chalk painting our french style buffet

I banished more brown! I lightened the dark buffet in our family room/kitchen with Annie Sloan Versailles paint and both her clear and dark wax. Seeing this photo, I think I need to put a bit more clear wax to get it less muddy looking. That is the challenge of using the dark wax on light paint- avoiding a muddy look. I also used Antique Gold Rub N Buff on the dark hardware. I  kept standing back and evaluating but was losing confidence as I waxed.  Asking husband for his opinion was useless because he kept saying it looked great,  I needed a critical eye to help me evaluate.

 The buffet was too dark, there is plenty of dark in the space anyway with the kitchen. Our kitchen has a lot of dark cherry cabinetry and dark counter tops which despite being off trend and not my favorite look (my pinterest kitchens are all white) is warm and cozy during our long winter. With a lot of light from the large glass windows and doors on the back of the house, the warm wood is comforting. 

Our twenty year old home is very traditional (with the exception of the high ceilinged family room bump out). It is very typical of the area we live in, The Connecticut Western Reserve, settled by New Englanders in Northeast Ohio in the 1700's. Century homes, inns and old barns are common throughout our area and new homes tend to follow the same Colonial style.

Had the windows open today, 70 degrees! Our kitchen chairs and table made by McGuire of San Francisco were purchased for our last house twenty years ago and don't exactly work here but are staying because they are beautifully made and holding up so well they still look brand new (had the cushions recovered a few years ago).

Next painting project is the hallway of bookshelves that leads to the master bedroom, you can see below, (you can also see husband's recliner that I am SO nice to not complain about). I have wanted to paint the shelves white since moving here twelve years ago, husband disagreed, he now likes all the changes I have made with the chalk paint and is gung ho for any ideas (although painting the kitchen would NOT be up for discussion, quality is great and they were custom, may consider it in the future, would take a big effort to convince him). May have our  handyman paint the bookshelves, depends on the weather. If we start having spring temperatures, I would rather focus on the outside, colder temps, I am happy to have an indoor project.

What about you? Are you painting anything these days? I think it is so addictive and fun! Gives a fresh look and adds personality to our home.