French Provincial Bedroom Set Reveal

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You may remember a month or so ago, after whining on here about not being able to find any affordable french provincial bedroom pieces in my area on Craigslist, I came upon this fantastic vintage Basset set for sale on Facebook.

A friend tipped me off when she saw it posted on a garage sale group, and I was able to get a fantastic deal on a 4 piece set: headboard and footboard with rails, dresser, and two nightstands. Structurally, everything was in excellent shape; these are some of the most solid pieces I have worked on!

Cosmetically though, that dark honey color was dating the set and the dresser and nightstands had some scratches on their tops.  I wanted to give the tops a nice, new, darker stain while the bases would be updated with paint.

The tops sanded down very quickly and were so beautiful and smooth! There was a small stain on the dresser top, but with the darker stain it would easily be covered.

After applying the Minxwax pre-stain conditioner (remember, it’s essential!) I wiped on Minwax Dark Walnut. I generally use foam brushes for my staining, but this time I tried applying it with a rag. I think from now on that’s the way to go! It was easier to control the coverage of the stain and it dried much quicker as well.

The bases got a very quick coat of ASCP Old White. It didn’t need to be very smooth or thick, I wanted the pieces to be kind of rough.  After the Old White, I painted on a coat of custom mixed Old White, Duck Egg, and a tiny bit of Provence, thinned out with a good bit of water.

The mix produced a very light blue color with a slight green tint, and the base coat of white peeked out from under the thin second coat.  A coat of Plaster Paint paste wax (my favorite new wax, by the way) went over everything, with two coats going on each of the stained tops to finish the set off.

I apologize in advance for the poor lighting of these pictures . . . I was running out of time and daylight!  But poorly lit pictures would be better than no pictures at all, right?

So here is the final product:

The tops of the dresser and nightstands really refinished beautifully.  The dark walnut is so deep and rich.

Lightly sanding the edges revealed more of the Old White in places, adding some interest and depth.

And the nightstands . . .

The floral carved details really stand out now.

And another shot of those beautifully stained tops.

I took it all up to my booth space yesterday, it feels so great to have such a big project completed!  Here is the whole set displayed:

The bed got the same treatment as the dresser and nightstands, but without the stain of course.  I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I think I did my job–quality pieces destined for the thrift store have been updated and given a whole new style suitable for current decor. The whole set is now available for purchase, $850 for the 4 piece set, or each piece is also priced individually.

I hope you enjoyed the photos! Be sure to come check out the set if you’re local to DFW.

Linking up to:

Be Inspired,   What we Accomplished Wednesdays,  Be Inspired @ Common Ground