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Painted Vanity with Glidden’s Echo Lake Aqua

October 19, 2014 By Colleen 12 Comments

Painted Vanity with Glidden

It’s done, it’s done! I actually completed a project – my grandmother’s little vanity.

It always feels good to finish something but especially now, when my entire house is a whirlwind of half-packed boxes for donation, piles of downstairs stuff being moved upstairs, and – oh yes – all of my Halloween decorations that won’t get put up this year.

So why take the time to paint a piece of seldom used furniture in the midst of mourning my mother and totally rearranging my house? Simple – I needed something new, something fresh and bright . . . something to start my ‘new life’.

Once I decided to paint this piece I then needed to choose a color, which is usually a big challenge. But Glidden’s Color Tools made is super easy! I find myself often heading over to My Colortopia and just playing with different colors now. It’s a great way to build different palettes, see how they feel, without committing to actually painting anything. And you can save your projects too, which will come in handy for later, when I’m ready to paint more projects.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Here is what the vanity looked like before, in my little ‘cave’ of a bedroom. But you know what, this ‘cave’ served me well for the past year. It was my little retreat away from the world.

Now this room will serve as the guest bedroom . . . mainly to hold my off-season clothes.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Since the vanity is so old, I simply prepped with a liquid sander deglosser. So easy – just wipe on and wipe off. It gently roughs up the surface for better paint adhesion.

I wouldn’t recommend this for every piece of furniture. It depends upon how thick the existing finish is and the paint you’re using.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

I chose Glidden’s wonderful semigloss Duo which is a paint + primer. Glidden has a wide variety of paints for both interior and exterior and Duo was exactly what I wanted because the primer is included in the paint.

Choosing the color was much easier than I thought it’d be, thanks to Glidden’s Color Tools and a perfectly fitting name.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

The coverage was amazing. I used a foam roller for the first coat and a trim brush for the second. Two coats of Glidden Duo, that’s it!

Of course, I realize the prior finish was light but I’ve painted pale pieces before that required three or four coats of paint after sanding and priming. Just two coats of painting was a welcome surprise.

I debated and debated whether to leave the vanity alone with just the Echo Lake Aqua color . . . but I just couldn’t do it. I had to add just a few ‘artistic’ touches.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

A pair of geometric ‘flower burst’ stencils were perfect, adding the contemporary feel I wanted without overwhelming the piece. I love the combination of silver and turquoise or aqua.

To stencil I simply 1) sprayed *adhesive to the back of each stencil, 2) loaded a foam spouncer with silver paint then off-loaded most of the paint onto a paper towel to prevent bleed-through, 3) pounced the paint on and 4) wiped both sides of the stencil with a wet then dry paper towel. I clean my stencils after each and every application otherwise I get smudges of paint here and there.

*most spray adhesives are temporarily repositionable if you don’t let them bond to a surface for too long. Once I’ve sprayed a stencil, I store them with waxed paper on the adhesive side.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Just a few spots on the top of the vanity, plus some on the drawers and side.

But . . . maybe just a little freehand art? Oh, why not.

 

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Using the linens in that room as inspiration, I chalked out some simple leaves and flowers over the circle bursts.

Chalk is great because you can wipe it right off with a wet rag. If you want to use a pattern instead of freehanding, just chalk the backside of your pattern paper, place that side onto the area to be painted, and go over the pattern with a stylus or ball point pen.

You could also use a pencil or graphite paper but it’s not as easy to remove or camouflage if there are any mistakes. Trust me on that.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

For the leaves and flowers I used a silver Sharpie marker. ahem. Not smart.

You’ll want to use a paint pen, not a ‘permanent’ marker that will possibly likely smudge when you’re sealing the piece. Paint pens now come in a fairly wide variety of colors and tip thicknesses. Just check online to see all of the options available.

