponge sander gives you the flexibity and control of where and how much you want when it comes to distressing.  Using a hand electric sander can often take off A LOT of paint, which can force you to go back and repaint some of the areas.  Using a hand electric sander might come in handy if you have several layers of oil paint that you want to expose.  When it comes to regular latex paint, the paint is just too thin, it often takes off too much. 

Gorgeous Black French Dresser From Cassie's - Primitive And Proper

The art of distressing is to sand in the areas which would be worn.  Sand under neath drawer handles, or on the feet of your chest where feet would bump over the years.  Sand where items, bowls, vases would be placed on the tops of your buffets, or on the edges showing the beautiful lines of your furniture.  Distressing is a sure way of breaking up the black and giving an interest that grabs the eye each time in passing.

2.  Glossy Black Furniture will always be a high-end designer choice when it comes to furniture finishes.  Glossy black paint always looks fantastic on curvy furniture such as french bombe chests or serpentine dressers.  When it comes to gloss finishes, the biggest tip I can pass on is to be sure the furniture you are planning on transforming is without blemish.  Glossy finishes will pick up every imperfection which is even more magnified when you use any type of gloss finish, so fine sanding is imperative if you choose to go this route.   Spray painting could be the easiest option if you are doing a small project like a chair.  If you are planning on doing a larger piece such as a buffet or dresser, use a sponge brush, which evens out each stroke.  You may have to do 3 or 4 coats of paint, but your piece will be as even as a babies behind.   

Martha Stewart Chinoiserie Sideboard

3.  Ornate ANTIQUE Black Furniture often has some sort of highlight in ornate details of the furniture.  Often painters try to replicate this aged look by applying a beige or gray paint to bring out the beautiful depths of heavily carved furniture.  With my experience, I highlighted an empire dresser that I painted black with a light gray paint in the areas it was carved.  Over all, I wasn't pleased with the look, because the gray painted areas looked too heavy and obvious it was paint than occurred over time with natural age.  I washed it off and noticed that the watered down remnants of paint that were left, perfectly highlighted the areas leaving a aged look, pointing the eye to the more detailed parts of the chest.  It did a remarkable job of making the dresser look more expensive than it was.  If you do plan on trying out this technique, dilute your beige/gray paint with a glaze, and be sure to have a damp rag to remove the extra paint leaving very little behind as your highlight.  

Paint Examples

Graham And Green

A perfect example of a aged black finish using a gray wash

4.  I never considered using a green wash on black until I had seen it done on an antique metal canister, so I tried it for myself.  I thought it was the most genius faux color I had run across used on black ornate metal furniture, it was almost an industry secret.  The trick with using green paint, is to paint with a damp rag in your other hand washing off the excess paint.  Like the gray / beige paint in the suggestion above, it is almost more useful mixing your paint with a glaze.  As the green paint dries over the black , you will get a feel of applying more or less in the areas you want aged.  Like any aged furniture, you want to try to leave the green paint where rust would normally happen.  I have used it on ornate chairs, and it has really pushed the value of my furniture up a notch.   

Green Faux Painting Technique For Black

Green Paint Examples

5. Another technique often seen with black furniture is distressing with a red showing through as the under color. This is particularly striking with Asian furniture. This is simply accomplished by painting your furniture piece with red, and then painting your top color black.  When using this technique it is not imperative that you use oil paint, but it is my preference.  You can use regular latex paint, which will work perfectly.  As normal, distress the furniture in worn areas. 

This Asian Chest can be more distressed for the Red to show through

A Asian Rosewood Chest I painted RED and THEN Black- Hard to see the RED in the Picture

This CHEST was real rosewood, and I painted it. The drawers inside were rosewood not red. The outside was painted red first and black and then distressed.

6. Dressing up furniture with hardware is another key to making your furniture look a lot more expensive and high end than it is.  Adding keyhole escutcheons and additional ornate hardware is a sure way of making your piece more interesting and unique.  Highlighting the areas with gold leaf paint can also transform your black painted furniture into something more spectacular.

A Pair of Chests I painted (removed the hardware first) and then attached the hardware again. They are beyond stunning

Greystone Estates

7.  Breaking up the black areas of your furniture piece can be another way of adding depth.  Painting only some of the areas of your black piece of furniture can allow for a more unique and interesting look.  You could consider washing the wood (paint diluted with water) over raw wood, and painting the rest of the piece a solid black.  If you paint your piece black, leave the inside the cabinet in the natural raw wood, or consider a corresponding color for the inside of the cabinet drawers.  Nothing would be more exciting than a lime green interior on a black piece. 

