Pretty Distressed

Refinishing Kitchen Table with Chalk Paint and Stain - Farmhouse Table Video Tutorial

2018-07-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission for products purchases through these links. I appreciate your support!

Hi friends! A lot has happened since I last posted on here. First things firsts, the Muscaris are now Tennesseans! We sold our house in Illinois in June and moved to Franklin, Tenn. Needless to say, things have been a bit crazy for me unpacking and settling into a new home.

I finally had a little down time and was able to wrap up a video tutorial of the last project I did in our old house. My husband scored this amazing dumpster dive find back in April, a Pottery Barn table! I gave it a farmhouse spin, and it's now our new kitchen table.

I'll give you a few details down below, but check out the my video to see how to create this look for yourself.

I did a new finish for me on this table top using Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain in the color Sunbleached. It's a beautiful finish that gives you that driftwood look that is gray but also lets some of that natural wood goodness shine through. I've worked with this stain before, but this was a new color for me. It is super pigmented, so I only had to do one coat, and it dries fast too. I used my new go to topcoat to seal it, General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Flat.

For the apron, I used the same technique I did on my last kitchen table makeover. I painted it with one coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and distressed the whole surface with a 400 grit sandpaper. I love this paint so much because there is no need to sand or strip your furniture. I didn't seal it with wax or topcoat because I love the chalky finish the paint has, and the apron doesn't get the wear that the table top does. I did the same finish on my last kitchen table, and it held up pretty well with my kids who are some of the messiest people alive. I just use warm water to wipe it up.

All these shots were taken in our old home in Illinois. It looks even better in our new house in Tennessee!

More projects are on the way! I can't wait to share them with you and some shots of our new home. And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, so you don't miss any of my tutorials and reviews.

Craigslist Side Table Makeover Video Tutorial for Beginners

2018-03-08T11:55:00.000-06:00

So, my new obsession is watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. I know, it sounds weird for a late 30's stay-at-home mom of three, but they have opened me up to a whole new world of makeup tricks, tips and products. And for me, they are so much more entertaining than watching Netflix or shows. Lately, they have inspired me to start filming more and ramping up my YouTube Channel.

My latest video is all about using beginner's techniques to update a Craigslist piece of furniture. This is a smooth finish with no distressing or wax. Play the video by clicking the picture below.

It's always best to start small when trying out refinishing for the first time. You don't want to ruin grandma's dining table or your bedroom set. Finding inexpensive items from Goodwill or Craigslist is always a great idea. I got this table for free from a neighbor who had bought a set off of Craigslist and only needed one table. My friends and family know they can always offer me free furniture!

For this project, I used General Finishes Gel Stain in Java for the table top and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White for the body. I sealed the entire piece with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Flat. Don't let the staining portion scare you. It's a lot like painting. There is no need to completely strip the existing finish. There is a little cleaning and sanding involved, but it's a lot less messy and time consuming than stripping the entire top. I really love General Finishes products. They have become some of my favs lately.

There is no distressing in this project. It's a really smooth finish for a more clean, modern look. And since I used the General Finishes top coat to finish the entire piece you don't need to wax. I know that scares some of you.

All the details and product links can be found in my video tutorial. Go check it out and subscribe to my channel before you leave! I've got lots of fun plans for upcoming videos. And you can always leave me a comment if there is something you want to see!

Disclaimer: These links contain affiliate links. I will receive a commission for items purchased from these links. I appreciate your support. Please read all labels and follow all manufacturer safety recommendations when working with paints, stains, etc.

Paris Grey Hutch Makeover

2018-01-20T10:28:00.000-06:00

This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission for products purchases through these links.

It's been a while since I shared a client piece on here, but I had to share the latest client piece I finished. This thing is massive and was in such rough shape when I got it. I just love the way it turned out!

This hutch had been in a storage unit for some time and smelled pretty funky, so I started off by sealing the entire piece in Zinsser Shellac. This product along with neutralizing smells helps seal water stains and bleed through. It is always a great idea to coat a piece in Shellac if you don't know its history. I took an old sock and applied it over the entire piece before painting.

Originally, we had decided to rip out the mirrors and replace them with beadboard like on my personal hutch makeover. Once I ripped out the mirror, I realized the paneling on the hutch was real wood! It was in such good condition, so I could not bring myself to replace it. In the end, I think the beadboard backing would have detracted from the simplicity of this piece. This was a huge win.

My client selected Annie Sloan Paris Grey for this piece which is a great choice for staying neutral without doing white. Exciting side note, you can know buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on Amazon!

And for the top, she wanted a two toned look so I used my new go to stain General Finishes Java Gel Stain. The veneer on this top was pretty thin, so I used the stain right on top of the finished wood. This is a technique exclusive to gel stain. It is so pigmented you can use it right on top of finished wood. It definitely has a learning curve, but it has a huge payoff. I'm going to make a video on this technique soon for my YouTube channel, so make sure to subscribe if you want to see it.

My client's husband had some wood working skills, so he cut a shelf to replace the glass one in the hutch. You can see it in the pic above. I stained it with the Java Gel to match the top of the sideboard. I applied General Finishes Gel Topcoat to seal both pieces. Check out these awesome videos the folks at General Finishes put together to show you how to use these products. There is one for gel stain over an existing finish and one for applying gel topcoat (go to the 5 minute mark to see the portion on topcoat).

To add a touch of masculinity, we decided to replace the old hardware with antiqued cup pulls and knobs. This is more costly and in this case I had to drill new holes for the cup pulls, but it gives the piece a whole new look if you are up for the cost. I purchased the hardware from Menards for around $70, but you could also buy it on Amazon. The pulls are from Hickory Hardware, the Williamsburg Cub Cabinet Pull and the Cottage Cabinet Knob in dark antique copper. Click on the pictures below to see their specifications or to purchase them on Amazon.

The original hardware was not a standard 3" size. I run into this a lot with older pieces. Since I was using a cup pull there was no need to fill in the existing holes. I drilled new ones to fit the 3" cup pulls, and they covered the old holes. If you are drilling new holes, I highly suggest getting a cabinet mounting kit. It will make measuring so much easier!

I finished this piece off with some light distressing. Then I sealed the entire piece with Annie Sloan Clear Wax. Then I used a light application of Annie Sloan Dark Wax around my distressed areas.

My client also decided she wanted to keep the glass in the cabinet doors. So I had to tape them off and spray paint the brass etching with some Rust-oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Metallic. This is my go to paint for getting a metal finish on hardware/metal. I used the color Burnished Amber.

I forgot to take pictures of this, but it is the same technique I used in a sideboard makeover if you need more details. Here is the finished door.

