{Not Quite} 50 Shades of Gray Tea Cart

by Highstyle Restyle

This tea cart belong to my client's great-aunt and even though it wasn't a valuable antique it had a wealth of sentimental value to them.

{BEFORE}

My client wanted the cart restyled in shades of gray {Christian Grey not included} so I chose Fusion Mineral Paints Stirling and Ash.

The first order of business was replacing the top of the cart. It was water-damaged particle board so Triple Threat set out to build a new piece for me.

See the water damage where the halves meet?

While I was waiting for the top, I starting working on the wheels. My client felt they looked cheap (and I agreed). I desperately wanted to paint the tires too but worried about durability over time on something moving.

{BEFORE}

So, I opted to only give the spokes a makeover courtesy of Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint in Flat Iron.

Better already, right?

Once the wheels were finished, it was time to move on to painting the body of the cart while I waited for the new top to be built.

Check out those legs!

When the new top was finished, I painted the entire top with Fusion's Ash. Once it was completely dry, I used a stencil to create a fleur-de-lis design

A symmetrical fleur-de-lis was perfect!

To seal the entire serving cart, I used an outdoor rated polyurethane so my client's family could enjoy serving and entertaining outdoors.

My favorite part of my job is preserving the memories of my clients while updating pieces to fit their own tastes.

High tea anyone?

My client originally thought the serving cart would an accent piece for her outdoor patio. She changed her mind when she saw it and decided it needed to be in their family room.

To see more of my projects, follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/High-Style-Restyle/296597457120303