A Black Chair I upholstered. The light beige areas will be distressed. The beige, gold and distressing break up the black

The natural wood is shown on the drawers, and outlined in Black Paint

Gold paint outlines these solid black chairs

Gold Paint Outlines this Asian Black Bed

The interior of this Cabinet is left in natural wood which breaks up the solid black

The Floor pattern caught my eye! It would be a great pattern for a chest or dresser

Gorgeous French Black distressed Dresser By Altard

Frenchie Chic in Black Chest The Shabby Attic Philadelphia Craigslist

Antique French Provincial Chest on Chest Found On Craigslist

French Black Table Featured in Home Beautiful

Gorgeous French Bombe Chest

Another use of red under the black- Gorgeous French Bombe Chest by The Forget Me Not Shoppe  

Ornate French Provincial Dresser or Buffet From Gussied Up Furnishings

Ornate French Provincial Dresser or Buffet From Gussied Up Furnishings.  This beautiful French Provincial Dresser From Gussied Up Furnishings located in the Austin, Crestview area, is a beautiful example of how distressing really makes a difference.

French Settees can be the easiest to upholster because often they have a back and a seat and no complications compared to the modern sofas. Some of the prettiest settees are found with the cane backs which can be left alone, or sprayed gold, or painted white or cream and antiqued with brown glaze. A settee is a couch that is a double or triple seater bench with a wooden back and wooden arms. Along with sofas, accent chairs are often underestimated, but can do wonders in creating a well designed room. There are a wide range of styles when it comes to French chairs. Every French desk, dining table and entry way needs a fabulous chair to make a statement.

French Settee Picture Credit Sarah Richardson

Outstanding French Sofa

19th Century French Louis XV Style Sofa

French Settee Country Living Magazine

French Settee From The French Chair.com

Stunning French Chairs set off this room featured in Veranda Magazine

Sofa French Provincial Style Sofa
Sofa Set- French Provincial Style Living Room Set 

French Provincial Couch Sofa From Amazon

Designer Ruthie Sommers Uses French Chairs in this scheme

This French Chair adds softeness to this beautiful room

Upholsted Louis Settee Picture Credit Everyday Living Blog~ & French Accent Chair From Domino Magazine

French Provincial Sofa From The Beaux Arts Mansion In St. Louis

French Accent Chairs From The Beaux Arts Mansion in St. Louis

Erin Featherston For Domino Magazine

French Settee From Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine From Paris Apartment Blog

Vivacious French Settee in Burnt Orange Silk

French Provincial Sofa

From the first issue of domino. She was on the cover, holding her dog—she looked like a cool chick. I saw what she had done with her own home, and it was the exact same aesthetic I was drawn to, so we met and I realized we really did see eye to eye. That started the renovation process and a wonderful, inspiring friendship.

Ruthie says that all of you could open an interior-design company together.

Fun is always the first order of business. We get so much pleasure from having a vision and then seeing it through. To have something in your mind and then watch it come alive is so thrilling.

Your office incorporates a variety of styles. What’s your favorite piece?

I believe you can combine anything. I love my globe, record player and horseshoe, and I’m crazy for my antique gold scissors and my Lucite stepladder that has two bronze deer bookends on it.

French Provincial Sofa Drew Barrymore's Fabulous OfficeDrew Barrymore's LA Production Office Decorated by Ruthie SommersDrew Barrymore's French Styled Chair

This newly upholstered French Provincial sofa reupholstered in a Clarence House fabric and a faux-croc-covered custom desk walk the line between Euro and bohemian, while open shelving and a Lucite stepladder act as a mini library. “You can never, never, never have too many books,” Barrymore says.

Drew Barrymore's French Inspired Office

Drews French Bombe Chest

Drew Barrymore's LA Office Classic Furnishings with French Touches

The Lovely Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore's French Styled Chair

Drew Barrymore Decorated French Office

This is a perfect example how French Provincial Furniture can look modern and eye catching with a little bit of color.  The red french cabinet plays off of the blue walls and the yellow florals to create Drew Barrymore's beautiful office look

French Provincial Decorating ~Fabulous Drew Barrymore's Office

Chris Miller, vice president of production, also acts as Barrymore’s manager and publicist. “We all have crazy 24-hour jobs, so I wanted my space to be sleek and understated but also warm and cozy,” he says. Or, as Sommers puts it, “It exudes quiet power.” She began with Wilton carpeting, then added a mid-century chrome-accented rosewood desk that was large enough for Miller to spread out the daily influx of scripts, layouts and contracts. Facing the desk is a black velvet couch (not shown), from which Miller watches the news and rough cuts of Flower Films projects. Since his office gets plenty of southern light, it could handle rich chocolate walls. “I draw the curtains in the afternoon, and the room becomes almost incandescent,” he says. But his favorite feature is a recess in the L-shaped room that Sommers turned into a bar. “It really is fun,” he says. “And on a bad day, that I-could-have-a-whiskey thought is a serious comfort.”

