Before + After: Blue jean inspired cabinet

Hi friends! I hope you all had a wonderful start to your week. Ours has been a little rough around the edges - the Fall-back time change kicked our rears last year and it's doing the same thing this year. Our kids are waking up super duper early, getting less sleep, and are certifiable savages during the day. I'm digging deep to remain patient and calm and trusting the Lord that this chaos will not leave long lasting implications on our collective blood pressure....(kidding, partly). 

Thankfully, I was able to squeeze in a really fun refinished piece last week before we all went off our rocker on Sunday! Like this set that I shared recently, I didn't have a really defined idea of what I'd do with this piece at first glance.

The interesting double-folding cabinets, tapered brass legs, interior storage, and overall quality of the piece were enough to seal the deal, and I stuffed it into our van with the three little ones in toe, (or is it tow?). After painting it white it just looked so bland, like a big white box. There are absolutely times when a can of white paint feels right, but this wasn't one of them. So, off I went to Home Depot to fill my inspiration tank, (as Cate calls it)!

And I found exactly what I needed!

Leave it to good ol' Ralph Lauren to create a brush just for applying a denim treatment. I mean, I know brushes like this existed before, but c'mon; Ralph Lauren is the king of denim. With this handy brush and the perfect shade of blue jean blue, (America's Cup Navy, by Glidden), I was equipped to turn this cabinet into something special.

Let's zoom in a bit.

I would suggest practicing the application on scrap wood before applying to your piece. I had a scrap of plywood which helped me get comfortable with this technique. I should have taken a picture of that! Let's just say the practice was VERY helpful. :) My biggest advice, (aside from practicing first), is not to load the brush with too much paint. You'll end up with really thick, dark smudges of paint, when really you want it to look kind of bled on and thin. Does that make sense? Just practice first, you'll see what I'm saying.

I'm completely smitten with this marriage of paint and my favorite fashion staple! I'm finding that fashion has more of an influence over the way I refinish furniture than I thought. This leather-pull piece combined two other loves; creamy off-white and leather!

Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, I was able to get some input when trying to decide on the hardware for this piece. I had two options: Brass handles recycled from an old piece, or these original pulls which I refinished in the same denim treatment. 23 votes came in - 20 for the brass and 3 for the originals. What a pickle! Both were stunning choices. In the end it came down to one tiny detail: the brass handles were not a perfect match to the brass legs. The handles were a much lighter shade and the difference between the two wasn't looking exactly right. And the point of this piece was to try a new technique and let that take center stage. The full length original handles won this round and are perfect for debuting this particular piece. The best part about making difficult hardware decisions? It can always be switched out. :) 

There's still plenty of dazzling brass on this cabinet, though, and I think it's striking the balance between casual and elegant just beautifully. Like dressing up your best pair of jeans with heels and jewelry, (or saddle shoes and a leather elbow patched blazer if you're a guy - yea I like men's fashion).

Hello, Organization! Seriously, these drawers could be life changing for someone out there. And the double-folding cabinet doors don't hurt either.

After seeing Cate's latest piece, (already sold), we all discovered how awesome these kinds of drawers are when left unhidden! Removing the right cabinet door could instantly transform the piece, (again!), adding even more versatility to it's resume.

A quick interruption to share one of my favorite tablescape accents: Branches! Can you believe I pulled these branches from our back yard over a year ago? It's a miracle they didn't set on blazing fire above the candle flames...

Denim Cabinet, now available
48"L x 32"H x 19"D
$450

Email chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested!
 

Thank you so much for stopping by!