I had to crank through this pretty quickly because my client was relocating to China and had to start getting her stuff in shipping crates. I loved the way this turned out, and I am excited to know she will have a piece of cozy, farmhouse style in her home all the way in China!

If you need more step by step instructions on working with Chalk Paint. Check out my YouTube Channel to see all my tutorials. I am hoping to really ramp up my channel this year. Let me know what you want to see.

And don't forget you can now buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on Amazon. Use my affiliate link on Amazon to help support Pretty Distressed! http://amzn.to/2mUrTLp

Pauly D Foundation Auction Winner

2017-05-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

Hi friends! It's been awhile since I have blogged about it, but I have been busy painting this spring. Today, I've popped in to share a reveal with you from earlier this year. This table is one of the most dramatic makeovers I've done in a while, and it was my first time working with the much raved about General Finishes Java Gel Stain.

Last fall, I donated a service to a fundraiser for our dear friends' foundation, the Pauly D Foundation. After tragically losing their son in an accidental drowning, the Pauly D Foundation was established to advocate for water safety and drowning prevention. Their vision is to make a difference by raising the bar on water safety education and awareness. I was happy to donate to such a wonderful cause. The lucky winner contacted me early in 2017, and we went right to work bringing life back to her much used dining table.

The top was in rough shape from years of use and the grandkids had given it their own special touch by carving their names in the apron with a pencil. It was definitely time to show this table some love. My client settled on a two tone look with a dark espresso top and white distressed apron. I have been intrigued by General Finishes Gel Stain for a while now. The way it works is that you can stain right over an existing finish, but this top had a lot of peeling and cracking. I decided to sand down the entire top and work with staining the raw wood for an even, clean finish.

I used my trusty Dewalt Random Orbit Sander that I always talk up on here. I started with a 60 Grit pad to knock off the existing finish and followed with a 150 grit pad to smooth it out before staining.

General Finishes has some great videos on how to work with their gel stain on YouTube. After watching them, I went to work. This is a picture after I put on the first coat of gel stain in Java. I found the whole process really easy.

I did two coats of stain and finished it off with General Finishes Gel Top Coat. I did three coats of top coat. And again, you can see the whole process by watching General Finish's video on gel stain on raw wood.

Once I completed the top, and gave it a few days to cure. I taped off the top and painted the apron and legs with Annie Sloan Old White. I used a 400 grit sand paper to smooth down the entire surface which let some of the original finish peek through. Then I finished the painted portions with Annie Sloan Soft Wax in clear.

It turned out just beautiful, and General Finishes now has a new fan!

The Pauly D Foundation is such a great cause, and I'm sure I will help out next year. If you have a service in the Chicagoland area or goods that you would like to donate to this fall's fundraiser, use my Contact tab to shoot me an email. I'll get you in touch with them!

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on a link and purchasing an item may result in a commission for Pretty Distressed.

My New Obsession: Annie Sloan® Graphite

2017-02-02T09:20:00.003-06:00

I have a new color obsession to share with you- Annie Sloan®'s Graphite. Any fans of PrettyDistressed™ know I love me some Old White, Paris Grey, French Linen and an occasional Duck Egg Blue in her Chalk Paint™ line. In the past, I have shied away from using Graphite. It is the darkest color in the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® pallet, and I had heard it can be tricky to work with. But let me tell you now that I have used it, I am dying to paint something in my house with this color. It's so rich and unique. Then once you put the wax on, it comes to life!

I am so grateful for my clients, and the way they push me out of my comfort zone. She selected Graphite for this dresser I was refinishing for her son's room. She has an amazing old century home and has a lot of antique brass throughout the home, so we knew we wanted to do a brass cup pull on the dresser. I selected the Martha Stewart Bedford Brass Canopy Cup Pull from HomeDepot.com. Graphite is really the ultimate complement to the antique brass. The cool thing about it is it's not a true black but more of a slate like a chalkboard.

My client only wanted mild distressing, so I went with a different technique than I usually use. Instead of making big brush strokes in every direction, I kept my strokes smooth and in one direction. I did two coats and really covered the wood. Then I took a 400 grit sandpaper and smoothed the entire piece down. This technique exposed just a smidge of the original finish on the edges of the drawers and corners. I finished it off with Annie Sloan clear wax.

I am really excited about working with Graphite more. I need it in my house somewhere! Trust me, you have to check it out for yourself. I've got some more projects in cue right now and can't wait to share more reveals with you soon. Happy painting!

Hall Closet Turned Mini Mudroom Makeover

2017-01-30T10:32:00.002-06:00

Me and my hubby started out our life together as newlyweds in Minnesota, the land of snow and bitter winter temps. Some of the best advice we received while we lived there was, "Once you have kids, never buy a house without a mudroom." Let's face it. Kids haul a lot of stuff to school in the winter, book bags, puffy coats, hats, gloves and snow boots. And their little legs and arms make it pretty impossible for them to hang their stuff up on their own in your standard hall closet with wire racks.

Unfortunately when we bought our house in Illinois, we didn't heed this advice. Now that we have two kids in school their stuff was starting to pile up all over the house. And no one ever knew where their coat or shoes were when it was time to head out of the door. I had seen the idea of converting a hall closet into a mudroom around Pinterest before, so me and the hubby decided to give it a try. Here is how it turned out.

Luckily for us, we have an additional hall closet by our front door, so the hall closet by the garage door was a perfect candidate for this makeover. We used this post from Make It & Love It for our inspiration. Our closet is a lot smaller, so we made tweaks accordingly. I basically sent this post to my hubby and told him to make it happen. Boy, do I love him!

You will have to trust him when a I tell you that nail gun and miter saw are going to make this project a whole lot easier. He recommends the Ryobi Cordless Brad Nailer and the Dewalt DW715 Miter Saw. I'm hoping an investment in tools like this means we can put up some shiplap and crown molding soon.

Once he was done with the build out, he tagged me in to fill the nail holes and caulk the gaps and seams. He joked that Chip was handing the baton off to JoJo (all you Fixer Upper fans will understand). After I got done filling and caulking, I came to the conclusion that Jo would had left this job to Chip. It's tedious, and you definitely need a lot of patience for it. You need to fill every nail hole with wood filler and fill in all the seams with all purpose caulk. Then sand everything down and wipe it down with a tack cloth.

We had some paint left over from painting our baseboards a while back. I used Sherwin Williams ProClassic Acrylic Latex in Semi Gloss. The mudroom is going to get a lot of traffic and using a semi gloss will make it super easy to wipe up. In fact, my 2 year old found a pencil this weekend and wrote all over the bench. It cleaned up with a little soap and water. Whoop, whoop!

