Apothecary to Card Catalog Transformation!

Posted by Krista Mulkey on April 3, 2020

Good Morning!

I wanted to share a project with you about how I tackled a small Chinoiserie apothecary style cabinet.

This style of furniture is usually found in a black lacquer finish and can be a furniture painters nightmare if it isn't prepped properly.

This water base primer worked like a Charm!

Step 1: I cleaned with White Lightening.

Step 2: I applied Slick Stick, a primer, with a chip brush, which I don't recommend if you are wanting a smooth surface to paint on. I recommend any of the Dixie Belle Synthetic Bristle Brushes, which will give you a smooth finish and they are easy to clean! They offer multiple sizes for any size project.

When applying Slick Stick with your brush, you may encounter moments when the product doesn't want to go on smoothly, which is normal. Just think of it as a concentrated mixture....and just add water by dipping your brush into some water and pat dry on a paper towel. Slick Stick is great because it is a Water Base product! This means you can add water as needed unlike an oil based primer. Oil and water just don't mix.

After you have added your first coat of Slick Stick, be sure to let is dry for 2-3 hours. You really want it to adhere to the piece before moving to the next step. If it is not dry and you attempt to brush over the wet spots....you will end up pulling back the product and will have to clean that spot again and re-apply. Which is not a big deal, but more time consuming and frustrating that anything....live and learn...haha!

Step 3: Slightly sand with a Sanding Sponge between coats to smooth out any raised areas or any of those tiny paint balls, dog or cat hair, dust, who knows what has landed on there since you last looked at it! Lol! Also, be sure to wipe off anything you just sanded off to remove the dust.

It's just a good idea to inspect your piece before moving on the this next step.

Step 4: Apply the 2nd Coat of Slick Stick, same as Step 1, but allow to dry overnight.

Step 5: Repeat Step 3, if needed.

Now you are Ready to Paint!

Step 6: I decided to go for a "Farm to Boho Chic" Style Card Catalog!

I choose Dixie Belle's beautiful bright white color, Cotton for the all over base by applying 2 solid coats.

Step 7: I then choose my favorite brown color, Pine Cone, for my faux painted distressing technique. I use a dry chip brush for this effect by framing out the sides, all boxes, all drawers and then a tapping and dragging motion for the more distressed areas.

Step 8: I tried a new product that I learned about while at the Dixie Belle Retailers & Content Creators Workshop! It is their Easy Peasy Spray Wax! It absolutely love it! In this case, I sprayed the piece and wiped back with a Staining Pad, but I was actually picking up some of the Pine Cone and it sort of dragged it around. So! All I did was wipe back the brown that got dragged around and it came off easily since it is a wax. Easy Peasy! Then...I figured...I will will just try spraying and not wiping back at all. So, I tried that by spraying the top and getting it nice and wet. Then I let it sit overnight. I didn't wipe back or touch it at all! Next day, it was perfect! No splotching, No water looking spots from spraying and spritzing, and this is over Cotton white you guys! Was I amazed? Yesss! I was!

Step 9: I ordered these cute Card Catalog pulls from Amazon and they fit perfectly! I even have a lot extra for another project! Yay! They simply screw in from the front, which is a feature I love in a bit of hardware ;) No Drilling required! Haha!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this entry and learned a little bit about how amazing Slick Stick and Easy Peasy Spray Wax can give you more confidence in your home projects or your furniture painting business. If you are just starting out to paint, I would highly recommend adding these 2 items to have in your back pocket ;)

Happy Painting to You all!