Whitewashed Farmhouse Cabinet

Over the years I find that I’m getting pickier when it comes to scouring our local flea market. I’m not really sure why that is, but our monthly jaunt to the market is resulting in me spending less money … which is a good thing. But during a recent treasure hunting episode, a dark farmhouse cabinet caught my eye that I knew I could transform a bit.

This little farmhouse cabinet used to be a very dark gray until I gave it a coat of whitewash. Technically it wasn’t whitewash … it was a mixture of white chalk paint and water.

 

Here’s the cabinet before its transformation. I actually like the dark gray, but it doesn’t really go with the rest of my decor. So out came the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which is my go-to paint for furniture.

 

I didn’t want my new farmhouse cabinet to look too white, which is why I opted for a wash effect. I created a mix of half water, half paint and brushed it on. It goes on quickly and dries fast. Just check for drips while you’re working.

 

Once the paint dried, I worked on stylizing the shelves, which was fun to do. I started with the little plant and then added vintage books. I chose green books to enhance the color of the houseplant.

 

I love when the spine of a book has decorative details. Pearl S. Buck is one of my favorite authors, so I always pick up her books when I see them.

 

The cabinet has a little hook and eye on the side to keep the door from opening. When I found the farmhouse cabinet at the flea market, a couple panes of glass were missing so I had hubby remove the remaining glass.

 

On the bottom shelf, I used another vintage book but opened this one up to a pretty picture to add some color to the whitewashed farmhouse cabinet.

 

I was having trouble keeping the pages of the book open, so I propped my rusty little iron bird in front so his tail would rest against the pages. Problem solved!

 

Next to my new whitewashed farmhouse cabinet is a colorful bouquet of zinnias from my garden. I decided to start a cutting garden for flowers this year and the zinnias are my favorite.

 

I think I need to expand the cutting garden next year.

I love having fresh flowers in the house all the time.

 

The final corner of the shelf contains a couple of my vintage aqua bottles, with an ironstone platter tucked behind them.  A trio of vintage books are stacked in front.

 

I bought this little vintage book primarily for its pretty cover.

 

I love styling shelves and I’m happy with the way this little farmhouse cabinet turned out. It’s fun letting your creative juices flow and I encourage everyone to use your editing eye when decorating your home. Don’t worry what others think … trust your gut and go with what you like!  After all, individuality is a good thing.