Monday, October 7, 2013

This Lion's King...

We started last week's furniture transformations with one of our own, and I'm sorry to say, we're going to start this week off in the same way.  Well, I'm not actually sorry.  It's just that this blog isn't about us.  It's about you.  But, we're one of you, so it all works out in the end.  Have no fear, this'll be the last flip of ours we'll subject you to until...well, the next one is finished which won't be for awhile.  You know how we work.  We're a husband/wife team and between you & me, my husband's wife is easily distracted.  He's forever trying to rein her attention back to the project at hand. 
 
We completed today's feature a few months ago.  It had been sitting idly by waiting for it's turn while other pieces came and went.  To tell you the truth when I got this piece I didn't really know what I'd do with it.  It had some issues.  


Scratched up sides, gouges, and it looked like perhaps a dog had chewed on it, but I can't be certain.  It could have been a small teething child, but I highly doubt it. 
 
It had some unique qualities to it.  The "Flame Mahogany" front for one thing.  That's also known as "Crotch Mahogany" but I don't like that term.  A lady doesn't speak like that and my momma raised three ladies and one gentleman.  It gets it's name because the mahogany was cut from the crotch of the tree resulting in a flame effect in the wood grain.  Pretty darn cool if you ask me.   

The buffet also sported these nifty Lion's Head pulls.  

We repaired the bumps and bruises it had acquired.  There was no way we were going to change the front of this buffet.  It would be a sin to cover up that woodgrain.  It needed a few touch-ups here and there but otherwise, it was gorgeous.  We chose this project as our very first one to try homemade alkchay aintpay.  That's pig latin for paint that has the same qualities as other paints that have a chalk like feel/texture to it.  We chose the color of Cannonball black using Clark & Kensington's paint as our base.  I have to say, I liked the alkchay aintpay.  It did exactly what everyone who has ever used it has been saying all along.  It covered beautifully, required hardly any prep work and dried super fast.  

I cleaned the Lion's Head pulls and using black spray paint, gave them a new look.  Finally, because we knew this piece was headed for a dining room, we wanted the finish to withstand some use and we poly'ed it.  

It turned out beautiful!  Want to see it?

Sometimes it's those pieces of furniture that scare you the most, that end up turning out the best!  Even though I him-hawed around about starting that buffet makeover it was really the easiest one we've ever done.  It took far less time than our other flips. 


I love how the newly painted black sides and top pick up the black in the mahogany.   The black Lion's Head pulls tie it all together nicely.

Before & After View...


So lovely.  Here it is being taken away to live happily ever after.  Bye-bye Lion's Head Buffet.  I shall miss you terribly you gorgeous piece of furniture you!


Now, it's YOUR turn!  Send us your flips.  We've seen some really genius ones and yours could be the next one we feature on here.  Email us your before/after pics and all of the details to furnitureflippin@yahoo.com .  

One last thing...you read what we write here and we'd like to read what YOU write here.  Leave us some comments.  We think you are very witty but now we want you to prove it!
~ Stephanie

18 comments:

  1. This is amazing! I absolutely love how it turned out! Great work.

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    1. Thanks so much Laurie! It looks really great in its new surroundings, too! :-)

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  2. awesome. i love that you saved the wood. would have been a crime to have covered up that wood grain. but your right the color really compliments the wood grain. can't wait til the next one!! darliene

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    1. Thanks Darliene! That's what made me take so long to get to it. I didn't want to ruin it. lol Other flippers who's work I admire had done the wood/paint and I used them as inspiration to just go for it. Big difference in how it looked. It was in pretty rough shape when i got it. ;-)

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  3. You did a great job Stephanie. It's beautiful!

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    1. Thank you so much! I doubt I'll ever come across a piece like this one. ;-)

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  4. Very, very nice job!

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  5. Great job Stephanie! I love the combination of wood grain and paint...that's my favourite paint treatment. :)

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    1. Thanks Che! It has quickly become a favorite look for me, too!

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  6. Beautiful! I love the look of stained wood & black paint. Great makeover yet keeps the integrity of the piece. Shows that every piece of furniture that is redone doesn't need to be distressed. This is elegant and works where you want furniture that is more refined in style.

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    1. Aw, thanks! I like that combo, too! It works really well in the room it now lives in.

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  7. To die for...Now where can I find a piece with such beautiful mahogany?

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    1. I hear ya there Kristie! I doubt I'll ever come across another one like this! She was a beauty when all finished.

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  8. Wow! I hope this doesn't sound like a backhanded compliment, because it's not meant to be, really! Flame mahogany isn't a favorite of mine (and I'm a girl who loves wood and wood tones), and the original was not my favorite, but the end result is jaw dropping. I love how the black makes the piece look less busy, and keeps it refined looking. Way to go bringing this one back to show stopper status!

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  9. I get your posts on FB and when I saw the picture of the buffet I couldn't bear to look at the flip because it might be painted over. But, it's beautiful and I'm so glad you kept that gorgeous front. Rita

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    1. Oh Rita! I didn't mean to scare you dear! lol I could never paint over that beautiful front. It would be a sin. :-)

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