 Drew Barrymore's French Chair

Primitive and Proper search all over Virginia, DC, and Maryland for their unique furniture finds, but they also work on commission if you want a custom painted piece of furniture. Having a large gallery of pictures, a person can certainly get ideas from their wide selection of sold pieces.

French Provincial Nightstands Painted By Primitive And Proper

Q: How can amateur painters accomplish this beautiful professional finish you achieved with these two nightstands?  Do you have any tips for first time painters wanting a unique look for their furniture using paint?

Cassie- "I would not consider myself a professional painter as in some sense  I use the good ol' fashioned method.   I do not have a sprayer, as many furniture painters do, and do everything by hand.  With that being said, it is very important to invest in good quality brushes for a smooth look as well as good primer.   I use zinnser, which smells awful, but works beautifully.  I have found with zinnser I only need to lightly sand the piece to be painted.  Once it has been sanded, the primer is brushed on by hand and it is very important to follow the direction of the wood and go in nice straight lines.  You can "feather" as you brush on so that you won't see where you lifted the brush off of the piece.  Once the primer has dried, you can use another coat of primer, which I do in the case of white pieces.  After the second coat of primer, I begin painting and use just latex paint.  I prefer to use Sherwin  and Williams harmony paint which is low voc, cost efficient, and good quality. I personally prefer the eggshell finish, which was used on these tables.   Again, follow the same brush strokes as your primer for a smooth and even look.  After the piece has been painted with 2-4 coats of paint, the edges are distressed by hand with 80-120 grit sandpaper.  Some sites will recommend higher grit, but i prefer the lower grit and just move my hands very rapidly as I distress to avoid getting scratchy marks (if you do get these marks, you can touch them up).  Once it has been distressed and wiped clean with a damp paper towel, I sometimes choose to antique it, as was the case with these nightstands, to give it a more old world look.  There are specialty glazes you can purchase, but I use my trusty minwax stain and brush it on, and then wipe off with a rag, again following the lines of the paint.  You can use as many coats of stain as you need to achieve the desired look."

White French Provincial Pedestal Desk By Primitive And Proper

Sage Green French Provincial Vanity By Primitive And Proper

French Gray Vanity or Writing Desk From Primitive And Proper

This vintage French Provincial Bassett Vanity by Primitive And Properhas been painted a gorgeous French gray and distressed to accentuate it's curves and details.  Bassett furniture is known for their serpentine curved details which can be seen in the center drawer. 

French Turquoise Nightstand By Primitive And Proper

This vintage French nightstand painted by Primitive and Proper was painted a fabulous oceanic blue, and distressed for a funky meets shabby chic look.   The handles which left in their original patina give balance to the color.  Distressing has also given some extra dimention, and feature the attention to the beautiful architectural detail on this french dresser. 

Aqua French Nightstand By Primitive And Proper

This beautiful French Provincial Nightstand was painted a sweet Robin egg blue by Primitive and Proper and lightly distressed to show its original cream paint. 

French Blue Dresser Painted By Primitive And Proper

French Provincial Nightstand

Painted Vanity and Bench

This beautiful cream vanity is a spectacular example of how a cream gives a piece of painted furniture extra elegance and sophistication.  Striking white is often not reccomended, unless it is gloss or semi gloss, because it looks like it has been obviously painted.  White is usually a common color found on drywall, or trim so you are often better off going with a white with a slight touch of an undertone of green which is a typical color used on cottage, french furniture professionally manufactured.  This piece is an excellent example of how distressing can really add extra dimention to a painted piece of furniture.

Shabby French Blue Vintage Vanity By Primitive And Proper

This is a beautiful curvy French Vintage Vanity painted by Primitive And Proper has been painted in a soft french blue and given gilded accents and feminine vintage brass pulls.  

 In an economy such as ours, where people are no longer safe and secure in their jobs as they once were a generation ago, are now looking for an alternitive ways of making money.  Through my transition of working for myself, the most rewarding part of the experience is the casual conversations from one person to another which has allowed me to grow in thinking outside the box in a business sense.    Working for different business through the years, most conversations and outside connections were off limits, as an employee you were meant to work, not to learn and leave.   Sending business down the street was certainly something I would be fired for, where as today, I don't support my business connections because the business is always returned.  Greed is not name of the game, but rather sharing the large business that is available is what works.   

Many people are having success working for themselves.  People who were laided off suddenly look at their skills in an entirely new way.  Sometimes new starts aren't necessarily from skills, but hobbies and pastimes.  I heard of a lady in the Washington DC area who only shops second hand stores for luxury handbags.  She knows the value of a label and is able to spot the fakes from the genuine brand name labels.  She resells her purses and handbags on ebay and rakes in 5K a month, better than any attorney who slaves away night and day for a firm.  After taking to many people making a full time wage working for themselves, most started in an area of interest, or area they know quite a bit about, and started off small.  Most often they didn't start it as a business, but more so to downsize their hobby collection.  When you get your feet wet selling, your options open up as you get better. 

