Who loves purple? I do! And I can’t wait for you to see the gorgeous buffet makeover! I’ve had this little buffet for over a year and didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. Earlier this year, we bought a house in Maine that we had saved for many years for. My husband is from Maine and around this time next year, we’ll be moving back there! So I’m trying to collect as many European pieces as we can before we leave that I can bring back with me. Where is this one going to go in the house? I’m not sure yet but it sure is a cute little statement piece! Ready to see this purple vintage buffet makeover?
Supplied Needed for the Purple Vintage Buffet Makeover
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Surf Prep Sanding Kit (Use coupon code BELLARENOVARE10 )
How to Prep for the Purple Vintage Buffet Makeover
The veneer was coming off in some areas so I used a putty knife to remove it since I want to expose the wood underneath. And then I removed the hardware and the keyholes (which I replaced with something smaller because I didn’t love these ones).
I needed to fill some holes so I mixed some two part wood filler and you have to work a bit fast because it will harden quickly. It’s perfect for holes and any gauges that you need to fill before painting. I used a tongue depressor to put it on and I overfilled it because it will dry super hard and I can go over it with my sander to make it flat and smooth and to shape the corners too.
After the woodfiller had been sitting for an hour, I used a 120 grit sandpaper to shape it and sand it down. Slowly start shaping it, being careful not to oversand.
Stripping the Paint
The top of the piece is veneer so I needed a chemical stripper to remove the varnish. When you apply it with a brush and start seeing it crackle on the top, that’s how you know that it’s ready to take off, usually about 20-25 minutes.
I used my favorite plastic scraper and then I applied another coat of stripper just to make sure that I got all the existing stripper off. (Remember my video from last week where I didn’t double check that?)
I used a 3M scrubbing pad (you can also use a very fine steel wool as well) and it will get any bits of residual off and then I went back over it with my plastic scraper.
Once that is done, I needed to neutralize it with mineral spirits so that the stripper would stop working on the veneer. I allowed it to dry completely and then used a 120 grit to sand it going with the grain, and this will take off some of the old stain so that the natural color of the veneer is exposed.
After sanding I used a dusting brush because it’s the best way to remove excess dust and debris.
I used a 220 grit as one last sanding attempt just to trip check that I got everything off of there and go back over it again with the dusting brush.
Time to clean the piece with my White Lightening! I went over the entire piece with it and then used clean water and a clean rag to go over any residual so that there aren’t any adhesion issues.
This piece doesn’t require any scuff sanding because it’s not shiny.
Adding the Base Coat on the Purple Vintage Buffet Makeover
I put on a base coat of Plum Crazy by (this color is amazing!!) because it’s necessary to have the base coat on before the blending begins.
Blending the Purple Paint Colors
The blending is what is going to take this purple vintage buffet makeover to the next level!
I started blending but didn’t like the way that it looked so I decided to mix a custom color of Plum Crazy with a bit of Amethyst by and this is going to be my darker color because I’ll be blending with Plum Crazy and Peony which will be the lighter colors.
For the blending you’ll need a brush for each color as well as a clean dry neutral brush for the blending as well as a mister bottle to create moisture.
Mist the area first:
Put down a layer of Plum Crazy in the entire area except on the outside where I want it to be darker:
After the Plum Crazy is down I misted the area again:
Next I put Peony in the center which is creating a highlight. I apply this with my brush going horizontally and vertically:
The goal is to blend it into the Plum Crazy while you’re putting it on.
I cleaned off my brush and went back in with some more Plum Crazy to blend the two colors. Again going vertically and horizontally to blend.
Next I am took that darker custom color that I mixed to outline the outside of the door for the shading:
Then I used the same brush to start blending it with the Plum Crazy and the Peony which are both still wet:
Blend the colors into each other while everything is still wet and you can create more moisture with your mister bottle.
Next I took the Plum Crazy and started to feather that into the darker custom color that is on the outsides, blending the colors into each other:
Time for the clean, dry, neutral brush to come in and soften all of these colors together. I misted it first with the mister bottle and then start feathering:
Wipe the brush off in between to get any excess paint off. Use a very light hand the whole time. When your brush starts catching on the paint, that means that you need to add more moisture.
Now I want to work on the shading. I misted the outer area and then added more of the dark paint color, by dipping my brush, wiping it off and then applying that paint around. Feather, do circles, horizontal and blend into the inside of the drawer.
Damask Stencils
The next thing I did was add some “ghost stencil” using Gator Hide so that it will be clear. I call it that because the Gator Hide is clear and the damask design will be very subtle on the buffet. I taped off some sections on the stencil that I didn’t want to have on the buffet.
After the stenciling was done and completely dry I used Easy Peasy Spray Wax to seal it all. This product needs to be sprayed and wiped in with a microfiber cloth. This will not only seal it but since I was going to be using a dark wax in some areas, this is also going to allow the dark wax to be removed a little bit.
Using Best Dang Wax in Black and their La Petite brush, I used this to add even more shading effect to the piece:
I basically went over all of those same areas where I had applied that darker custom color of paint. It added depth and more character and will catch on the raised and ornate areas on the piece. After applying, wipe it away with a microfiber cloth and you have control over how much you want to wipe off depending on how dark you would like it to be.
Remember, if you need to take more wax off you can always spray on some Easy Peasy Spray Wax and that will help remove the excess black or dark wax.
Sealing the Wood Veneer Top
I sealed the top of this piece with Gator Hide and I first went over it with a Tack Cloth to get any dust or debris off before I applied it with a high-density foam roller.
With Gator Hide you have to make sure that you’re going in one direction when applying it. If you start going vertically, do not change to applying it horizontally otherwise you’ll see all of those lines.
I put it on, let it dry for a few hours and then put on another coat. Before I do that I used a super fine, high grit sandpaper to scuff sand it a little bit before wiping the dust off with a microfiber cloth and tack cloth.
To tie everything together I used gilding wax in Copper with a makeup brush to go over the hardware and the ornate details on the piece. I love to put it on hardware and it’s self sealing but will take 30 days to cure.
YouTube Video of Purple Vintage Buffet Makeover
Want to see the video of the makeover? You can see it here!
Beautiful Painted Buffet
And here she is! I LOVE this purple vintage buffet and can’t wait to find the perfect spot for her in our Maine house.
Want to see any furniture painting tutorials? Here’s a great one about how to paint thrifting furniture! https://bellarenovare.com/2019/09/make-your-thrift-furniture-colorful-and-bold/
See you next week and happy creating!
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