This project was a labour of love. And tears. Many tears. It started as a commission piece but the chosen paint brand, in a very dark green, was failing miserably. I was struggling to get varnish on top without it pulling and sticking. I tried a new tin, left it for weeks to cure - nothing worked and I threw in the towel which is something I have never done before. It made me cry.
My first instinct was to stash the piece well out of sight and forget about it (smashing it up was also a fleeting option!) But I knew I had to tackle it straight away to get that confidence back. A lot of stripping and sanding later, I was back to square one. All I had in mind was that whatever I did to it, it had to be with GF products as they have never let me down. The greys are always a wonderful choice - seagull gray is soothing and warm - but I hadn't used driftwood in a long while and then I remembered that I had one roll of the most amazing paper that seemed to be almost a perfect colour match. The plan had formed.
Layers of driftwood later and with a shaking hand, I got out the High Performance top coat. I needn't have worried as it went on like a dream. I was back! Once the body in the lighter grey was sealed, I applied the paper to the door and drawer fronts and varnished it all again. The relief washing over me as the top coat just glided on was immense. It was silly to let a bit of paint get me so down, but this is my livelihood so all sorts of fear and doubt came at me, and I was practically convinced that my business was over.
Those luscious long legs really needed to stand out, so queenstown gray was the clear winner. Sealed again in satin top coat, and with the new shiny copper handles attached, not only was the tallboy complete - but I had also been restored to my former glory. And it felt amazing.