Ebay and Craigslist have opened up a lot of avenues for the customer and the seller.  The customer benefits by being able to find a specific item at competitive prices, and the seller is able to provide a unique products which are not sold in chain stores.  If you have ever viewed the documentary  Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, it shows how corporations can be very greedy, immoral and destructive to small towns and communities.  Craigslist has been a tremendous blessing to many people as there are no fees to list, and it builds a community of trust and connections.   While some people are afraid of purchasing from some one's home locally, over the 5 years of purchasing daily, I have never run into any problems.  Ebay, on the other hand has been the perfect solution to very hard to find items.  A good friend of mine collects vintage electronic and music instruments which he in turn gets buyers from around the world which would have been impossible for both him and the customer to connect with a unique item such as the particular product he sells.  I shop ebay for vintage hardware which I wouldn't normally come across in stores, and a favorite of mine vintage brass buttons which cannot be found at my local craft store.  "Lots" of items, (similar items bundled up as one sale) on ebay excite just about any consumer looking for a great deal. 

 Supporting small business becomes first and foremost in the mind of a small business owner.  Working from home becomes rewarding especially to young families who are now turning to homeschooling, and retired people are now looking at their hobbies as a new way to generate cash.  It is fun to do what you love everyday.  I know several women who wouldn't find anything more enjoyable than to knit for a living.  There are options out there, and connections make it possible.  When you support each other, the doors open up.  Take a second look at that collection and see if you cannot sell something you haven't used.  Along the way, I guarantee it, you will find something better, such as the game of buying and selling...........and sometimes keeping! 

Can we send or genrate business your way? 

(IF you have a small business, and have a website, or even just a photobucket, send me a french provincial picture....

(It has to be french provincial, and as large as the pictures in this post) and I can post your picture and a link to your site, or photobucket /Picasa album in this listing)  Email me here.  If this doesn't work, we have provided  contact information here. 

OR, if you have a unique story and want to share your hobby that is furniture related we would love to feature a post about it our site.  We do have a couple questions we ask that you can write in your answers, instead of a telephone interview. It is a way of adding a link to your site.  If you do find our site interesting, do link us from your website.  We sure appreciate the extra links.  Do write us. Blessings!  Meranda

French Provincial Dresser La  Bella Chic Boutique Los Angeles

French Provincial Chest of Drawers  Vicki's Picasa's Album in Sandiego 

French Provincial Dresser Kittinger, Circa 1940

This French Provincial Dresser made by Kittinger is from Sharon at Fabulous Finds in Vienna, VA

Buying vintage french sets is one decision you cannot go wrong with, as they are just as popular as they were in the past.  French furniture is not being produced much at all today unless it is specialty ordered off the Internet which can get very pricey.  Ikea came out with a couple french inspired end tables, but really couldn't produce a well made piece people would want to buy for a staple piece of furniture for their homes.  The lack of french furniture has made these sets popular and in demand more than ever, as many people scour craigslist and ebay for them.  You can find these sets for as much as 900 dollars, while other people may list their sets for bargain prices thinking vintage isn't worth much in a mix of new and modern pieces.  In fact, older furniture is better made than the new composite sets now sold at big chain stores.  Many brands such as Thomasville, and Ethan Allen will remain to be great quality choices new or vintage.  While they remain popular with new parents looking for a quality set for their children's rooms, they are also being found by people wanting to redecorate in shabby, cottage, and nautical interiors.  They also offer a second income for small business minded people who are willing to put a little hard work sanding, priming and painting these sets for a small profit.  One thing is true, these sets are certainly full of potential and offer beauty, old or newly painted.  

A Cery Unique And Rare DIXIE French Provincial Bedroom Set

1960's Thomasville French Provincial Furniture

Marble Top Coffee Table - French Provincial

Antique French Provincial Chairs & Dixie Dressers 1965

Bassett French Provincial Bedroom Set

French Provincial Dressers

French Provincial Nightstand Sidetable

Thomasville French Provincial Chest Dresser

Thomasville French Provincial Dresser

Huntley by Thomasville French Provincial Dresser

1962 by Thomasville Furniture (Don't Put Knobs Where Pulls Should Be)

Dixie French Provincial Dresser

Twin French Provincial Bed

French Provincial Dresser Mirror

1939 French Provincial dresser

Dixie French Provincial Furniture

Drexel and Dixie French Provincial Dressers

Drexel White Provincial Dresser

French Provincial Bedroom Dresser

Dixie French Provincial Bedroom Set

Dixie French Provincial Dresser

Bassett French Provincial Dining Set

French Bombe Dresser Set

French Provincial Dresser Set

Kindel French Provincial Style Dresser

Dixie French Provincial Furniture Set

Bassett French Provincial Coffee Table and End Tables

Bassett French Provincial Dresses

Bassett French Provincial Dresser

French Provincial Dixie Dresser Set

French Provincial Bedroom Set

Your best bet with this finish is to use a natural fiber chip brush which will give you best control when painting with this specific oil paint (listed below).  Brush on the oil on to the wood. You will be able to see what looks good and what looks too thick.  If you find the oil is too thick, try using a small (small) amount of paint thinner, on your brush.  

