Perfectly Imperfect

One of the things I love about refinishing old furniture is that I get to decide what a piece will look like. And sometimes, I don't know what that will be until I get started. Once I put that first layer of paint on a piece it begins to have a mind of its own.  The best part about vintage or old pieces, is that the piece doesn't have to be perfect.  In a world of perfection and beauty, I find this in the worn edges, cracks and chips that are in old pieces.  Those imperfections tell a story.  A woman sent me an email asking me how to get her paint to look perfectly smooth without imperfections.  If you want perfectly painted pieces,  I can tell you how to achieve this but then I ask why?  Let your old pieces tell a story and free yourself from feeling like your piece has to be perfect.  I was in Celadon the other day, a neat home furnishing store here in Mt. Pleasant, SC and was looking at this fabulous white hutch.

It was beautiful and new and made to look old and worn.  The inside had a finish that you can easily achieve with a dark wax or a glaze using heavy brush strokes.  

The edges were heavily distressed so you can see the wood through the paint.

The distressing and glaze gives the piece character and makes you feel like it has been moved around and opened a thousand times.  Is it perfect?  Yes. It is perfectly imperfect!  And that is what is great about refinishing old furniture - or, in this case, buying new furniture that looks old.  

Embrace imperfection!  

Happy Wednesday.

Paula