About a year ago a friend of mine found me two of these gorgeous antique Chifferobes. I recreated one of them last year but this one I have been hanging onto waiting for inspiration.
A Chifferobe is a piece of furniture with a wardrobe on one side and a set of drawers on the other. Chifferobes were incredibly important pieces to have in the bedrooms of houses 70 – 100 years ago. There was usually little to no closet space back then so these functional pieces provided much-needed storage for each member of the family. The first Chifferobe that I painted last year had a very feminine and antiquey feel to it when I was done. (you can see it here) For the second cabinet, I wanted to give it a very different, more modern feel.
For the bulk of the cabinet I used Fusion Mineral Paint in Champness to paint it. To add a touch of the modern feel that I was looking for, I used chalkboard paint to paint the door panels and all of the drawer fronts.
I swapped out the old metal knobs for wooden ones so that they could be painted with the chalkboard paint and blend in.
Once all of the drawer and door fronts had been painted with the chalkboard paint and I let it sit for several days (a must for chalkboard paint!) I had to season it.
Tip: If you do not season chalkboard paint and then write on it, you will leave marks in the black paint. By running the side of a piece of chalk all over the chalkboard paint before you use it you will avoid any permanent, visible marks in the paint.
After rubbing all of the new paint with the chalk, I simply wiped it off with a soft cloth and then it was ready to use.
I not only love the black of the chalkboard paint with the blue but I love that you can change this piece up to work in any space you would like it in.
This century old piece now has a more modern feel to it while it’s age was enhanced with a soft colour and distressing. The two Chifferobes were essentially the same piece of furniture but done in completely different ways.
Which one do you prefer?
Hi Lisa. I just wanted to let you know that I featured your fabulous Chifferobe makeover at Vintage Charm today. Thanks so much for sharing it. π
Thank you so much Tuula! You’ve made my day π Hugs, Lisa
Inspired choices, Lisa–love the look you achieved. Pinned and Facebooked π Thanks for linking up with Vintage Charm!
Thank you so much Diana… that is so sweet! Hugs, Lisa
what a creative idea! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature tomorrow. xo
Thank you so much Katherine! What a lovely honour!! I will be sure to drop by and check it out. Hugs, Lisa
This turned out gorgeous! Thanks for sharing it at Talk of the Town – I pinned it to our party board here – https://www.pinterest.com/knickoftime/talk-of-the-town-repurposed-upcycled-vintage-recip/
Thank you so much Angie and for pinning as well! Hugs, Lisa
Love this transformation. Pinning and sharing.
Thanks Donna π
These two pieces are really cool, Lisa! They’re totally different but I like both of them. You always do such a good job picking out the perfect colors and combinations. Great job, CoCo
π Thanks Coco! I can’t decide which one I like better either… they are very different but in a great way. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs, Lisa
What an amazing transformation! Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Your post has been pinned.
Cheers,
Jennifer
http://awellstyledlife.com
Thanks so much Jennifer (and for the pin!) Have a wonderful weekend π
What a difference – love the idea of using chalkboard paint! Pinning to share βΊ
Thanks so much Marie and for pinning π
Lisa this is so pretty! I had no idea what a Chifferobe was! This is too cool! I swear I learn something new every time I visit here! Thank you for sharing! I hope you are having a great week so far!
Smiles!
Terry
Aww thanks so much Terry! That is so sweet π Have a lovely weekend! Hugs, Lisa
What a beautiful makeover. I haven’t seen a chifferobe in years.
thanks for sharing at SYC.
Thanks Carol π I have the privilege of getting two in the past year! They certainly are beautiful. π
They are both beautiful, but I love the chalkboard version. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a chifferobe in any of my vintage treasure hunting. Lucky you!
They are pretty hard to find and I just lucked out that a friend of mine found two for me! You have to love friends that are always on the lookout for you π
How very clever! I think though it’s modern, you have been faithful to it’s vintage origins. Very tastefully done, beautiful makeover.
Thanks so much Cheryl! I never want a piece to loose it’s antique or vintage feel so I was glad this one turned out so well with the Chalkboard paint π
Hi, I'm Lisa!
Welcome to Recreated Designs... A place for you to find endless upcycling ideas, unique ways to use vintage finds and oodles of helpful tips and tricks for painting, crafting and recreating. I am so happy you are here and canβt wait to see what you create!
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