Having the TV in the living room is a necessary evil so I wanted to elevate what it sat on and have it be a unique piece. We started looking for a buffet with pretty lines and interesting details a few years ago. It was always my intention to paint it white since there is so much wood going on with the floors.
Rick is an expert Craigslist crawler and we saw a few that might work but usually they were too far away or too expensive. We also kept an eye out when ever we wandered into an antique store.
Well back when we were looking for our Wedgewood stove we went to a place in Stockton that restores them. They also happen to have a pretty great antique store in addition to their stove restoring business. We walked in the door and this was sitting right smack in front of us.
However…
It was attacked by a lunatic. The antique store is in a neighborhood of businesses and houses and one night some crazy person was walking down the street throwing huge river rocks through the windows of all the businesses on the street. This buffet sustained a direct hit. The picture doesn't do it justice. There was a huge gouge in one of the fluted areas and gouges across one of the doors. Plus the trim (the frame part on the doors) was missing in places.
The price was substantially reduced because of the damage and since I was planning on painting it anyway it was a perfect fit for us.
My supervisors. See the frame like trim (right above Grace's head) – it looks like the bottom of the frame is there but actually the entire piece was missing and you just see the lightened wood where it was. I had to recreate that. I bought a mould making product that stays flexible. I pressed it on the trim piece on the matching door and then I filled it with auto bondo to recreate the trim.
I also filled the gouges with auto bondo and sanded them down. I find that auto bondo is much easier to work with and you get a nicer finish than any of the wood filler type products. Here's a shot of how I dealt with the gouged out fluted detail. It looks a hot mess at first but once it was sanded and painted you can't even tell where the gouge was.
Once it was all bondo'd up I spray primered it and then painted it with chalk paint and finished with some soft wax. I have tried a few different chalk paints and the higher price of Annie Sloan's is worth it. I used Fiddes & Sons soft wax because I find it easier to work with than other brands including Annie Sloan's.
It was a bit of a project but I think it turned out great. I would not hesitate to take on a similar project. Recreating the trim was easier than you would think.
It's perfect for our television and we can hide all the electronics in the cupboard part. I swear the next television we get will be white.
Wow, what a project! It turned out beautiful and is perfect in your home. So will your next project be a frame to hide the edges of the TV? With your skills I’m sure that would be no problem! :o)
It is just beautiful. I have a large oak entertainment center for my tv. When I told my husband I wanted to pain it white he thought I lost my mind!
What paint colors do you use in your home. It’s so soft and serene.
Thank you Jean – Why are men so funny about painting wood? I used Annie Sloan in Pure which is white without a yellow or blue cast (hence the name I suppose…)
Most of the wall paint is original (from when we bought the house five years ago) but we have painted our bedroom and the sitting room in Valspar Cream in my Coffee in flat. I did have them do a half tint in the bedroom because I wanted the color but just a lighter shade of it. The bedroom doesnt get very much sun so it tends to be gloomy.
Thank you Carolyn.
I have thought about wall mounting the TV and figuring out how to make the edges blend in better.
Ive seen a TV that has a white border and you can display art like images while it isnt on for TV watching. That may have to me our next television….