I bought this little thrift shop table for its attractive ‘leggy’ legs – long, slim and elegant! I believe this style of leg is called cabriole (if you know better, please let me know). I’ve also been dying to try out a new transfer – the Rose Celebration from Re-design with Prima and I thought it would really suit this pretty piece.
It turned out to be one of those longer-than-anticipated projects; first I stripped off the top layer of laquer (I used methylated spirits and steel wool) and then painted it with a thin layer of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (= undercoat, primer and stain blocker). I don’t use this primer very often, just when it’s very dark wood, or an old piece, to seal in the tannins and prevent any stains coming through. Anyway luck was on my side as it was 28C here today, a really warm late-Spring day in Sydney so as soon as I painted a layer of something it dried almost instantly (the downside was humidity, ants, inquisitive cats, and the odd sprinkling of rain, but anyway it was nice to be working outside!)
These two hooligans kept me company pretty much all day.
I was aiming for a warm creamy colour and ended up mixing a creamy white (Linen by Made by Paint) with a more earthy/caramel tone (Akubra by Mezzie and Frank). I thought this would be a nice warm, neutral base for the transfer. I didn’t change the drawer knob but painted it to match as I didn’t want it to stand out.
I let it dry overnight before beginning on the transfer – I find these tend to adhere better once the paint has had plenty of time to dry. I haven’t used a coloured transfer before but I saw the Prima Marketing team giving a demo at the Makers & Painters Market in Melbourne last month and I thought it was STUNNING! I bought mine online from Rustic Farmhouse Charm in WA, they really have a good range.
It’s a pretty big transfer but it comes in segments, which means you can just use a little if you need to. I think my sister might go a little bit ga-ga over the roses (are you reading this Sis?) and so I’m saving some for a project for her. I began with the top part of the table:
And I covered all of the top, and front of the table. The drawer was a bit fiddly (especially as I didn’t measure and cut very accurately – too excited about the process!). Anyway, it worked out OK. I found that you can always add in an extra leaf or bloom if there is a gap or a bit missing. I finished the piece with two layers of my favourite Flat Matte Sealer from the Artisan Paint Company. It goes on really smoothly and leaves a durable layer with no shine.
Here’s the final piece. What do you think?
