Sandra, a lovely lady from Niagara Falls, Ontario, dropped this Jacobean style painted vanity with mirror to be refinished and cleaned up for her newly renovated bedroom. She explained it was a piece that was given to her by family and was just sitting around collecting dust. She could see the potential in having it cleaned up and used in her new space.
I’m so glad I had an opportunity to work on this piece. I suggested that we refinish the tops of the end cabinets of the vanity and paint the rest of the desk. I started by taking the vanity apart. I then stripped and sanded the tops, followed by staining the cabinets with General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain and finished them with Minwax Rub-On Polyurethane.
The next step involved painting the rest of the cabinet with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in a colour called Old White. Two coats were added with a third in some spots to ensure good coverage. To give it more of an aged look I distressed all those lovely details and edges with a 220 grit sandpaper. As a final step, I waxed the painted surface with Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax for protection and durability.
After completing the vanity I had just the right chair that would match perfectly to the desk. I painted the Jacobean wooden chair in the same Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White with a lovely piece of indoor/outdoor fabric to cover the seat.
True perfection! Sandra was so happy with the way it all turned out she actually shed a few tears! Tears of happiness!