(This paint is not meant for furniture, but it produces a spectacular painted old world finish that is hard to attain with regular wood stain.  I have found that I put up with the draw backs for the beautiful finish.  If you decide to try this, know that the paint take an extra long time to dry.  The first time I tried this on my walls, I got impatient and tried to paint a clear plycrylic and I ruined the entire finish, that I had to take paint thinner and scrub it off.  If you decide to try this finish instead of sanding down your project and staining it as usual, do have a room where the piece can dry untouched for a good week or so)

After it is finished, you will want to spray it with a clear sealer.  I use Patricia Nimocks Decorative Craft clear Acrylic sealer in matte, and then after it is dry I use a polycrylic which is a water based formula.  Spraying your piece first will not allow you to mess up the finish if by chance it is not fully dry. 

Winton Oil 200ml Burnt Umber, Klean-Strip ''Green'' Lacquer Thinner, Quart, Wood Chip Brush -- 4 Inch

Clear Acrylic Matte Sealer - 6 Ounces

Minwax 24444 Polycrylic Protective Finish

Minwax Polycrylic, Satin 1/2 Pt

12 Natural China Bristle 3" Chip Brush

My French Provincial Desk Before the Makeover

My French Provincial Pedestal Desk Make Over After

French Provincial Furniture Makeover

French Provincial Desk Makeover

French Provincial Desk Makeover

French Provincial Nightstands

French Provincial Nightstands

French Provincial Drexel Dresser Makeover

Faux Finished French Provincial Dresser (Drexel)

My Faux Burl Wood Makeover Painted With Oil

Faux Finished French Provincial Nightstands Dixie Dresser

This nightstand was originally a white dixie Hutch dresser.  I ditched the hutch and just made them into nightstands.   I filled in holes for the original hardware and drilled new holes for these beautiful large french handles.  Check out the entire post here.

Before- Manufacture Finish Dixie Dresser Hutch

The Union Jack Flag has caught attention of the design crowd, and the geometrical flag has been featured in a number of interior design blogs and magazines and it has even made its way into fashion.  Upholstered furniture is the new trend ith these geometrical flags, but can be very tricky because flags are often not sold by the yard or meter at your local fabric store.  Painting a piece of furniture on the other hand can be very easy with any flag pattern. 

With my flag dresser, being that I was working with the Union Jack Flag, I painted my piece in white to begin with.  Then I taped the lines of flag, and once the paint was dried, I removed the tape, and added a brown glaze to antique the dresser. 

(If I were to do it all over again, I would certainly use a flat paint instead of an oil based color.  The reason for this, is oil paint can be very thick, and working with tape, you want your paint to COVER in one coat (or 2), not making it so heavy that when you pull off your tape there is an obvious ridge where the paint built up against the tape. Flat paint usually is the best to use when you are working with bright colors.  Learning from experience, it took me about 8 coats of semi gloss paint to paint a wall orange.  In the end, the walls were not perfectly finished because each layer of paint makes your walls imperfect.  You always want that sanded finish that fresh drywall provides.  The lesson I learned that I can pass on, is to make your first coat flat, and if you want a gloss, then paint it after your walls are covered with the flat paint. 

So my recommendation after doing this flag dresser is to always sand first, and paint in flat paint for all your colors, and then go over the dresser with a WATER BASED polycrylic clear finish when you are completed. Never use oil based polyurethane on white.  In a year it will turn a ugly yellow, if not in a day.   Please feel free to leave comments at the end of the article, and if you have a unique piece of furniture attach a picture link your comment.    

My Painted Union Jack Dresser

My French Provincial Dixie Union Flag Dresser Makeover

~My French Provincial Dixie Union Flag Dresser Makeover~ 

Taping the lines of the Union Jack Flag

~In Progress~

The dresser has been painted 2 coats and is waiting to dry.  Oil paint can take a long time to dry, but provides quite a bit more durability than regular latex.  I am a big fan of painting with oil but for this particular project I would suggest flat latex or acrylic

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring The British Union Jack Flag

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring The British Union Jack Flag

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring A French Bed

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring A Union Jack Jacket

Alexander McQueen Using distressed Union Jack Flag Fabric

The Ben Sherman Room At The Loden

Kate Moss appears in Union Jack Trousers by Katieeary, Stylish Union Jack Boots by none other than the amazing Alexander McQueen, The French Bedroom Company's chair is the first chair in the line of Union Jack furnishings. The Union Jack Cabinet is by Vi.sualize.us

Union Flag French Chairs

Picture Credit ~Cameron MacNeil Blog

{French Provincial Tv Console}

A hutch which comes with a buffet is perfect for china display and presentation. If you are a avid collector, hutches are the perfect solution, as you still have the extra cabinet storage in the buffet.

