Clients frequently point out a fine piece of furniture that they want to replace simply because they're sick of it. I get it. As a designer, the stimulation of new design leaves me sick of the last favorite in about 20 minutes. But fine furnishings are frustratingly undervalued on the resale market so before you list on Ebay, be clear on what you dislike about it and what you want in its place. Maybe a rework can bridge that gap.
This Kreiss chest is an example. Its very finely made with a travertine top, sand-tone finish and chip carving detail. Muy Mexican and living in SoCal, I've had my fill of Mexican-inspired decor.
My new direction is more contemporary with a touch of rustic. With the guidance of artist Bonnie Nelson of ColorTextureFinish, we painted the chest gray using chalk paint and then added some white glaze for dimension so it didnt look too flat and....painted :-) Once we got the base color right, I wanted the carved flowers to pop so I introduced some color. I knew the feel I wanted, but wasn't sure which color would get me there. This was trial and error
Too bright
Too bright. Maddening.
Silverfeaf looked promising, but needing tweaking..
The silver leaf was working best with the gray, but it didnt look fine - it looked more like aluminum foil. The addition of some black glaze brought it down and gave it an aged patina. Unique hardware complimenting the silver leaf tied up the project. The final result is swedish-inspired and lovely.
