There is nothing in the world that makes a mama more proud than to see their child succeed. I have 6 children, all of which are my treasures and bring such joy. Not only are they fun, but are showing my my hard work and love is paying off. My oldest son has done many projects of his own with much success. Today, he is taking this waterfall buffet and giving it a French twist. Check it out.
Mr I., like the rest of my kids, are building up a savings. Generally, when I get a free piece of furniture I give it to them and they take turns making them over. Also, they purchase their own project pieces based on my suggestions to sell for the savings. You see my kids projects in this collection of posts.
In this case, Mr I. decided to purchase two Art Deco buffets from a gentleman. This one is the first, so stay tuned for #2!
The term “waterfall” refers to that top design that looks like the veneer is cascading over the front of the buffet. This was always been one of my favorite styles to work with. You can see them in these posts.
The damage to this waterfall buffet was minimal, but still needed tending to. There was chipped veneer on both sides, chemical stains, and a few gouges here and there. The best part was that all the Bakelite pulls were present and that all the hardware functions as it should. Deciphering all that is half the fun, right?
GET STARTED
To get started, Mr. I made any necessary patches using wood filler. I would say he had a fair amount to repair, but nothing horrendous. Then, he used my sander to refinish all the wood surfaces he wanted to showcase the wood.
He’s after a wood/paint combination, which is one of my favorites and his too. For the paint part, he chose to use one of my classic favorites, Antique White. My arsenal of paint brushes came to the rescue with the stubby brush tackling the faces of the cabinet.
Mr. I agrees with me that these brushes make such a difference in an awesome finish. His favorite is the square brush for getting the small details in without getting it on the refinished wood.
While the cabinet was curing, he tackled painting the pulls. They have the original Bakelite marble piece, but the metal was lacking serious lustre. They were fair game as they weren’t brass or anything fancy. He taped off the Bakelite he wanted to save and then painted the metal using Heirloom White by RustOleum.
Last, but not least, we finished the wood surfaces he was able to save. Since he liked the look I gave my French Country vanity I did not long ago (see HERE), he wanted to do the same effect. This is using a white wax to accentuate the grain, but you can use a whitewash with paint like I did too.
One last touch we added was to stencil to create a bit of drama. We all need a little drama in our lives, don’t we? tee hee hee.
THE REVEAL
Here it is all done with a bit of help from mama.
I seriously am in love with this piece. From the washed wood to the French script…swoon!! That stencil has been one of my favorites on many pieces and you can see why. The script reads:
I adore you my darling, my heart
I love you very much My angel, you are my love
You are the love of my life
Love
Wouldn’t you say Mr. I rocked it? I had to help a bit because of time constraints with school and sports, but he totally took the reigns on this one.
I’m an even more proud of the fact that he decided to donate to a military family for our Finding Home program. What a blessing!
As I always say…our goal is to inspire you to give DIY a try. Ya never know what you can do until you give it a go. Do pin and share to inspire others to make their house their home.
Up next, it’s Trash to Treasure Tuesday and I’m finally getting to give another of these curbside gems a new look. See the first one HERE and the main door in this post.
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More of my son’s work like this waterfall buffet:
I think you have a family business in the making. Mr. I did a fabulous job.
Mr I did a great job!
Thanks, Lori!
Wow! It looks great, love the stencil.
Thank you. It adds that special touch.
Wow! Great work! This looks marvelous! All that training is paying off. : ) Can’t wait to see what you do with your “trash” next time!
I’m so happy to see him growing in stature and skills. Thanks from the two of us!
hello, where cu buy the stencil
We got it from Royal Design Studios.
Can I borrow Mr. I? This buffet is the bomb Larissa! I love that soft whitewashed effect that was added to the wood. And of course the stencil just takes it to the top level!
haha…he’d love Greece! Thanks so much from the two of us. 🙂
I like the buffet Mr. I did! I also love how you styled it. The bust is neat. I looked in your shop to see if it was for sale. Did you find that thrifting? I love it!
Thanks! Yes, a thrifted gem my toddler found for me. Ha! It’s mine as I have always wanted one, but so many ask to purchase it. Maybe one day when I tire of David. hee hee hee.
wow is it beautiful. I wasn’t sure about the white wash but it look terrific on the piece. Love the combination. Good job Mr. I, you should be proud.
Thanks, Jolinda. He appreciates your words.
I see a furniture crafter the likes of Clint Harp in your kid’s future! He pretty much rocks
You should have seen his face when he read your comment! hahaha… Thanks, Tracy!
Mr. I, I want you to know that I gasped out loud when I saw what you did with this waterfall buffet. You did an absolutely stunning job on this piece!!! If I lived nearby, or even in the same country, I would snap this up in a heartbeat. You, young man, are very talented like your Mama and I am wishing you a speedy and profitable sale! Mama, I know you are beaming ear-to-ear.
aww…you are making his day, Marie. He is so tickled to read everyone’s comments. He truly did work hard and did make me a super proud mama. Thank you!
i love how the antique white paint actually brings out the detail of the accents! and thanks for the vendor of the stencils!
question: would a white pickling stain also work like the paint or the white wax?
There’s just something about a paint/stain combo that I truly love. Thanks, Gwen! Yes, a pickling stain would do the same or just a whitewash of paint as seen here.
Hi Larissa, thank you for the tutorial. I love your blog, you always make it seem so easy and simple, making my doubts disappear. Thank you again!!
My pleasure. 🙂
That is just gorgeous now, Larissa! Mr. I did an amazing job on it!!! XOXO
What a proud mama I am, Christy, and I know you know the feeling. Thanks for the love!
I love it! Mr. I did a beautiful job on this piece. You must be so very proud and should be. What a darling inspiring young man!
Olivia
Yay! It was so fun to watch him work. Proud mama, here. 😀
I have a buffet I would love to use but in my small house, the only place is to use it as a dresser. Your competition has given me hope for it. Love both your pieces. Can’t decide which one I like best. I am not found of words on things but I like this design a lot. Kudos to Mr. I.
Thanks so much!
Wow! Great job! The imaginations run wild in your house!
Yay! Thank you from the two of us, Naomi. 😀