A buffet cabinet provides the storage space you may need to store glasses and extra dishes, while the top is a tabletop you could use for display or extra space to hold food when family comes over and the dining table is crowded. It is great providing extra food space, allowing you to feature your food instead of cramming it all on the table or ushering your company into the kitchen.

Buffet tables usually do not provide any storage, but are attractive in that it is an extra working table top simular to the buffet cabinet but without the storage. The table serves as an extra tabletop for entertaining, and also allows for decorative display in your dining room, living room, and kitchen.

Brilliant Brown Walls, Gold and Brown Wood Tones complete this room for this classic french style.  Picture Credit :Coastal Living Magazine

Vintage Bassett French Provincial Buffet

Louis Chairs From Southern Living Magazine

All Decked Out By Southern Accents Magazine

1760 Incredible Antique French Painted Louis XV Buffet, Seller Antiques on Old Plank Road Located 331 E Ogden Ave,Westmont, IL 60559, USA 

French Chairs ~Southern Accents Magazine

Painted antique French Louis XV with wooden peg construction and hand-dovetailed drawers. Awesome storage abounds in this exceptionally deep buffet making it a great candidate as a bathroom vanity or as originally intended in a dining room holding extra tablecloths, napkins, and such.

Seller Antiques on Old Plank Road Located 331 E Ogden Ave,Westmont, IL 60559, USA

Old-world French Romance By Southern Living

Vintage French Provincial Buffet Table

French Dining Set ~  Home Beautiful Magazine

French Provincial Buffet Table

 Swedish Noclassical Blue Buffet Sideboard with a Farmhouse table

A Classic Vintage French Provincial Headboard

There are a number of great styles when it comes to antique French beds, but if you are on a tight budget and you really want the look of a French home, why not go for the reproduction French provincial beds of the 50's and 60's? Many of the beds were made to mimic the antique Louis styles but on lower end scale. The 1960's French provincial furniture is pretty easy to find, and relatively inexpensive in price.

1. Painting- One way of recreating the antique looks is to paint the frame of the bed. There are three main French styles you can paint.

A) Classic Gold is a very traditional French look. Gold works with every single upholstery as it acts like a neutral, so you are free to choose a variety of fabrics, as gold goes with everything. One very simple way of painting your piece gold is to spray it gold, letting it dry and gold leafing it for a realistic sheen of actual gold. Tips on leafing can be found here. Once the leaf has dried, you can rub on gray and with a damp cloth wipe the excess paint off which will stick in the cracks.

B) Classic cream is always a beautiful French choice. Be sure to get a creamy white with a green undertone. Once your paint has dried, add a brown glaze to add to the antique feel of aged furniture. You can buy glaze at your local home hardware store, or home depot, or Here - Wm Zinsser 04201 Blend & Glaze Decorative Painting Liquid

C) Swedish Grays are always an upscale French look. It is often a grown up style because it is not found on new furniture, but classic antiques. You can get that antique feel with gray and finish it off with a yellow wash. I have tried most of all colors with French furniture, and a cornflower yellow works the best over gray. Like the steps above, (after your gray has dried) paint on the yellow, (doing small sections) and wipe it off using a damp cloth. The muted yellow should give your piece the feel of a white wash but leaving the gray color intact.

Classic French Provincial Headboard

{Photograph source, Sugar Pop Tarts}

2. Upholstery - You can create the rich looks of higher end antique French beds by simply buying the curvy headboard that was popular in the 60's and upholster them with rich French fabrics. Classic antique French patterns were floral and landscape scenes. It is a relatively easy process to upholster a bed frame, so don't feel overwhelmed.

You will need 4 major things to complete the task. 1. Batting 2. Fabric 3. A Stapler 4. Nail head trim.

The batting can be found at your local sewing fabric store. Ideally you want to find a flat foam padding, or cotton felt. You can always stuff inside the flat felt if it isn't fluffy enough, but you will always have a smooth surface when it comes time to upholster. You do not need an industrial upholstery stapler, but they cost just as much as your basic stapler, (check below for links)  . A t-150 will work just fine, which can be purchased at your local hardware store for 20 dollars.   (I have been using a T-150 for years, and haven't bought a electrical upholtery gun, but after seeing how cheap they are, I might order one!)

When it comes to finishing off your project, I would highly suggest getting nail head trim which you apply with a real nail every 3rd nail head. It gives you a nicer and cleaner appearance, and saves a lot of energy of lining up each nail so it is perfectly straight and in line with the rest. You can buy 30 feet for around the 7-15 dollar mark from Nails to You on ebay.  With that said, you can have your stunning French bed with fractions of the cost of an antique.