We decided to remove the door to the closet as well because we were really happy with the way it looked. The hallway is really tight with the door, and it was always getting caught on the rug. I filled up all the holes in the frame with more wood filler, sanded them down and finished them off with a couple of coats of my ProClassic paint.

I completed the mudroom with some Seagrass storage baskets from Target. Here is another storage basket option I found on Amazon. The great thing about Seagrass is it won't scratch your floors. I also bought the hooks from Target, but you can also find some more hook options over at Amazon if you don't want to leave the house.

Lastly, to really make the white woodwork pop I painted the walls in the closet Sherwin Williams Special Gray to match the accent wall in our family room. I love the rich, dark gray against the pure white trim.

We are super happy with how this turned out, but the best part of all is that the kids can now hang up their stuff all on their own! Do you have a closet dying for this makeover?

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on a link and purchasing an item may result in a commission for Pretty Distressed.

IKEA Dresser Meets Miss Mustard Seed

2016-12-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

Milk Paint has long been an intrigue of mine. I first learned about it when I started Pretty Distressed back in 2014, and found about Miss Mustard Seed paint. If you don't follow Marian's blog, Miss Mustard Seed, you should. She is a real inspiration to furniture painters.

I was wasting time one day in downtown Geneva, Ill. before I had to pick up the kids from school and wondered into an antique shop who just happened to carry the paint. I snagged the last bag of Farmhouse White they had. I couldn't wait to get it home and play around with it! I had an IKEA dumpster dive in my garage that was screaming for a makeover and my youngest was in desperate need of more drawer space.

As my avid followers are aware, I am a big fan and user of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I love it for the ease of no prep furniture painting. For those who are thinking about trying Milk Paint, it really is a entirely different animal. It comes in powder form and you mix it with water to create a milky consistent paint. You can do some really cool things with it. The one that intrigued me the most was a really chippy look.

I started by using my orbital sander to take off the current stain because it was really slick and orange. I wanted more of an industrial look since this is for a boy's room, so I sanded it down to strip the color completely. Then I played around with some stain that I had. I ended up using Minwax Special Walnut, one of my personal favs, and Varathane Weathered Gray in a 1:1 ratio.

After I stained the whole dresser, I randomly applied some all natural beeswax to help create the chippy effect I wanted once I applied the paint. I had some on hand, but Miss Mustard Seed carries beeswax, too. The wax repels the paint and allows it to flake off in chippy, gorgeous chunks.

Next up was painting. There are directions on each bag of paint on how to mix it up. You can select the amount of paint you want to use and mix the powder and water in a 1:1 ratio. You can't save the paint to use later, so mix cautiously. You can always mix up more if you run out. I did two coats.

I didn't see any chipping until after my second coat dried, so don't freak out if the first coat doesn't chip. I don't know how this works, but it is super cool. And resist the urge to scrape the flakes off before it is completely dry. Set a timer and stay away! Below is a pic of what the chipping looks like. When it is dry you can take a putty knife and start chipping away at the spots that are flaking. I'm no expert here, just an experimenter. If you want tips on how to paint with Milk Paint check out Miss Mustard Seed's YouTube channel. It is were I went for a how to.

Scraping the paint off is so fun! But it is definitely not meant for people who like having total control over the piece. It does what it wants, and you have to roll with it. I didn't take any pictures of me chipping it away, but here is how it looked at the end.

To seal the piece I used my Annie Sloan Soft Wax in clear. Miss Mustard Seed has her own wax as well, but again I used what I had on hand. For the industrial look I was going for I ordered some library label pulls from Amazon. Here is what the finished product looks like.

It was really so much fun playing with milk paint to achieve this chippy, industrial look. What do you think? Would you like to try it out?

Off to Market

2016-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Spring is in the air, and this is my favorite time of the year to paint. Drawing up the garage door and taking in the fresh air while sipping on an iced coffee from my Keurig was the place where Pretty Distressed was born. It soothes my soul. It is also a great time of year for moving and garage sales, and I just scored two beautiful pieces from such a sale. Today, I will be sharing the first reveal from my haul. And the most exciting news is she is looking for a new home.

This Queen Anne Thomasville sideboard is a real beauty, and she was in such great shape that it was pretty hard to take my paint brush to it. But you know me, I just couldn't help myself. I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in French Linen with some medium distressing. Then, I finished it off with Annie Sloan Soft Wax in clear and some dark around the detailing to give it that aged patina. French Linen is considered a neutral, so it really can blend in with any color pallet.

I love how formal and fancy this piece is, but the paint job makes it casual and comfy at the same time. She is also really versatile. It would really work great as a focal point in a foyer like I staged it, but it could also be used behind a sofa, as a media center, or the classic approach of a server in a dining room.

Once I got it all staged up in my foyer, I felt really tempted to keep it. It is such a different look than my Goodwill Dresser that sits here. But in the end, I decided I am not quite ready to part ways with my signature piece yet. This little lady sure made me ponder it for a while. So, off to market she goes. Check out my Shop Furniture tab if you are interested in purchasing this piece or want to check out the rest of my work up for sale.

Are you a spring junkie like me? Is anyone else out there enjoying painting outside again? Here's to more reveals soon!

The Making of a Farmhouse Table

2016-03-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission for products purchased through these links.

I have wanted to make over my kitchen table into a farmhouse table for a while now, but I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it. Then when I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Blue Egg Brown Nest, I fell in love with her kitchen table transformation. I knew I wanted something very similar, so I set to work.

My inspiration courtesy of Christen Bensten at Blue Egg Brown Nest.

Here is what I was starting with. We bought this table from the previous owners of our home in Indiana. They were downsizing, so we were able to purchase a lot of their furniture at a great price. This table was in really good shape, but I was never a fan of the table top's finish. It was too orange for my taste, and the varnish was very dull which means it did not wipe up well. The chairs were pretty oversized and looked a little out of place in our small dining space.

And here she is now- light and bright. I just love the worn, farmhouse look of the table with the white metal chairs. It totally fits with my white kitchen, and I love the contrast it creates with my dark stained island.

I would love to tell you how easy this project was, but I am into telling the truth on this blog and not whitewashing (pun intended) the details. I decided I wanted to try to strip off the black paint on the apron and legs of the table, stain it a weathered oak color, and then do a coat of white paint on top. I wanted natural wood coming through versus the black. This turned into a big mess that I will save for another post where I will talk about using chemical paint stripper. To be honest, I am still scarred from this process, and it is just too soon to talk about it without getting red in the face or breaking out in tears.

So let's jump ahead. Here is my table stripped down to bare wood (or as close as I could get it). I used my Dewalt Orbit Sander for the table top, and it worked beautifully. It only took me about 30 minutes to strip the whole top using a 60 grit sandpaper disc. After I was done, I wiped it down with a tack cloth and went over the table again with a 220 grit sandpaper disc and wiped it down one more time. My table top is a veneer which means there is a very thin layer of wood on top of a pressed board or particle board, so I had to be careful not to sand right through the veneer.

