This is all part of the lightening and summerizing the guest bedroom that I've been meaning to do for a month now. Nothing like a little company coming to spur you on to finish something on your to-do list. And since Leo won a quart of Duck Egg Blue Annie Sloan chalk paint at the conference, I decided to paint my perfume bottle cabinet with it.
I have a pretty good collection of perfume bottles. I started the collection over 20 years ago right after I met Leo. I have always had an interest in perfume and bottles because I worked in cosmetics before I started teaching school, and I've even had a part-time job selling women's fragrances while teaching.
The bottle on the left is one of my favorites because Leo brought back this bottle when he made a trip to California.
And this antique green bottle is another favorite because it was a gift from a parent of a student of mine. She took the time to find out what I collected and gifted me with this bottle at the end of the school year. What an extraordinary gift which I shall always treasure.
I told Leo that I had always wanted a cabinet to display the bottles, and he bought me one years ago. He bought the cabinet at Bombay (what happened to those stores?), and it had a dark finish which I have always liked, but I decided to give it a little update by painting it.
A few days ago, it was so beautiful that I decided to paint outside under a pine tree in our yard.
Thanks to the awesome sponsors of the Haven conference, I had everything I needed to make this a totally free project.
Here's the cabinet all taped up and ready to be painted. If you are unfamiliar with Annie Sloan chalk paint, the main advantage of using it is that you don't have to sand or remove the finish before you paint.
I just started brushing on that gorgeous Duck Egg blue color. It covered the dark stain easily.
While I was waiting for the first coat to dry, I thought I would try the chalk paint on a canvas lampshade that I had picked up at the auction. I actually picked up a stack of them because no one wanted them. That means they were FREE people! (Now you know why we go to the auction every Monday.)
Look at how pretty it looks now!
Another benefit of using the Annie Sloan chalk paint is that it dries really fast. Two coats dried very quickly especially with the breeze that we had on Wednesday.
I decided to distress the cabinet by doing a little light sanding to allow some of the dark finish to show.
I just use a fine grit sandpaper folded over several times and sand in areas to give it that worn look as though the cabinet was old.
After the paint was dry, I was ready to wax the cabinet. I pulled out my Annie Sloan waxes that I won in a giveaway months ago on the blog Coastal Charm.
It is the wax that gives the chalk paint a beautiful, lustrous sheen and a protective finish. I use an old Lancome facial cleaning brush to apply my wax. First I waxed the cabinet with the clear wax. The brush helps me to "push" the wax into the paint. After letting the clear wax dry a bit, I started applying the dark wax. I have learned to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use the dark wax unless you've applied the clear wax first. If you've never used the dark wax, that is what gives the piece the "antiquey" look and adds depth to the color.
Here it is all waxed and the taped removed. I left it outside for several hours in order for the wax to totally dry while I was canning lots of homemade tomato sauce that day!
The next day I buffed the wax with a soft cloth and cleaned the glass with some of that awesome Fish Foam Window Cleaner that we got at the conference. Leo hung it back on the wall for me, and I'll have to say that the soft blue "aged" color looks fabulous with the wall color, which is coffee by Valspar.
The bottles have all been placed inside.
It's ready for my company this weekend, but the rest of the bedroom isn't. YIKES! I've got a lot to do.
Barbara Adams
I just found you via Pinterest. I have the exact cabinet that I use for my collection of perfume bottles. I would never have thought to paint it. Thank you for the inspiration!
rose
i love the little bottles they are so cool
from rose
jane
Rose, I'll pass them along to you one day! (Rose is our granddaughter!)
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch)
Jane, it turned out beautifully! So wonderful that you won the paint...perfect timing for this project. 🙂 Loved your wax tips!
jane
Susan, you are right. It was perfect timing to win the paint. I was actually toying with the idea of painting it with Old White, but the blue is actually a better color for the cabinet.
Mary
Jane~ Your cabinet looks beautiful wearing its new coat of AS blue! What a wonderful collection of perfume bottles! Stay Cool 🙂
jane
Mary, each perfume bottle and how I obtained it has it's own little story.
Debbie-refreshrestyle
Jane, it looks great!! Love all your bottles too 🙂
Debbie
jane
Thanks Debbie! It was so much fun getting to know you at Haven.
Melanie
It turned out great!!
jane
Thanks Melanie! It's always great when you stop by and leave your comments.
Gretchen
What a beautiful cabinet! It looks great and since I haven't used the waxes yet, I appreciated knowing about applying clear wax first. I know your guests will love seeing it too.
jane
Yes, my friend Susan, who has seen the cabinet before, commented on the new look.