Hitachi N3804AB3 1 1/2-Inch 18-Gauge Narrow Crown Finish Stapler

Surebonder 9600 Pneumatic Fine Wire Staple Gun with Carrying Case

Arrow Fastener T25P Wire Staple Gun

Cotton Batting Medium Grade Roll Natural
Hillman Fasteners 122682 Upholstery Nail (Pack of 6)

Today with the convenience of ebay, you can shop around for antiques from all across the nation (and world) from the comfort of your home. Many antique dealers are now listing their inventory online which has made it easier to locate the antique you are after. With all the antiques in one location and the option of comparison shopping, it has made the prices honest, in addition to healthy competition to get the consumers business. Always go with a seller with a strong reputation of positive feedback. Be sure to get shipping quotes before committing to the bid to buy.

French Style Luxury Gilt Headboard From Hermes Hotels

French Style Luxury Interior Picture Taken From Hermes Hotels

French Gilt Upholstered Headboard From Hermes Hotels

This Antique Louis French Bed Photo Credit Castles Crowns Cttages Blog

(Disclaimer- Any type of babies furniture should be properly tested to insure the safety of children.  Servers are obviously not built to be children's furniture, so please do take the proper safety precautions)

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's Twin's NurseryRoom with a french chair and wrought iron cribs. 

This beautiful interior features all white French Provincial Furniture.  From the classic white 3 drawer dresser to the white french armoire wardrobe this room features a clean crisp feel for your brand new baby.  With elegant creams and yellows, this room is an upscale elegant look for any baby room.  The french footstool holding linens, and the french provincial chair, makes for an elegant accessory to this french room.  This room is very simple to create.  You can layer in the white, using different tones, such as an egg shell wall, with satin finished furniture, and a gloss white chair with a white fur throw. 

This server from Laurel Auctions in Maryland would be the perfect baby changing table.  Add a custom cushion and you would have the supreme elegance in french furniture~ 

It is amazing how well white and gold work together.  The clean crisp look of white, and the luxury of gold work hand in hand.  This room has a french provincial chair along with a french provincial vanity. 

Babies' Rooms: From Zero to Three, Planning a baby's room involves not only providing a pretty nursery but also tailoring your living space to the new arrival's needs. Babies' Rooms by Judith Wilson shows how to tread a fine line between tasteful decoration and the requirements of a small child, and address issues of proacticality and safety, plus planning for future development.  The book concludes with useful checklists, a question and answer section, and an extensive resources list. Judith Wilson is a former decorating editor of Homes & Gardens.

Christope Living Features Classic French Provincial Furniture.  They have such good ideas such as the subtle canopy over the crib. 

Children's Spaces: From Zero to Ten

This picture has been recycled a lot around the net.  Almost every blog has this picture, because it speaks such elegance and serenity.  Classic contemporary colors make this room popular.  Add a french chair to nurse in and you have luxury and comfort. 

French Chair Sold ThoughRed Ticking in Seattle Washington

{This cute French Provincial Furniture set is not vintage, but rather new painted in a shabby blue.  Colors transfer so easily on french provincial furniture.  This picture was taken from The Fancy Shack Blog, where they have many more painted furniture to feature. }

There were many furniture manufactures who produced high quality lines of furniture, and there were also companies who offered the same look but with lower quality materials. Every company carried a number of lines, and still maintained the same level of quality as their higher end lines. You will find that with Drexel, Union and Thomasville french provincial furniture. They both carried a number of different styles, all vertually high quality made from solid wood. 

The vintage children's french provincial furniture is often featured in white and gold, with melamine tops, and baked on white paint.  Depending on what you are after, we always recommend looking for the provincial sets made out of solid wood.   Even if you decide to paint them, the higher quality dressers are not plastic and they last longer, because of the quality of wood and materials used.

There is nothing wrong with the classic white and gold french provincial furniture.  Many of the sets are high quality wood under the paint, and are outstanding examples of reproduction french furniture. 

Below I would like to show you out of my own experience a line to avoid.  I honestly do not know the name, but they can be found everywhere.  If you have the choice to buy this set or wait for a better set, I would recommend waiting.  They can be very pretty painted up like the beautiful set below in black found on a craigslist add, or the pretty red dresser I painted up myself.  They both have great appeal when painted up, but you really have to dress them up with hardware and bottom line they are low quality.  Below I explain the three areas of disappointment with this line. 

My Red French Provincial Dresser with Vintage Handles

Granted, this dresser looks pretty in white than the manufacture finish, but here are some issues with the quality of the dresser you should know about. 