After using two different chemical paint strippers and my orbital sander on the apron and legs, this is as close to natural wood I was going to get without losing my mind and my nose hairs. Stripping paint off of wood that was raw at its application, especially black paint, is pretty impossible, but let's save that for another post. I am starting to get angry, and you wouldn't like me when I am angry.

To stain the base of the table, I used Varathane Wood Stain which is a new product for me. It is really different from Minwax stain which is what I typically use. It is thicker, almost paint like and works a lot faster. I wiped it off only a couple minutes after I applied it. I was pretty nervous at first because the Varathane Early American was very different from Minwax Special Walnut. It was super orangey, but a coat of the Varathan Weathered Gray mellowed it out quite nicely. Phew!

1st Coat - Varathane Early American Wood Stain

2nd Coat - Varathane Weathered Gray Wood Stain

While my stain dried, I tackled the table top. I used the same technique Christen from Blue Egg Brown Nest used on the inspiration table, dark wax on raw wood. She got this idea from another princess of paint, Miss Mustard Seed. They both used Miss Mustard Seed's Antiquing Wax, but I decided to use Annie Sloan Dark Wax because I already had some.

I took a hammer and screwdriver to the table top before I applied the wax to give it a distressed, worn look. I also left some of the spiral dents from my sander on the table. I applied the wax pretty unevenly to give it a farmhouse look and then wiped down the excess with a lint free cloth as I went. The color is just perfect! The dark wax on raw wood has such a beautiful patina.This was the most satisfying part of this project by far, and since the wax works as a sealant, I did not use a protective coat like a polyurethane or polycrylic on top of it.

After I let the stain dry for 24 hours, I did a very light coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in my go to color, Old White. Once that dried, I did some light distressing with 220 grit sandpaper to get some more of that natural wood to show through. Since I worked so hard to get that weathered oak color, I didn't want to completely cover it up. I decided not to wax the base at all and left it chalky just like the inspiration table.

I finished off the look with six white metal bistro chairs from Amazon at a great price. They wipe up so easily which is just perfect for my season in life with my three little mess makers.

We have been using the table for about a month now and the finish is holding up which is something I was worried about. Since it takes 30 days for the wax to cure, I made sure to not keep anything on the table for an extended period of time. It wasn't that hard. We just would clean up right after we ate and did most of our projects and homework at the counter.

I am only using hot water and maybe a little soap if needed to wipe up the table. This might freak you germophobs out. I don't have raw chicken on my table, so I am okay with not wiping it down with a disinfectant or chemicals. I think it is okay to use a Clorox wipe if need be every now and then. I just don't want to over do it.

This was a project a long time in the making, but I am really pleased with the results. Do you have a table you would like to turn into a farmhouse dream? Does this post scare you or inspire you? I hope inspiration wins out in the end!

Goodwill Dresser Video Tutorial - Part 3 (Dark Wax)

2016-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for coming back to see the last installment of my Goodwill Dresser video tutorial series. Today, I am covering the topic that seems to give most furniture refinishers the highest anxiety- dark wax. But let me put your fears to rest, it isn't really that tricky to master. Annie Sloan Dark Wax is amazing stuff. It gives your piece an instant antique look that would normally take about a hundred years to occur naturally.

In case you don't know anything about my Goodwill Dresser, here she is.

I created this series, so you can get this same look right in your home. I think this will always be one of my favorite pieces, and once you create your own, you might just feel the same.

Here are some links to products used in this tutorial:

Dark wax brush

Steel wool

Annie Sloan Clear Wax

Annie Sloan Dark Wax

Make sure you check out the other videos in this series, Part 1 and Part 2. I would love to see your creations, so send me your before and after shots if you decided to try this technique out on your own.

Goodwill Dresser Video Tutorial Part 2

2016-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

The second part of my Goodwill dresser video tutorial is here. Last time, I covered painting the piece and hardware. Today, I will show you how to distress and clear wax the piece using sandpaper and Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Tutorial - Heavy Distressing (Part 2)

If you need a little more help on either distressing or clear waxing check out my other video tutorials. I have one for distressing and one for clear waxing.

Here are links to all the products used in this tutorial:

Purdy Clearcut Glide brush

Annie Sloan Clear Wax

Originally, I thought I could break this tutorial into two parts, but I wanted to make sure they are thorough enough for the novice to average painter. Part three will come next week and will cover the most daunting part in my opinion- dark wax. But seriously, it isn't that scary. Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel to be one of the first to see the final video once it goes live.

Goodwill Dresser Video Tutorial - Part 1

2016-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

This link contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from products purchased through these links.

I am still as in love with my Goodwill Dresser as the day I painted it. Above any other piece, this is the one I get the most questions about, so I decided to divulge my secret on how I created it using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Old White. Get your painting clothes on, roll up your sleeves and get ready to dive in to create your own heavily distressed beauty.

This tutorial will be broken up into three parts and will show you how to create a very heavily distressed piece just like my Goodwil Dresser. Think heavy brush strokes, lots of distressing with sandpaper and lots of dark wax.

In part one, I show you how to prep and paint the piece and hardware. Make sure you check out the description on YouTube for links to the products I used in this tutorial.

Part two is in the works and should be up on the blog next week. Check back to learn how to distress and clear wax your piece, or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel and you will be able to view part two as soon as it goes live. Happy painting!

DIY Distressed Sliding Barn Door

2015-12-30T10:12:00.001-06:00

So sliding barn doors are everywhere these days. It used to be the case that if you wanted one you had to shell out some serious bucks. Even if you opted to make your own door, you still had to drop a lot of money on the hardware. Not anymore, there are actually a lot of affordable options for sliding hardware now and a lot of big box places even carry them in store. Lucky for me, this helped me get this idea off my Pinterest board and into our master!

I am blessed to have an ensuite bathroom in our master, and it is a decent size but it is fairly narrow. The door opened into the bathroom right up against the shower which made it very crowded. It was also difficult to keep the door open to keep an ear out for my kids anytime I was in the shower. And the door would always shut while I was trying to get ready at the sink. I first saw a project like this on I Hate my Bath on HGTV a couple of years ago. I knew it would clear up a lot of these problems and make our narrow bathroom seem much larger. After enough begging, my husband finally gave in and helped me build the door.

To build the door, my husband bought 1 in. x 6 in. x 8 ft. common board from Home Depot. A good thing to know is that the actual measurements of these boards is .75 in. x 5.5 in. for when you are measuring out how large you want your door. Ours is 77" x 38" or seven boards wide. My husband is a "figure it out as you go man." I showed him some images of what I wanted and he went to work. For those of you who need a little more help than that these plans from Brandi Sawyer at Nest of Bliss will help you build a door that looks just like ours.

