Vintage Drexel Buffet Makeover Hand Painted Before and After

I can not believe how sweet this Vintage Drexel Buffet makeover out! This is a beautiful and stunning finish that highlights the pieces amazing hardware and original wood details. Drexel’s are well known for their fantastic construction and “good bones”. This one was no different. The issue this one had was sun damage on the sideboard’s top. How would you have refinished this piece? Would you have left the wood? Let me know in the comments! We all have different visions of what should be done to a piece to enhance it. I actually put this one up on my social media with a couple of options and you helped me decided what to do with this piece. You chose the option B! Vanilla Bear base paint with Hazelnut top slightly antiqued with the hazelnut as an antiquing glaze. I listened and oh wow… the results are stunning!

Now this is how I refinish a wooden buffet! 

I nicknamed this one Big Bertha as it was to date one of the largest pieces I had refinished. LOL! But look at her now! WOW! So sweet and classy. She brightens up the room instead of bring it down with the previous finish. Smooth solid coats of vanilla bear chalk paint dressed her right. This piece is perfect for a traditional home. The design styles it could be decorated with would be Classical Southern, Colonial and possibly even a Modern Craftsman style home.  

Look at this lovely Drexel credenza wood!

Once the sun damaged finish was removed from the top of this piece the beauty of the wood began to show through. There was no way I was going to cover up this stunning design feature. So lets lighten up the edging with a clear sealer and do a two tone finish in with a Hazelnut stain in the center. I just can’t get over how much I love this look. It is class and a fantastic way to appreciate it’s original design intention. 

 

This Vintage Drexel Buffet Makeover had stunning hardware!

The next thing I absolutely adored with this piece was it’s hardware! The exterior and interior was a fantastic mash up of tradition and modern styles. Simply lovely with it’s brassy shine on the inside and it’s lovely patina on the exterior pulls and knobs. This is a beautiful juxtaposition that I helped a long a bit. I thoroughly cleaned the inside pulls to a shiny brass for a more modern look then I just surface cleaned the exterior pulls and knobs to keep the patina.

This is a simple but lovely buffet refinishing idea.

Knowing when and where to start and stop paining can be a challenge. The best rule of thumb is to paint less because it is much easier to add more paint then it is to take it off of sections you have already painted.

Notice in the photo below that you can really get a great look at the antiquing glaze. Notice in the photo below that you can really get a great look at the antiquing glaze. This glaze is simply created with the same Hazelnut sealer used on the top center of the piece. This color matches the drawer fronts inside the cabinets that were all in great condition and just needed a cleaning. The glaze softens the cream even more and adds an aged look to the paint complimenting the natural patina on the hardware. Creating cohesive elements like this is a great way to complete a piece. This vintage Drexel buffet makeover is a stunning showcase of how this design technique works.

What are your thoughts on this Vintage Drexel Buffet Makeover?

I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this piece. This helps me discover and be open to ideas and different ways to refinish for my customers, myself and my industry. This piece took some time to find a home due to it’s size. I knew this would happen but I got on enjoy her in my dining room in the meantime. I didn’t call her Big Bertha for nothing! LOL!

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If you too would like to refinish your furniture, here are some products that I offer (including a FREEBIE). Don’t know how… these will help and know. I got you! You can do this too!