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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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June 9, 2017

Dining Room Buffet Table Makeover

I’m pretty sure that free furniture is the best kind of furniture. Well, maybe I should clarify that. I’m pretty sure that free furniture that is vintage and lovely and perfectly fits a space in your home is the best kind of furniture.

A couple of years ago, my in-laws moved into a retirement community and with the purchase of their home came several items left behind by the previous owner. Some were…ahem…interesting to say the least.

But, one piece was a beautiful vintage Drexel dresser. My mother-in-law/love knew that I had been looking for something to replace my giant china cabinet that I had recently sold and she kindly offered me the dresser.

I first shared it with you here and I was convinced that I really wanted to leave it untouched. But, two years later, I was starting to feel like it was just a bit too yellow-y and against my yellow-y walls it just wasn’t working for me anymore.

So, one day last week I decided it was time to give it a little bit of a facelift.

And, apparently it was sooooo little of a facelift that when my husband came home from work and I excitedly ushered him into the dining room and asked, “Do you notice anything different?”, it took a LOT of prodding from me before he realized it had been painted. 😉

But, that’s ok because I honestly didn’t want to do anything too dramatic and even though I know some folks really like a super distressed look I wanted to keep it fairly crisp looking. I used DecoArt Chalky Finish paint in ‘Primitive’ color.

I did lightly sand over the raised molding detail to let some of the gold come through and I love how it adds more depth to the piece.

I also decided to keep the original hardware and I left the top as-is because I liked the contrast of the darker wood against the lighter color on the body.

I have several projects that I’m planning to tackle around the house this summer and it feels so good to get the first one checked off the list!

Even if I’m the only one who notices it. 😉

What are some of the projects you are hoping to get done this summer?

Thanks so much for meeting me at the fence today friends!

24 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Dining Room, Good Ideas Tagged With: budget decorating

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Comments

  1. Sandy says

    June 9, 2017 at 3:26 AM

    It’s beautiful!

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    June 9, 2017 at 5:21 AM

    Vanessa, that sounds like my husband. It looks great white. We are supposed to tackle the master bath at some point. It was supposed to be started in April, but life got in the way.

    Reply
  3. Susan says

    June 9, 2017 at 5:59 AM

    How do you like the yellow color of your walls in northern light. Most of my windows are on the north east side of the house and to my eye it gives colors a gray-green cast. I love white walls but they are just dreary in this house. What is the name of the paint and where did you purchase it? Do you think it will stay the soft beautiful color that you have or turn green in my conditions?

    Does anyone out there know of a white-white that can stand up to northern light, especially on gray days?

    Thanks

    Reply
  4. Beverly Cook says

    June 9, 2017 at 5:59 AM

    I did notice the crisp difference right away, Vanessa! 🙂 I love it! I have similar colored walls, and I know the smallest change in furniture color can make a piece like yours pop beautifully! ❤️

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:26 AM

      Thank you so much Beverly! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Heide V says

    June 9, 2017 at 9:00 AM

    It looks fresh and beautiful, and still like itself….job perfectly done 🙂

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:26 AM

      Thank you so much Heide!

      Reply
  6. Pamela says

    June 9, 2017 at 10:27 AM

    Looks great. Love the original hardware.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:26 AM

      Thank you Pamela!

      Reply
  7. Vicki Obenhaus says

    June 9, 2017 at 10:35 AM

    What a wonderful piece! My goal this summer is to tackle the shutters that I have gathered over the past 10 years and put a clear coat of something on them to preserve their chippiness and attach it to the wall behind our bed as a headboard. There are other things that need to be done, but if I get that one thing done, that will be a great success!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:26 AM

      Oh that sounds like such a neat project Vicki! And I agree that even if you just get that one thing done you can count it a success! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kathy Hunt says

    June 9, 2017 at 11:01 AM

    So glad you’re enjoying it still! Love what you’ve done with it!

    Reply
  9. Julie Briones says

    June 9, 2017 at 1:34 PM

    Oooo, I love the ‘white’ update… and how you just sanded the moldings. It was a good choice!

    My updates for this summer: My half-finished-dresser-turning-TV-console
    Little chair that will be turning white
    Side-table that will be getting a ‘grain sack’ look
    And…. eventually, but probably will not get done this summer. The Hoosier aka baker’s cabinet that I inherited from my mom’s move into a retirement home. It will be white, as well! @.@

    Can you guess what my mantra is when I’m shopping?… “Paint it white” >.<

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:25 AM

      LOL Julie!! That is quite the list! It sounds like you have your work cut out for you but it also sounds like you love it and I know everything will turn out just beautifully. Have a great weekend! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Robin says

    June 9, 2017 at 4:02 PM

    Love the finished look. Anxious to try this product on a buffet. How long do you have to wait to put things on it?

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:23 AM

      Hi Robin! It dried really quickly, especially since it was a warm day. I didn’t do anything to the top so I was able to decorate it right away but I waited a few hours before I put the hardware back on. 🙂

      Reply
  11. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    June 9, 2017 at 9:17 PM

    Looks lovely! Nice job, Vanessa! That sideboard is beautiful!

    Have a great weekend with your family!

    Blessings!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:22 AM

      Thank you so much Mary-Ann! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Doris Raab says

    June 10, 2017 at 7:10 AM

    Very pretty and the hardware is gorgeous!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 10, 2017 at 8:22 AM

      Thank you so much Doris!

      Reply
  13. Sandy says

    June 14, 2017 at 6:27 AM

    I love the subtle changes that you made to the buffet/dresser. I hope to find a nice buffet to replace the Hoosier cabinet I have in my dining area. It’s nice to be able to add lamps to a buffet pice. It takes forever for my husband to notice any changes I make to our rooms.

    Reply
  14. Rose L. says

    June 14, 2017 at 10:01 AM

    It looks nice and job well done!

    Reply
  15. Shirley @Housepitality Design s says

    June 26, 2017 at 5:04 PM

    I love it! …. great job and it looks fantastic….and I definitely would have noticed it!

    Reply
  16. Ashlyn says

    July 17, 2017 at 7:19 PM

    Love the county chic look!! I actually love it both ways but I will say, with the gold, it looks more expensive. =)

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
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Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
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The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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