When Plan "A" Fails

I just finished this open cupboard.

It looked really old to start with.

I mean really old.

I showed it to you a few days ago,

looking like this.

Tons of chippy paint, tons of bugs and dirt and tons of scars.

I totally loved the pumpkin orange paint,

and wanted to just clean it up, and distress it a little more,

but two sides of it weren't painted

(which I didn't even notice until I got it home),

so Plan A wasn't going to work.

I just loved the orange doors with the glass knobs,

so I decided to remove them for other projects.

Plan B

I thought I'd try for a rustic, Sante Fe look

so I added some turquoise blue on parts of it.

Stay with me...

I know it looks bad right now,

and nothing resembling the Sante Fe look.

Next I put antique white over the whole thing.

My plan was to lightly sand the whole thing down,

so it would have a washed look,

with the blue and orange just barely showing,

then heavily distress the edges and scars.

Up to that point, I think it was a good plan,

BUT, the shelves hadn't been painted at all.

Logically, I could have painted them turquoise and white,

but Noooo...

I decided I'd paper the shelves in antique book pages,

because I've got scads of falling apart books in my stash.

I spent the next hour papering shelves

I was really pleased with how they turned out,

and then it occured to me...

Antique books that don't have a southwestern look,

really don't work too well with a southwestern-style cabinet.

Are you still with me?

Plan C

I slapped yet MORE white paint on the cabinet,

to totally cover the blue and orange.

I thought I'd just slightly distress the cabinet,

but at that point I didn't want the orange and blue to show,

so instead I got out my Valspar antique glaze.

I wanted every bump and bruise to be accented,

so I went pretty heavy in those areas with the glaze,

then rubbed the rest with a wet rag to tone it down.

I didn't have a board to add to the back,

so I added a vintage table runner instead and I absolutely love

the contrast in color and texture it adds.

I also added a scrap piece of vintage fabric edging to the center shelf.

There are 3 shelves, but I decided to only use 2 of them.

I like the taller shelf on top, instead of 2 shorter ones.

All dressed up with some vintage goods.

I still wish the whole thing had been orange,

because it would have looked wonderful decorated for autumn.

But, sometimes you just have to go with Plan B...

or Plan C.   And that's okay.

Blessings,

Parties I Visit...
The Crafty Blog Stalker - http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday - http://onsuttonplace.blogspot.com/
Show & Share - http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/
Transformation Thursday - http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday - http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Frugal Friday - http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
Strut Your Stuff Thursday - http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
Furniture Feature Friday - http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/
Motivate Me Monday - http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday - http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Tell Me Tuesday - http://jaysonandashley.blogspot.com/
How To's Day - http://theletteredcottage.net/
Market Monday - http://mollysusanstrong.blogspot.com/