I wanted the door to look old and distressed like a real barn door, so we took a hammer to it and roughed it up. My husband took the hand saw and made some cool marks with that as well. Don't think too much about it if you want to do the same thing. Be random and don't be afraid.

To achieve that aged wood look I mixed my own stain. I used Minwax Wood Stain in Classic Gray and Special Walnut. I used a 5:1 ratio to mix them respectively. If you want an aged look you need a lot of the gray. Mix your stain in a separate cup. Just add a small amount of Special Walnut at a time and test out the color on scrap board. The color darkens the more you let it set on the wood, so play around and find the perfect shade before you commit to staining the whole door. I didn't use a pre-stain to treat the door. When you are going for an aged wood look, I find it better that the finish is uneven. It makes it look more natural.

If you are not into building your own door, and you have some money to drop on a project like this. Check out some of these built, stained and ready to hang doors from Amazon.

Dogberry Collections Mod-Z Barn Door - $722

Dogberry Collections Country Vintage Door - $623

Dogberry Collections Modern Slab Door - $796

We bought the TCBunny Sliding Door Hardware Closet Set Antique Style in black from Amazon for under $100. We found the instructions that came with the door are not that helpful. My husband decided to screw a 2 in. x 4 in. board into the wall at each stud. I painted it the color of the wall before we screwed it in. Then my husband hung the sliding door hardware on there. It is very secure and could hold a really heavy door.

I got my rustic looking pull from Menard's for under $5, but here is an option you could order right from Amazon that is very similar.

I am so happy with my door. It cleared up the space issue in my bathroom, and it adds a lot of character to our pretty basic bedroom. Can you think of a room that could benefit from a sliding door in your house?

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on a link and purchasing an item may result in a commission for Pretty Distressed.

Gender Neutral Nursery On a Budget Reveal

2015-06-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have had the most wonderful three months of snuggling and cuddling my new little baby but have decided it is finally time to get back to work. When I last left you, I was preparing my gender neutral nursery for our third kiddo. There is nothing better in my opinion than waiting to find out the gender at the hospital. On a Sunday afternoon in March, we welcomed our precious, little...BOY! Here is a tour of his Little Foxes Nursery.

It was such a good idea to prepare the nursery before baby arrived. I made the mistake of not doing this when we had my daughter, and she didn't have a completed room for six months. Let me tell you; it was depressing sitting in an unfinished nursery feeding her every couple of hours. Everything you see in this post was finished and photographed before our precious boy arrived. Here is my inspiration board I started with to get the ball rolling.

Once I finished the room, I thought it leaned a little more masculine, but I decided I could add some feminine touches if we had a girl like flowers or bows on my foxes. Honestly, I had a feeling it was going to be a boy, so I lucked out that I didn't need to make any changes.

I am a very amateur seamstress and made the bedding. I bought the sheet, but I made the skirt, blanket and pillows. If you can thread a machine, you could make a set like this for under $50. The crib is a Walmart special that my daughter used as well. I bought this Baby Mod Modena crib for under $200 three years ago. The price seems to have gone up since then, but it is still a great value.

I ordered these prints from Etsy and had them printed from an online printing press. The frames are from Hobby Lobby. Total cost for these was under $40.

I found this adorable onesie at Costco. It was in a two pack and under $8 for both of them.

These pomps are a great way to add color to a nursery on the cheap. I used a Martha Stewart tutorial to make these. I also got the tissue paper at Hobby Lobby. They have lots of colors to choose from in their gift wrapping section. The chair I have used with all my kids. I refinished the night stand on my own, it was another hand-me-down from my daughter's room. I also had a lamp I was going to refinish, but I got the pictured lamp and shade on clearance at Target for under $15. The pillow is from HomeGoods and was under $15, too.

The hubs and I put this wood plank sign together a couple of weeks before baby arrived. I just love the way it turned out. This is the life verse we chose for baby number three.

This changing table also belonged to my daughter. It is the South Shore Savannah Collection Table, and I bought it on Amazon. I bought a new changing pad cover to go with it and spray painted the baskets to match since they used to be hot pink. The changing pad rang in at $15 and the spray paint cost me $5. I found the shelf and metal letters at Hobby Lobby for under $40 with the use of my 40% off one item coupon on their app.

So, there it is. I had a lot a fun putting this room together, and by refinishing and reusing a lot of pieces from my daughter's room I was able to make it happen for under $200!

Stay tuned because my hubs built me an amazing barn door that I will be featuring on here soon, and I am booking jobs again for the summer. If you have a piece you need refinished, contact me for a quote!

Creating Custom Plank Wood Wall Art for Your Home

2015-03-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Never underestimate the power of scraps. I was able to create the most awesome custom wood wall art for my nursery for super cheap. It was time consuming but easy. You don't need to be handy or crafty to tackle this project.

Here is what you will need:

Wood planks (I used scraps I had from a previous project)
Some tools (saw or circular saw, hammer and nails or drill and screws)
Sand paper (I used my orbital sander)
Wood stain
Natural bristle brush
Scrap cloth
Acrylic or other decorative paint
Small detail paint brush
Computer and Printer
Pencil
Pencil Sharpener
Hooks and picture wire (if you plan on hanging your piece)

So, I enlisted my hubby to assist in the assembling of my board. He took the scraps from above and cut them in half with his circular saw. He trimmed up the edges so they would all be around them same length, but I wanted it to look pretty rustic so the edges don't line up perfectly. To attach the planks together he used three thin scraps on the back and hammered them into each plank. You could also use screws and a drill. Just make sure your screws or nails are short enough that they aren't going to pop through the front of your board.

Once it was assembled, my next step was to sand. Again, I was going for a rustic look so I lightly sanded with a medium grit sandpaper in 150. I wanted to keep all the dings, cuts and glue on the sides (remember I am using scrap wood) to give it some character. I used my Dewalt orbital sander that you have heard me rave about before, but you can also use a little elbow grease and a plain piece of sandpaper. If you are a DIY maven like me, it is worth the $50 to invest in this sander. It makes projects so much easier. After sanding, make sure to wipe it down with a cloth to remove all the dust before staining.

This was my first time working with stain, and it was a lot less intimidating than I thought it would be. I watched a couple of YouTube videos from Minwax and jumped right in. For my first coat, I used Minwax Interior Wood Stain in Special Walnut. I simply followed the directions on the can by applying it with a natural bristle brush designed for applying stain, let it set for about 5 minutes and then wiped it down with a cloth to remove the excess stain. Here is what it looked like once I was finished.