 1.   If you have ever shopped at Ikea, you know how poorly pressed wood looks.  You can  paint up pressed wood, and it still looks shotty at best.  Bump pressed wood the wrong way and it is ruined.  The same goes with this dresser, much of the dresser is cheap pressed wood, and plastic.  I didn't really realized how plastic this dresser was until I painted one for myself.  (See the red dresser)  The feet come off, and if you look closely at the french feet there is a line that appears down the center of the foot that even when painted, it looks plastic. 

2.  This dresser comes with plastic architectural elements.  Perhaps to some people, it is ok, but it is just gives it a  low quality appearance.  If you do have this dresser, I would highly recommend you take off the plastic elements and use wood filler to fill in the holes.  Circled in diagram 3 is another cheap design in plastic.   There is nothing seamless about this dresser. 

The best way to spot this dresser is the make up of the bottom section of the dresser chests.  Below are pictures to identify these dressers.   The drawers are poorly made, and in some lines just stapled together. I didn't realize how low quality this dresser was until I began seeing so many other lines of french provincial furniture, that this brand was the worst comparied to all other french provincial manufacture comparions.   This dresser in my opinion give French Provincial a bad name.  This line at best is a 3 out of 10, (being kind) - The bottom of the barrel of french provincial furniture because it is so cheap.    I don't blame the company, they were just producing a style that was hot, which everyone could afford.

This painting took place before Louis XIV began enlarging the château, Picture Credit Wikipedia

The view of the château de Versailles as seen from the Place d’Armes, 1722”, ca. 1722, by Pierre-Denis Martin. This painting was after the end of Louis XIV’s fourth building campaign. Picture Credit Wikipedia

The palace incorporates some of the most beautiful colors. Combining the peaches, apricots, and light blues and grays are typical french colors. Many of these colors can be used in your own home decor and interior designs.

Some of the most noteworthy persons involved in the design process are architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and painter-decorator Charles Le Brun, all accomplished men in the arena of design.

The French Gardens of Versailles

Painter Charles Le Brun was the originator of Louis XIV Style, and primarily worked for King Louis XIV. It was the king who called him "the greatest French artist of all time". Charles Le Brun was in charge and directed all that was done in the royal palaces. Some of his drawings can be found at the Louvre today.

Painter Charles Le Brun, whose portrait was painted by Nicolas de Largilliere. In this painting you can get an idea of some of the interiors, and what was featured in rooms. The staged bust, and draped fabrics can give any french lover at heart an over all sense of accessories that can be incorporated into a french room. Brun added draped velvet and gold cloth and outstanding marble walls and thick Persian carpets. He added crystal chandeliers and rich tapestries and beautiful rococo gold clocks among his own paintings to Versailles's beautiful interiors.

André Le Nôtre was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was later put in charge of all the royal gardens of France, and also became appointed Controller-General of the Royal Buildings. Louis Le Vau also worked closely in the design of the château of Vaux Le Vicomte, and Versailles.

Some of the most beautiful pictures of the Versailles's gardens can be found on Ania Vincy's Flicker

Louis XV France by Louis Michel Van Loo

The French Interiors of Versailles

Versailles Photo Credit Rappy's Photostream

The most costly element to the design of Versailles was the furnishings. Louis XIV insisted on silver furniture, which was an incredible cost for Versailles. The silver balustrade contained in excess of one ton of silver. In 1689, the cost of the War of the League of Ugsburg was incredibly high that all the silver furniture was to be melted in order to pay for the costs of the war. Even though the cost of the furnishings were high, the labor came cheap. During slow periods, the army was used in labour and construction. Versailles became the show piece of Frances wealth and what it could accomplish as a nation. Today it is one of Frances most toured venues.

Versailles

Marie Antoinette Kristen Dunst

Inner chamber of Marie Antoinette 1784 Writing Table

Inner chamber of Marie Antoinette 1784 Writing Table

Marie Antoinette's Private Apartments Versailles 

Marie-Antoinette, 1786 Secretare

Marie-Antoinette, 1787

Versailles Outstanding Silk Settee

Marie-Antoinette Room , 1787

 Marie Antoinette Kristen Dunst

Marie-Antoinette's Bedroom

Another Marie-Antoinette's Bedroom 

Gilded Louis XIII-Style Console

Trianon Music Room French Chairs ~ French Settee

Bedchamber

Grand Cabinet Du Dauphin Appartement Du Dauphin

Grand Cabinet Du Dauphin Appartement Photo Credit Rappy's Photostream

Nicholas Heurtaut C. 1760 for the boudoir of Marie Antoinette wife to King Louis XVI of France

Louis XVI

Louis XVI's Personal Desk

King Louis XVI Desk, Louis's Personal Desk

Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI at Madame Tussauds Mharrsch's Photo Stream

(Picure Credit Drapery Connection)

Purple French Provincial Sofa Re-Upholstered Photo Credit Sarah Klassen