I love it when I find a piece of furniture with beautiful original hardware. The curves and ornate details can be so pretty... but also very "old lady." Sometimes those old brass knobs and pulls can make a shabby chic piece feel very dated.
One solution is whitewashing. There are probably several ways to do this, but here's my version.
Materials:
Paint Thinner
White or cream paint
Chip brush
Bucket or mixing container
Satin finish spray polyurethane
Towel
To begin, wipe the hardware down with paint thinner. I like the Kwik Strip safe paint thinner. It works well and is not as strong-smelling. Wash with soap and water and let dry.
Once the hardware is clean, mix your paint. Pour a dollop of paint in a small bucket and add a little water. I usually don't measure it out. You want it to be thinned a little so the paint is transparent. If you have too much water, it won't adhere well. If that happens, just wipe it off and add more paint. I used a satin finish cream color, but any finish would work fine.
TIP: If you don't have anything on hand, have the hardware store mix up a sample size. These are only a few dollars, and they really cut down the cost of your projects.
Now that your paint is ready, apply it using an inexpensive chip brush. Let it dry, and take a towel to wipe the paint off slightly. You can do this as much or little as you like. Then, follow with two coats of spray polyurethane.
Voila!
I love the way it turned out!
If this isn't your style, you can also spray paint hardware. Make sure you clean it well, spray it and finish with polyurethane. You don't always have to spend money on new knobs and pulls to give your furniture a fresh look. Many pieces can be updated with just a few dollars.
If you need help giving your furniture a face-lift, contact me at aliciaslittlehouse{at}gmail{dot}com.
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