After, I let this dry for six hours, I decided to do a second coat with Minwax Interior Stain in Weathered Oak to tone down the walnut color and give it a more aged, barn wood look. I applied this stain the same way as above but let it set for 20 minutes before I wiped it down with my cloth. I know you can't see a huge difference in these pics since they were taken in a shop room with no windows, but trust me the effect I achieved is worth this second step.

Since this will be hanging on a wall inside, I decided not to varnish it. Again, going for rustic here. I am applying a verse to my board for my gender neutral nursery I have been working on, but you could literally put anything on here you want from a phrase to an image. Use your computer to create your art or sketch it out yourself. I just created mine in Pages on my Mac using one of my favorite fonts, American Typewriter.

Once you have your image all set flip it over and rub pencil over the area you will be tracing. Don't be shy. Really slap that lead on there.

Next, place it back on your board with some tape and trace the outline. Again, use a heavy hand.

Look at this magic. Your image should now be visible on your board.

Now, you can fill it in anyway you want. I used a can of my Americana Decor® Chalky Finish Paint in Lace and Serene because I had it on hand, but you could any type of craft paint that works on wood.

I just love the finished product. I will be hanging this on the wall in my nursery, so I plan on attaching some hooks and picture wire to the back that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. But I think it looks great propped up on a dresser or shelf as well. Here is what I used on the back of mine.

Ook D Ring

Ook Hanging Wire (50lb. support)

I can't believe how inexpensive it was to create this custom wall art for my nursery. I had most of the items on hand, and the only thing I spent any real money on was the stain. Overall, I think I spent around $15 for my supplies. Stay tuned to see a pic of this project in its true home when I give you a tour of my nursery next week.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliates links. I may receive a small commission from products you purchase after clicking on its associated link.

Walmart Kitchen Table Makeover

2015-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

I am so pregnant, but I managed to sneak in one more client job before we welcome this baby to the fold. Today, we will be looking at a makeover I did for a client who just bought her first home. She is looking to make it her own without breaking the bank and wanted to start with this table and benches she got from Walmart.com. I know some of you might be skeptical about buying furniture from Walmart, but this set is really well made and all wood at an affordable price. Honestly, it is a great set as is, but she wanted to give it a little more character, so we decided to lighten and distress it up. The result is a cozy, little farmhouse table.

The top of the table had a great butcher block finish, so we decided not to touch that and just focus on the apron and legs. As with all my client pieces, I used Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. We went with one of my favorites and a classic, Old White. Followed with lots of distressing with a 150 grit sandpaper and finished off with Annie Sloan Soft Wax in clear. I used a tiny amount of a 1:1 mix of Annie Sloan Soft Wax in dark and clear on the detailing of the legs of both the table and benches to make the aging and distressing look more natural. Cutting the dark wax with clear softens the look as opposed to using it at full strength. I highly recommend this when applying over Old White or your piece may become too muddy.

I love the way the detail of the legs pop once you lighten them up. The black hid those beautiful curves. What do you think? Are we crazy for painting a brand new piece? We don't think so!

Creating Custom Color with Americana® Decor™Chalky Finish Paint

2015-02-26T12:29:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's hard to find just the right shade for your project. Today, I will be talking about mixing a custom color as well as showing you a new paint, Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish. This paint requires no stripping or prepping just like other furniture paints I have used before on Pretty Distressed. You can paint right over your existing finish. The most exciting thing about this paint is that it is really easy to find. It is sold on Amazon.com as well as in your local Hobby Lobby and other craft and hardware stores.

Right now, I am in the thick of finishing up my gender neutral nursery before baby arrives in the upcoming month. I am reusing and repurposing most of the items I had for my daughter's nursery to save some money. This little nightstand is the perfect companion to sit next to my oversized plush rocker. I will be spending lots of time in this thing day and night, so it is a must to have a nightstand to hold my water and Amazon Kindle Fire for late night binge watching while I feed baby. Downton Abbey got me through my last baby.

A couple of years back, my mother refinished this sweet little nightstand we found at Target with some spray paint and acrylic paint when I had my daughter. With the pink highlights, I knew this needed a makeover for my little foxes nursery. It is hard to paint something that has nothing wrong with it, but it is also nice to save the cash by repurposing it and not having to buy brand new. This little project only cost me about $20 in paint, and I have a lot left over for future projects.

To achieve this navy color I was looking for I had to custom mix a couple of colors. Like I mentioned above, I used Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish paint in Carbon and Legacy. I am not an expert in color theory, so if you are like me just simply do a internet search on the color you are wanting to achieve and mix away. I recommend doing a color card like you see below and playing with your paint ratio before you mix a whole batch for your piece. Using a heavy card stock works best for creating a color card like this, and you can store it for future use. I use a teaspoon to mix my proportions evenly. For this project, I wanted a deep navy, so I ended up going with the 1:1 ratio on the card.

Here is what the paint looks like. As I mentioned, you can buy it on Amazon.com, HomeDepot.com, at Hobby Lobby and some other craft stores. If you click on the images below, you can buy them directly from Amazon.com. (I will receive a small percentage from Amazon of this sale if you use these links. See my full disclosure page.) You can also buy Americana® Decor™ waxes and other finishing products as well as brushes. I have my own brushes and used my Annie Sloan Soft Wax that I had on hand, so I can't offer my opinion on those products.

Legacy

Carbon

I was really happy with the paint though. I ended up doing around three coats to achieve the coverage I wanted. And while this paint is perfect for creating a shabby, distressed look, I decided to keep it sleek and modern. It is going to look perfect in the nursery which I hope to take you on a tour of soon.

That is my take on Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish paint. Are you interested in checking it out? Any questions about mixing a custom color? Let me know what you think.

Girly Girl Dresser Companion Piece

2015-02-12T08:53:00.000-06:00

Recently, I finished off a dresser for my daughter's big girl room makeover. And now, I have gotten around to refinishing its companion piece, a chest of drawers. I also have a night stand that goes with this set I picked up at a garage sale this summer for $50 that will stay in the garage until we convert her to a full size bed one day.

In case you missed it, here is the girly girl dresser.

As with the first piece, I selected Blush and Vintage from Mother Earth Paints as well as her Natural Beeswax Finish to complete the chest of drawers. You can read up on my thoughts about Mother Earth Paint by checking out my review I wrote back in January.

I know I preached this a lot, but I will never buy new furniture again. It is so much fun to make over these garage sale and flea market finds especially when they are going in my kids rooms. If they get nicked or scratched, it just adds to the charm of the piece. They are kids. Accidents are going to happen, so it helps me let go of my inner Nervous Nelly. Not to mention the cost savings. I have been able to makeover my daughter's room and our new baby's room for a fraction of the cost of my first born's room.

