Nailed It!

WARNING:  No staging, sorry, long story.

However, the process is included and the results are more stunning than the photos will ever show, and someday I'll update and include a wonderfully staged photo of a very worthy buffet.

Whew, now that I'm finished with the disclaimer let's get on with a reveal.  This buffet is a CL find.  The funny thing about this is that I was sitting at my parents house over Easter and noticed that one of their buffets was the same style.  Lo and behold it is the exact same piece, and theirs has a funky one of a kind paint treatment with flowers and crackle painting that happened long before they picked up the piece. 

Mine was in slightly sorrier shape having been most likely used in a garage or basement to store some kind of chemical stuff and had some water damage that had loosened up pieces along the way.  We repaired all of that, added some baseboard trim and I went to town painting and retrying a nail head trim.  About a year ago, I had a failed attempt at brilliance trying a nail head trim finish on my middle daughter's dresser.  It's OK, but it sure didn't go like I had planned, and I think I threw out about as many bent nail heads as I ended up adding to her piece.  Needless to say, I studied the process some more and finally found something that begged for some nail heads.  Here is a brief tutorial.

One of the things I learned the first time around is that I needed a better pattern.  Originally I used a tissue paper pattern , but they rip, and slide, and leave bits of paper behind that you have to pick out.  This time I drew my pattern up on foam core board that I was able to lay on my piece and work with much more easily.

This turned out to be key for me.  I "pre-drilled" holes for each nail head with a quick tap on an awl.  I used a spacer to make my pattern as even as possible. 

Found it!

I somehow missed getting the photo of this, but I held each nail with needle nosed pliers and then, with a good heavy hammer, tapped it in.  I think this time around I only threw away 5 bent nails.  Progress!

My finished design ended up looking like this.  Overall, I was very, very pleased with it!

One of the great features on this huge buffet was the gigantic twisted hardware.  Sweet!

Here is the finished buffet...not in her glory I know!  She needs a proper setting, she needs some pretty props, but it's chaos around here peeps!  Lots of work going on, children needing fed, etc. etc.etc....  Someday I'll update her great reveal, but I had to do something on this blog to prove that I'm still alive!

Linking to:
http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/07/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-26.html
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2012/07/poww-95.html
http://www.foxhollowcottage.com/2012/07/pin-tail-on-bloggy-pinterest-pinning.html
Have a Happy, Safe 4th of July!
Deb