Monday, June 13, 2011

Robin’s Egg Armoire

It’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to finish up a project!  Thanks to you all for hanging in there with me.  The last couple months of pregnancy are not for sissies, that’s for sure!  But I’ve got a great one for ya this morning!

You’ll remember in my last post that I picked up this REALLY, really heavy armoire (thank goodness for my strong hubby) at a thrift store the other week. 

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It’s been so long since I’ve been out painting that I couldn’t wait to jump in!  I was poking around on Pinterest (which I’m just starting) for some inspiration and came across this fantastic Robin’s Egg Blue hutch that The Nester did for her living room. 

I was further “egged on” (pun intended) by my loyal Facebook peeps, and I got to crackin’ mixing up a custom Robin’s Egg paint brew in my workshop.  (Mine might be a smidge greener than Miss Nester’s, but I’m pretty happy with the result!)

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I decided to keep the original hardware on the bottom of the armoire.  I thought it gave it some weight and I liked the faux keyholes (keyhole hardware is so big right now.)

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But I switched out the big handle pulls on the top of the piece in favor of some daintier knocker pulls that I had in my stash.  The hardware got a coat of my favorite bright and shiny metallic paint, Rustoleum’s Bright Coat in Chrome.  (I haven’t quite decided if I want to leave them bright silver or give them an antiquing glaze to make them look more like pewter.  What do you think?)

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On a very exciting side note, I picked up a fabulous Federal style Secretary on Saturday from a young guy who was cleaning out his late mother’s estate.  He advertised it on Craigslist as a “Curio Cabinet” for $40 and I just about died when I saw the picture!

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It’s in really good condition.  It actually still has the top finial (in between the pediment on top) that just needs a dollop of wood glue to reattach.  It also still has the really awesome skeleton key for the locks!!  I decided I’m going to try and sell it as is before I do anything to it, because this is a real antique.  So I started doing a little research online, and I found this very similar one (probably a little better condition)…

listed for $1300 on Ebay!!  So I’m going to contact a few antique dealers in town this week to come and check mine out!  So glad I didn’t slap any paint on her yet!!  Wish me luck.  I feel like I’m on Antique Roadshow.  ;)

Linking to:

House of Grace, Primtive and Proper

24 comments:

  1. You must keep us posted on what the antique dealers say...I am dying to find out! Love that blue you used on the hutch...what a beautiful transformation! The silver hardware is gorgeous!

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  2. What a deal on the secretary! Excited to hear what you find out.

    The duck egg cabinet looks gorgeous. Love!

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  3. what a score on that secretary! Good luck flipping it for a nice profit. I love the blue you mixed up - and the chrome hardware is beautiful against it. I'd leave it, it's fab :) When are you due?

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  4. oh i love the color on the armoire and the silver looks great with it!

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  5. I LOVE the blue! Perfect for a baby's nursery, I think!

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  6. Great job on the armoire! Love the color. What an amazing deal on the secretary!

    ~ Tracy

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  7. wow, i love the blue with the silver handles - gorgeous!

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  8. Anne Marie- it looks very nice, and definitely lightens the whole piece up.

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  9. Love this! I vote leaving the knobs shiny.

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  10. Wow, what a difference! I love the color!

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  11. That is great! What a diamond in the rough steal!
    I love the armoire! The blue is very pretty and I like the hardware as is.
    -JoAnna
    www.re-ublog.com

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  12. Great job! I'm your newest follower. Do you have good success selling your painted furniture? I love transforming things, but there is only so much that I can keep.
    Rita

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  13. I love that color!! It's so pretty!! Turned out great!

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  14. It turned out so well! Love the colour. I posted recently about colour advice for painting our armoire, and am still deciding!

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  15. Love, love the re-do! Paired with silver, looks awesome! What a find..... $.....4....0.....00!!!
    Wow. Way to go!

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  16. Beautiful work in robin's egg blue!

    your new desk.....my mother in law has one just like it, and when we were back in South Carolina, we found four or five almost identical....It was a very popular style and it looks like a lot were sold...does not make them any less lovely, but I would be suprised if it was "rare,"
    ps....if I ever inherited my Mother in Law's, I would paint it either the blue or that Annie Sloan color, Imperial Red.....very pretty!

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  17. LOVE the color you chose for the armoire! And GREAT CL find!!

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  18. BEAUTIFUL! Great color and great piece:) I'm a new follower:)

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  19. Gorgeous! My fave color! I'm going to feature this on my post tomorrow!
    http://beachhouseinthecity.blogspot.com

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  20. Beautiful color, and I love the glitz of the shiny silver on the blue. :)

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  21. I agree with canngil, I think these secretaries were sold thru Sears, or some where similar. My Grandmother had one with a dark cherry stain, i have pictures of it in the corner of the living room at her house from clear back in the 40's I think. We gave it to my daughter, she didn't care that it wasn't worth a lot, she just wanted it for memories. Few years back, a rowdy guest put his elbow thru one of the glass doors, breaking the glass and a few of the wood pieces. She read him the riot act and made him pay to fix it, not a cheap fix either!
    I think with the right paint job, which you do so well, this secretary could be someones next stand out focal piece!

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  22. L>O>V>E the color! It's beautiful!
    Debbie

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  23. I love the color and the hardware nice job!
    Shiny knobs........CLEVER :)

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  24. Omg I love the armoire! It's execptional! I hope you scored big on the antique.

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We love lovely gals showin' some love!