The Goods on Mother Earth Paints

2015-01-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

I recently shared my Girly Girl Dresser makeover for my daughter's room, and I owe you a review of the paint I used, Mother Earth Paints. The owner, Robin, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in trying out her paints and offering my honest opinion on them. Here is the Pretty Distressed low down on Mother Earth Paints.

Mother Earth Paints is based in Kansas City and was created by a former vintage store owner and avid furniture painter who had used her fair share of chalk enhanced/furniture paint. Her dream was to take her favorite properties from each paint she had come across and put them into one "does it all" paint.

This water-based, low VOC paint has a sweet smell that is not irritating at all, so you can paint in your home without a problem. I had to do three coats of each color to get the coverage I wanted. Normally, I like to only have to do two coats, but I am still saving time by not having to prime or sand the piece. I also think coverage will depend on what your are painting and your purpose, so one or two coats could work for some. I was impressed by how smooth the paint went on and how little brush strokes I saw. This paint would be perfect for those who are interested in getting a smoother, more polished finish versus a rustic thick look.

I selected Blush and Vintage for my paint colors. The Blush color ended up drying a little brighter and less pastel than I expected, but I am still happy with the colors. The Vintage color is an off white but not too creamy. It mixes perfectly with a pure white like you see on the bead board in my daughter's room.

Distressing was also a breeze. Mother Earth can be distressed with a wet sponge or sandpaper. I typically work with sandpaper, so I did the same on this piece. This paint is perfect for creating shabby chic pieces, and you only need a light hand to distress.

To finish off the piece, I used Mother Earth's All Natural Beeswax finish. This product had the biggest difference from other furniture wax I have used. It is made with three simple ingredients: beeswax, olive oil and carnauba wax. It has absolutely no chemical smell at all. The other waxes I have used are so stinky, I use a respirator mask and latex gloves to protect myself. I also found it was easier to get even coverage, and I used way less of this product, too. It creates a really natural looking finish, but I still feel like my paint is well protected.

Robin was kind enough to send me some brushes to try out as well. Both of the brushes are made with 100% natural bristles. They worked perfectly with the paint, and I enjoyed using the flat one for the wax application in tandem with a clean, soft cloth. They are pretty reasonably priced compared to competitor brushes. I have some brushes that cost $60, and these are right up there with them in quality.

Mother Earth Paints are sold at independent retailers across the country. You can find your closest retailer by visiting their Retailers section on their Site. If you don't have a retailer near you, Studio 1404 in Kansas City sells the products online. The Mother Earth Paints Site is under going some renovations right now, but should be offering online sales soon. Here is a list of the paint line's offerings and their Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (prices will vary from vendor to vendor):

Paint Sample jars - 4 oz $ 8.95

Paint Quart - 32 oz $34.95

Satin Topcoat Finish $17.95

Beeswax finish - 6 oz $13.95

-12 oz $23.95

Metallic waxes $11.95

Brushes small $14.95

med $21.95

large $24.95

I hope you will stop by Mother Earth Paints and check them out. Tell them Pretty Distressed sent you. I had a lot of fun trying them out. Happy painting!

Preparing a Gender Neutral Nursery Part 2 - Little Foxes

2015-01-05T09:20:00.004-06:00

As some of you might remember, we are keeping the gender of our baby a surprise until his/her delivery day in April. I learned from the birth of our daughter that taking care of a newborn and trying to finish a nursery is next to impossible, so I will be creating a gender neutral nursery before our baby's arrival.

There have been lots of changes going on at the Muscari house this holiday break. My hard working hubby was able to take two weeks off and nesting was in full effect for our little bundle. My oldest finally graduated to a full size bed, and our soon to be middle child is out of her crib and in a toddler bed. So, this week is all about the baby's room. We got rid of the lilac walls in our spare room and painted it a white neutral from the Sherwin Williams Pottery Barn collection, Pediment. This is the color I have in my foyer and upstairs hallway, and we had enough left over to finish off the room. Decorating on a budget is in full effect. We will also be using the crib, changing table and upholstered chair from my daughter's room.

Last time we talked gender neutral nurseries, I shared with you my Nautical inspired room. While I still love this idea, I have gone in a little bit of different direction and settled on a Little Fox room.

The color scheme is going to be light blue, navy and orange with some natural wood accents. I think this leans a little bit more to the boy side as most gender neutral nurseries do, but I plan on adding some girly accessories if needed.

Like this chandelier:

AF Lighting 8682-4H Naples Mini Chandelier 4 Light Crafted

Or some flower pom poms for over the crib:

Tissue Paper Pom Pom Flower Ball

I will be sewing my own crib bedding, so look for a future post on that. I have narrowed down my fabric choices and should be getting to work on that soon. I will also be painting a nightstand I have in navy- again post to follow. I can't wait to bring this inspiration board to life. I hope you will enjoy the process with me.

Anyone else working on redecorating a room? I feel like the new year always brings lots of inspiration and an inch for some change. I would love to hear about what you are working on.

Happy 1st Birthday!

2015-01-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, readers, and Happy Birthday to Pretty Distressed! I started this blog one year ago today as a creative outlet for a burnt out stay at home mommy. I didn't know if anyone would ever see it or if I had the discipline to keep at it. A year into it, I can say I feel truly blessed for where God has allowed this blog to go.

When I started out, I don't think I believed anyone would read it. I now average around 20,000 page views a month. I know this is small potatoes versus some really successful DIY and home decor bloggers out there, but it really is enough for me. I also never imagined it would turn into a small business where I could make some supplemental income for my family, but I have worked with clients to refinish furniture for them and even sold some pieces, too. This was an answer to a vision God put on my heart a couple of years ago. It really is true, that His ways are higher than ours. I never could of dreamed up that this would be the answer to my prayer.

My hope for Pretty Distressed is to keep it going as long as you keep coming back to read it. I have loved hearing from some of you and answering your questions or just hearing about your projects. I know this pregnancy has slowed me down a little bit, and inevitably, my new baby will limit the amount of projects I can take on. I am okay with that because I will always be a mommy first. One thing I am certain, I will never run out of ideas to makeover my home or Goodwill finds. My hope is that you will stick with me as I continue on this journey.

Here is a look back at my top five favorite projects of 2014.

Bathroom Vanity Makeover with Latex Paint

Goodwill Dresser Upcycle Reveal

Cottage Inspired Dining Hutch

Dining Room - Before & After

Duck Egg Blue Love

Thank you and here's to a healthy and joyful 2015!

