Southwestern Buffet

This buffet was a local find from a neighbor who was moving to Arizona and made me promise to do something fun with it. I think I kept that promise as it's certainly fun and full of color. We started with the usual prep which is cleaning it up with Krud Kutter and some shop towels. Next it was time to scuff sand with 220 grit. Scuff sanding will help paint adhere so this is a must do.

Next, we applied a raised stencil using some spackle and a spreader. Next we mixed together some texture powder and paint for our base coat.

We used a chip brush to dab it on, this is called stippling.

This was the top after removing the lifting veneer, sanding and wood filling. It still wasn't perfect so the top got the same texture. plan was to layer, so multiple colors and coats.

Next we added a few different blues on top of the yellow, but stippled this too, allowing the yellow layer to show through.

Next we used a palette knife to highlight the raised stencil with another bold color. We continued to do this with a few different colors, making sure to vary the colors and add ones that would play off each other and not blend too much. Remember we are going for bold and fun here 💗

Next, we used a medium cream coffee color for the top, then used the same yellow to lightly stipple the top for another layer of color. I've found cheap chip brushes are perfect for stippling especially when using any sort of texture medium because you don't have to go through the hassle of cleaning out the brushes with a brush comb but can simply toss it away when you are done.

We used another stencil for the back molding and on the top did a fading stencil that resembled old worn down tiles with some gold paint. Then we used a darker brown for some shading on the edges and hinges, sort of a rusty look.

We sealed it and then replaced the handles.

It came out really fun and bold. I think I made my neighbor proud!

I ended up making some canvas art to go with the piece since I had so much fun with the stencil and texture. If you've never done something out of your comfort zone when painting, you should seriously consider it as the process is just as much fun as the end result.