I spraypainted the drawer pulls with bright silver paint. Much easier than choosing new hardware. Cheaper too.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Once I went back over the leaves and flowers with a paint pen and let that dry over night, I waxed the entire piece with clear paste wax. You could also use polyurethane. Your choice, depending on how much usage the piece will get. If I was doing this for a kid’s room? Polyurethane, for sure. 

Painted Vanity with Glidden

I haven’t decided yet if the ‘new’ vanity will go in Mom’s the master bedroom or stay in the guest bedroom. I’ll be moving into this room. Gradually. Slowly.

I’ve done quite a bit in the 10 days since Mom passed. Packed her clothes and shoes and moved mine into closet and dressers, but I’m not quite ready to sleep in here yet. Sadie and I are still sleeping on the couch, but we’re getting there.

Painted Vanity with Glidden

Just to complete a piece brings a huge feeling of accomplishment right now. I’m trying to be kind to myself during this time. When you’ve been a caregiver for 12 years, it’s a foreign feeling to put yourself first.

So right now the vanity is sitting in the middle of my studio. Every time I walk past it, I smile. The color makes me smile. The little silver accents do too. Even the thrift store bench I repainted makes me happy.

I am so grateful to Glidden for this opportunity. This is not just a piece of painted furniture – it’s the first step forward in my ‘new’ life. And while it looks new, the fact that it was my grandmother’s and is painted with Echo Lake Aqua bridges my past with the future.

Exactly what I’m focusing on.

Colleen

about Colleen

Glidden sponsored this project and compensated me for my time. All opinions and designs are my own. 

Filed Under: Furniture, Home Decor, Markers & Pencils, Metallic Paint, More Stuff, My House, My Stuff, Paint Surfaces, Paint Types, Paint Wood, Sponsored, Spray Paint, Stencil, Techniques

Comments

  1. Stacy Risenmay says

    October 19, 2014 at 10:31 am

    That color is lovely!

    Reply
  2. Belinda Shaw says

    October 19, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    Nice choices of colors and the art work is really appreciated. Get more expose to your talent by creating your online portfolio.

    Reply
  3. Gloria says

    October 20, 2014 at 5:01 am

    Great story. Great desk. Hugs.

    Reply
  4. Lyn says

    October 20, 2014 at 7:12 am

    Well done Colleen your desk is great, love the colour & the silver decoration — really nice I’ll say it again Well done !!! Lyn x

    Reply
  5. Laura Strack says

    October 20, 2014 at 7:30 am

    The vanity is darling!!! I would use it to put on my face in the mornings! I have a little desk that was my hubby’s when he was little. It looks similar to your Grandmothers. I’ve been wanting to paint it for a while. This was just the inspiration I needed!! Thank you, Colleen!

    Reply
  6. Cookie17 says

    October 20, 2014 at 8:13 am

    That’s a pretty color & stencil in gourgous ,love to have that piece,way go….

    Reply
  7. Marsha says

    October 20, 2014 at 8:13 am

    Thanks for sharing your talent and personal life. I am learning from your expertise in painting and your life lessons.

    Reply
  8. Kath says

    October 20, 2014 at 8:31 am

    Bravo!

    Reply
  9. Linda says

    October 20, 2014 at 9:12 am

    You go girl. I have been there. Do whatever whenever you want to. Whatever makes you feel good. You will know when something is *right*. Hug. BTW, love the vanity!

    Reply
  10. Laura says

    October 20, 2014 at 9:45 am

    Love the color! It looks really great after the update!

    Reply
  11. Kris says

    October 20, 2014 at 10:13 am

    The color you’ve chosen is lovely and I really love the stenciled accents. Thanks, Colleen and hugs!!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Painted Antique Desk and Giveaway! says:
    October 2, 2015 at 4:00 am

    […] Endurance with a self-primer. I had wonderful results last year with Glidden®’s Duo on my grandmother’s vanity so I felt comfortable using their paint again without priming or […]

    Reply

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    About Me

    Hi there! I'm Colleen, a self-taught artist, writer and blogger, among other things. You don't get to be old enough to order off the Denny's senior menu without accomplishing a few things in life. Read More…

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