Girly Girl Dresser Reveal

2014-12-08T13:23:00.001-06:00

I am trying out a new paint today for the reveal of my girly girl dresser for my daughter's room. Robin over at Mother Earth Paints gave me an opportunity to try out her paints, and I was really impressed with the results. Check out the transformation of this Bassett dresser.

I will be following up this post with a full review of Mother Earth Paints later this week for anyone interested in hearing what I think about them. In the meantime, feel free to check them out for yourself.

This dresser and its companions, a nightstand and highboy dresser, have been hanging out in my garage since May when I scored them at my neighborhood annual community sale. I got the whole set for $50. My husband was a little perturbed when I showed up with these bad boys in the back of the van, but luckily we were able to tuck them in the garage and still park our cars.

Originally, I had them on Pretty Distressed in my Shop Furniture section and was hoping to find someone to custom paint them for. At first I was disappointed they weren't selling, but I think they were always meant to be for my daughter. The set is small and perfect for a child's room. And when we found out we were having another baby in late July, operation "big girl room" went into full effect. Now the changing table and crib will be freed up for baby.

Right around the time I finally dug these out to paint, I was contacted by Robin at Mother Earth Paints who wanted to partner with me on my next furniture makeover. Perfect timing! I selected Blush and Vintage from her collection as well as her Natural Beeswax Finish. The result is the perfect shabby chic, girly girl dresser.

I talk to a lot of people who are scared to use an off white like Vintage because they think it will clash with their true white trim. I personally love the contrast between an off white and true white like you see with the bead board in this room. White on white on white can be too matchy, matchy. I think the off white really adds some depth to the piece. So don't be scared to mix off whites and whites in your decorating. As you can see, it works.

I am hoping to finish up the other companion pieces after Christmas and promise to share a reveal of her complete big girl room sometime in the early new year. Then it will be on to baby's room.

Don't forget to check back later this week for my full review of Mother Earth Paints.

Another Goodwill Makeover...Drexel Heritage Shelf

2014-11-10T11:19:00.000-06:00

Goodwill is one of my favorite spots to find furniture rescues. Their furniture is usually pretty reasonably priced, and they even help you load it in your car. I try to hit up Goodwill every other week even if I am not looking for something specific. Frequent trips give you the best chance of finding that diamond in the rough.

I found this shelf while my daughter and I were waiting on our van to get its scheduled maintenance at our local Toyota dealer. I paid $15 for it, and from what I researched my best guess is that this is a Drexel-Heritage piece from the 1950s or 1960s which is around the time Drexel purchased Heritage, since it only has a Heritage stamp. The company changed its name to Drexel-Heritage in 1968. I haven't been able to pinpoint its exact value, but I know it is well over $15.

I used Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan for this project, and used Annie's signature Two Color Distressed Finish technique. For this process, you start with a base color. I chose Coco and painted it on thickly with my medium Annie Sloan brush with lots of expressive criss-cross strokes to create a lot of texture.

Once my first coat dried, I painted on a thinner layer of Old White with my Purdy white bristle 2" brush. With this process, when you distress with your sandpaper your base color, again mine was Coco, will start coming through, and it creates that French Country look. I used a fine grit sandpaper in 220 and rubbed in a circular motion on my flat surfaces and roughed up the edges. The more texture you use on your base coat the more it will shine through when you start distressing, so don't be afraid to really slap it on there. I finished it off with a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

I put this in my family room where a had a cheesy, fake plant that I have hated for a long time. I borrowed all my props from around my house to stage this puppy, so I will need to hit up Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods soon to stock it up. I didn't think I would be a fan of a really textured piece in my home, but I am loving the contrast to other painted pieces I have.

Are any of you fans of the Two Color Distressed Finish technique? I would love to see some of your pieces.

Duck Egg Blue Love

2014-10-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite kind of day here at Pretty Distressed- a reveal day. I recently got to refinish this roll top desk and was totally grateful that my client let me come shoot it in her home.

I have been wanting to refinish a desk for a long time, and I literally jumped for joy when she selected Duck Egg Blue (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®) as her color. I have done accent pieces in this color all over my house, but have never been brave enough to paint an entire piece with it. I used Old White on the back of the desk to provide a little contrast and didn't wax it so it has a nice chalky look. The hardware was also painted with Old White and finished with Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

She is a girl after my own heart and really let me distress the tar out of this thing. I also used a lot of Annie Sloan Dark Wax to antique it even farther. I shot this piece in its new home, an amazing three season porch off their kitchen with tons of windows and natural light. The thing that got me most excited is how well the Duck Egg Blue looks against the rust colored concrete floor. Gorge!

I am very excited to add this beauty to my portfolio and am thinking I need to find a piece to paint Duck Egg Blue for my home. How about you? Would you be brave enough? If you have doubts, I hope this piece puts them at ease.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission on products you buy through these links.

Preparing a Gender Neutral Nursery

2014-10-16T11:02:00.001-05:00

For those of you that might have missed my recent post, we are expecting our third child next April. Like we did with our daughter, we decided to keep the gender of the baby a surprise until his/her arrival.

There is something very magical about being in the hospital with the anticipation of not knowing if you are about to meet your daughter or son. A little bonus is that it drives our family crazy. Is it wrong that we love to hear them complain and moan about having to wait? Maybe we are a little power hungry or something.

Like I said, we did the same thing with our daughter, but I have learned a lot this time around. I waited until after she was born to put together her nursery. Since I had a boy already, I knew I wanted to do a totally girly and pink room if I had a girl, so I didn't do one thing to the nursery except get a white crib and changing table. I figured I would have time to put it all together once baby came. I must have been totally delusional.

It took me about six months to get her nursery together, and in the meantime, I sat in utter chaos and a very starch, uninviting room to feed her three times a night. It just added to an already draining and difficult season. One thing I am sure of this time around is that I want a completed, cozy and soothing room when I bring our little baby home, so I can enjoy those late night feedings and snuggles without obsessing about needing to complete the nursery. And since I have one boy and one girl, I am a lot more open to having a gender neutral nursery.

I am going to bring you along for the ride as I plan and design my gender neutral nursery. Here is the first of many inspiration boards. I already have a baby blue upholstered and oh so comfy chair and ottoman, so I am working on incorporating that into my color scheme. I could always make a slipcover for it, but my initial research proved that is going to be a time consuming project that I am not sure I want to commit to just yet. So here is my first thought...

The idea is too get the majority of this done before baby arrives. I think this idea leans a little more to the manly side, but I could add more girly accessories if needed. Here is some more great inspiration from around the Web incorporating the navy, baby blue, red color scheme featured in this inspiration board.

By Georgette Westerman from Project Nursery

By Abbie at M is for Momma

I will be back throughout my pregnancy to share other ideas, but in the meantime you can follow my Gender Neutral Nursery board on Pinterest for more inspiration.