The Hurricane Buffet

I love finding and refinishing antique buffets. Each one is so unique and they have tons of character. Making them fresh and beautiful again with paint is exciting and rewarding.

Every time I have a buffet for sale at a vendor show it is always the first piece sold. If I had 10, I know they would all go just as quickly. So when I found this beauty I decided to put her up for sale unpainted and let the buyer choose the finish. A young woman named Ale messaged me the same day it was posted. She instantly recognized a diamond in the rough when she saw it and jumped at the chance to make it her own.

A recent newlywed, Ale is enjoying decorating her first home with her husband, Andy. She asked for the buffet to be a darker shade of either grey or blue. Luckily I have the perfect color to accomplish both, Country Chic Paint in Hurricane. It’s a gorgeous stormy grey with a hint of blue. Two coats and this tired, old, neglected buffet instantly breathed new life. Hurricane covers great in just one coat, but I always like to do a second to ensure flawless coverage. Two thin coats are recommended rather than one heavy for best adhesion results.

Antiquing Wax was used as the perfect finishing touch to bring out the details in the grooves and carvings. I applied a layer of Antiquing Wax with a wax brush and then used a cotton clothe to spread it out and buff off the excess. If the Antiquing Wax is too dark in spots, I use Natural Wax to lighten and “erase”. I love the smokey glazed effect this technique adds to vintage pieces. It created a beautiful old world look that is so authentic for this buffet from the 1940’s.

Ale likes natural wood and was hoping to have the top stained. However the top had a lot of damage that needed to be filled so staining was not an option. Instead we decided to leave the detail between the drawers unpainted and then restrain the legs to match. I thought this was a great way to save some of the original Art Deco Waterfall character.

Great legs catch my attention every time. The curvy turned set on this buffet nearly had me drooling they’re are so gorgeous. Making them a different color than the body of the buffet is the perfect way to show them off. After stripping and restaining, these beautiful legs were finished with Country Chic Antiquing Wax to add a little more depth and dimension. This created the perfect finish to match the original carvings between the drawers.

Original – After Stripped and Stained – With Antiquing Wax

With the help of Country Chic paint and wax, this ugly duckling is now beautiful once again and yet it still looks antique with timeless style. It’s a stunning one of a kind piece that Ale and Andy can love together for many years.