Carlene @ Oganized Clutter
I still have not tried Annie Sloane chalk paint! After I see a great end result like your cabinet, I'm always motivated to try it. I think only one place in Minnesota sells it, but I could order.
jane
Carlene, the paint is expensive, but you don't have to spend money (or time) on primer in order to get good coverage. So if you have a special piece that you want to paint, then I'd recommend it.
Susan
Jane, the cabinet redo looks wonderful!! Love the softer color and "antiquing" that you did. It really shows off your collection! Great idea on the lampshade too!!! Is it going in your guestroom? I haven't yet used chalk paints, but I have several projects that are calling out to me. Glad to know the AS wax is the best. Really enjoy your blogs! Thanks and have a wonderful weekend with your guests!
jane
Yes, the lampshade is going in the guestroom. I am going to paint the base of the lamp that I'm putting it on, and I plan to embellish the shade in some way.
Jean Windham
Oh Jane I love he look of the painted cabinet. I would have been afraid to paint over a dark finish. I can see where the chalk paint makes this much easier. The bottles actually look much better in the new painted cabinet. Great job... Can't wait you see it in person.
jane
I think the bottles stand out better with the new color, too. They sort of got lost in the dark cabinet! It was great to see you and Woody yesterday.
Diane
Your cabinet turned out really nice Jane! I'm sure you can't take your eyes off of it each time you pass it by. It's a great update! Love the color too!
jane
Thanks Diane! I think that I'm going to paint a small table in that room the same color.
Melanie
Love that perfume cabinet even more now!!! It is lovely!! the perfume bottles really show up now. Those bottles are so pretty, you have a wonderful collection!!!
jane
Thanks Melanie! When the cabinet got full, I stopped collecting perfume bottles, but when I see a real pretty one now, it's hard to resist! Thanks for stopping by!
Ann
Aren't you smart to paint the lamp shade? Great job. I adore that color. I am completely out of my AS paint. I have been thinking about making my own chalk paint and then splurging on the AS wax. I have used Minwax but it's definitely not as good. Have a wonderful time with your guests!
jane
Ann, I've made some homemade chalk paint that works great on some projects, but I agree, the Annie Sloan waxes are the best.
jim
cool
jane
Thanks Jim!
Barbara F.
Cabinet looks beautiful, you have a lovely collection of perfume bottles. Have a great weekend with your guests. xo
jane
They are due any minute! I'm so excited to see them. Good thing I got that cabinet finished!
debbie
What a gorgeous piece Jane. Look at you all smiling while you are painting. It it is so much fun to paint with Annie's paint. You did a great job. I love the bottles too.
jane
Thanks Debbie! It really is a joy to paint with ASCP. What I like is that you don't have to prime your pieces before you paint with it.
Eileen
Beautiful job and I love that color. I'll have to try it.
jane
Yes, the duck egg blue is such a soft, blue-grey color. I already have a set of sheets in the guest room that are the exact color.
Sweet Bee Cottage
For goodness sake! Those bottles just POP now that they're in that duck egg blue cabinet! It just looks so pretty! Now I better go catch up with what else you've been up to lately. I see you went to Haven and I didn't even know it.
jane
Janeen, you must go to Haven next year so that we can meet!
CAS
It looks beautiful, Jane, and what a lovely collection you have.
CAS
jane
Carol, thanks for saying so. I really like it better, too.
Deneen
Love your bottle collection! The cabinet is perfect for them!
jane
Hi Deneen, thanks for visiting, and it was so good to see you at Haven.
Ginger
Jane, That looks beautiful. I love all your pretty bottles. Sweet collection.
Blessings, Ginger:)
jane
Thanks Ginger. It's a girly thing to do. My new fragrance in this heat is Eau de Sweat!
Olive
I love it. It is lighter and brighter.
jane
Olive, I'm trying to lighten and brighten the whole guest room. I'll do a future post when I get it finished.
Susan in SC
Very pretty cabinet! I really like the color and it really shows off your pretty bottles.
jane
Susan, when the cabinet got full of bottles, I stopped collecting them!
Gina
It's so pretty, Jane. Love the color you chose.
jane
Thanks Gina. I've been wanting to paint something with the Duck Egg blue for a while now.
Kris
Jane,
Isn't that Annie Sloan Chalk paint just wonderful? I love it and have used it on my kitchen chairs and the table base of my top. I distressed mine too and used just the clear wax. I was afraid to use the dark as I have heard it is hard to work with. I want to paint a side table I have in the Linen color but haven't gotten around it yet.
I think you did a fantastic job and I love the Duck Egg Blue color (blue is my favorite color). 🙂
jane
Kris, I was afraid of using the dark wax at first, but I watched a video online. And now I wouldn't think of not using it because I love the result that it gives you.
Joy M
Lovely refreshed cabinet.
jane
Joy, I'm loving the new color! Thanks for commenting.