Every once in awhile, I will take on a commissioned project where I have the opportunity to create a piece for a specific space and to a client's taste. This modern buffet was exactly that! Creating a piece like this is no easy feat...it is a much different process with many variables but the outcome is completely worth it. For starters, the client and I have to be a good fit design wise/priority wise/quality wise/etc. Second, it can take awhile to find that perfect piece (if at all) and you have to have the vision (or trust) that it will fit what you want in the end. Flexibility is also a must! You can have an idea of what you want to do to the piece...only to discover that you can't based on variables such as construction, material, or state of the piece and your design needs to pivot. It's really a process that takes place WHILE creating and impossible to completely plan for from the get go. When creating a piece on my own, these are all decisions I take and make on my own. When creating for a client, these are all decisions made together. All this, though, can really be fun and result in a truly stunning and special piece. That is exactly why I do it...because it is a fun process to work with others and all worth it in the end! OK...read on for an overview of this makeover!
BEFORE
After some back and forth to determine what we were really looking for, my client showed me a photo of an Anthropologie piece she liked...but definitely wasn't interested in copying exactly. It was more about the symmetry, doors, and simple modern lines. This part can take awhile! It really is the base for all the decisions to come so making sure we are on the same page here is sooo important. Once I saw the picture of that piece, I knew that was our direction and, I happened upon a piece I thought was perfect. My client agreed (or trusted me enough!) and we went for it!
PREP
This piece took a lot of prep work. Taking apart the piece (glass from doors, sliders on drawers, hardware, door hinges, etc) and labeling everything was the first step.
A well built piece but not made completely of solid wood (which was OK by my client), I had to make sure it was prepped really well. I took more days sanding this piece than I normally do. I also was painting EVERYTHING including the inside and sides of drawers, inner cabinets, shelves, and also the back of the piece...so it all had to be sanded and then cleaned really really well.
PRIME, PAINT, SEAL
Since this piece was to go in a beautiful, modern style house; I decided to use my paint spray gun (as opposed to hand painting) to give it a perfect finish without any visible brush strokes. This was also handy considering the amount of surfaces to paint. For this to work on furniture, the viscosity of the primer and paint has to be just right. Once I got it down...we were good to go! Two coats of primer followed by three passes of paint (Benjamin Moore Grey Owl...my client wanted to keep her space light yet go with her dining set + style of her new house...it really needed to function as the bridge connecting them all and adding in her style as well!). This paint color is also a favorite of mine - it is on the interior walls of my house and I absolutely love it. Calm, cool, clean. Lastly, I applied (by brush) 2 coats of a matte Polycrylic to most of the cabinet with an extra third coat on the highly used parts (top and interiors of drawers and cabinets + shelves).
DESIGN CHOICES
The hardware...whew this one gave us a bit of trouble as the current holes were at 2.75" which is slim pickings. My client found these beautiful pulls in a soft brushed nickel...with holes set at 3.5" apart but larger backplates to ensure covering and drilling new holes would look flawless (I always do my best when filling old/drilling new but on a piece where modern perfection is the goal I'll take all the help I can get :-)). So...I set to work filling and drilling!
The interior cabinets/drawers...we knew this was where the piece would get it's personality. In the beginning, I removed the old lining (there were two layers) prior to painting. There were a few days of back and forth considering choices of paint or wallpaper (which is totally fine! It's so important to feel good about the design decisions!) until my client settled on a favorite print of hers in a modern black (really more charcoal) design. SO so beautiful. By this point, I was talking to the piece telling "her" how special she was and that she was going to love "her" new home. Lol.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Once she was all pulled together (doors and glass reattached, new sliders mounted on the drawers, hardware installed) she was ready for photos, and delivery to her new home! Sorry....I personified her, I just couldn't help it. Sometimes it just happens (actually more than I'd like to admit). What makes me happiest about all of this is the friendship I build with my client and the love they have for their piece. The pictures just don't do it justice. We agreed, its like a piece of art! I repeat...all worth it in the end!
Photoshoot!
Ready for delivery!
Thank you for stopping by! Feel free to message me with any thoughts/comments/questions!
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