While on hiatus from furniture “jobs,” we completed four DIY projects between December 2020 and January 2021. “Work work” always slows down for me at the end of the year, and with the kids out of school and free to veg for what seemed like an eternity, I had extra time and flexibility during daytime hours. Each project has a saga lessons learned and new products tried, so I will feature each separately.
Farmhouse Bench
I bought this bench for $20 in the fall of 2020 with the intention of fixing and selling it. I did a contactless/porch pickup from someone in Falls Church, with kids in tow, naturally. But at home we couldn’t quite get one of the arms repaired correctly, so I didn’t feel comfortable fixing it up for sale. I can’t say I was heartbroken, though, it’s such a cute bench and it looks good in a few different places around here.
I decided to try out the Jolie Paint color Eucalyptus after being inspired by some IG pics. This was my first time using the color and I immediately fell in love with the muted green. It is truly a gorgeous color. I gave the bench a good scrub, and my husband sanded it for me, but that was all the prep work we did. I didn’t fix the notches in the wood, I didn’t prime (should have at least applied some stain blocker). Very reminiscent of the vintage desk, although that one I didn’t sand, and did I even wash it with soap???
Anyway, sometime around Christmas I visited Vintage Magnolia in Leesburg with my mom for some fun Christmas shopping, and a much needed break for me. When I walked in the doors, the clouds parted, sun shone down, and a choir of angels sang as I walked right into a booth full of chalk paint supplies. One of the vendors is a Dixie Belle retailer and I felt like a kid in a candy store. I picked up Dixie Belle top coat to try out so I could experience something other than wax. Dixie Belle is a great, eco-conscious brand and I’m thrilled to support that company through a local retailer.
After two coats of Eucalyptus and touch ups around <gulp> spindles, I tried out the Dixie Belle top coat for the first time and LOVED it. It does have a smell, less chemically than something like polyurethane (eesh) but since I was used to wax which has no smell, I immediately noticed. But overall it is very easy to apply, doesn’t show brush marks and has a nice glossy finish without being shiny.
HOWEVER…..after I staged and photographed the bench for the ‘gram I noticed a random stain in one corner of the bench. Some kind of bleed through or reaction to the underlying paint. I knew the risk of not priming the bench especially since I didn’t strip off the old paint, but I was less worried about cutting corners on something for us. But, I still should have followed the correct process. <sigh>
It found its current home in the master bedroom, in an area I’m not ready to photograph yet. 😉 For a little bench I had learned quite a lot: a new paint color, a new gift shop and paint retailer, and more lessons on the importance of prep work.
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