Any furniture restorers/upcyclers about?

[Chuckthefucklebrothers]

I have acquired a mahoosive great dresser/display unit thing from Freecycle, it's mahogany veneer & kind of looms, ominously! It's got a drinks cabinet in the middle, which is lined with mirrors & etched glass doors either side - your gran probably had one in her front room

Anyways... I got it thinking that I'd paint it & make it all quirky-beautiful but now I'm looking at it thinking 'umm...'

It's going to live in my (tiny) dining room which has a stripped pine table (I did that, ooh, get me!) & tatty chairs soon to be painted eggshell white. Also have an oak veneer sideboard thing.

Would it look odd if I painted bits of it with the same eggshell paint & left other bits mahogany?

I'd post a photo if I could work out how to do it on my phone :-/

uk.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KLj9Ll3TNTD1wA.ElNBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTIybnR0OHM2BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAMyODVhMWEzMTExMTFjYWFlZmU2NGM1OGYyN2FjYTA2ZARncG9zAzQEaXQDYmluZw--?back=uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=mahogany+display+unit&fr=onesearch&fr2=piv-web&tab=organic&ri=4&w=796&h=796&imgurl=woodlandsfurniture.ie/media/catalog/product/cache/2/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/w/k/wk201mb-display-unit.jpg&rurl=woodlandsfurniture.ie/wicklow-mahogany-wall-display-unit-with-arch-centre&size=105.1KB&name=Home+/+Wicklow+mahogany+wall+display&p=mahogany+display+unit&oid=285a1a311111caaefe64c58f27aca06d&fr2=piv-web&fr=onesearch&tt=Home+/+Wicklow+mahogany+wall+display&b=0&ni=52&no=4&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12gd7bnp9&sigb=13hf3nu5k&sigi=13n491nm6&sigt=11inr42g8&sign=11inr42g8&.crumb=s7c/HWzaoY/&fr=onesearch

Wonder if this has worked...

It might look odd just because mahogany is so dark - why don't you Annie Sloane it all apart from the bits you want mahogany and then stencil a small pattern with the paint on the mahogany bits. - might tie it in?

Clearly not! Apologies

Annie Sloane?

Thanks for the reply btw!

Chalk paint which you don't need to do any preparation for - you bung it on to anything, then wax it and it looks amazing. Do a google image, my favourite colour is Paris Grey

I second Annie Sloan paint lots of examples here

It is lovely paint to work with, easy to use and surprisingly tough once it is waxed.

Ooh, sounds good, will have a look! Wasn't sure about leaving mahogany on show because of having too many different colour woods in the same room! Seems a shame to paint over all of it though, bits of it are quite nice.

Can you put a picture on your profile? because I am nosy

Hey Figgy, can I do that from my phone? Would I need to go to the full site rather than app? Cheers!

The grey is absolutely beautiful - not as horrifically expensive as I was expecting either. No sanding required is a definite bonus too!

Yep it's basically £25 to paint a piece of furniture

Or you could go mental like me and paint your shed with three tins

at Annie Sloan shed.

Chuckle - I don't know! I don't have a mobile phone.

No mobile phone? Good lord!
I am too poor too get my broken laptop fixed

Argghhhhh 'to get' not 'too get', dammit!

I think you need the full or even the mobile site rather than the app.

I would paint the whole thing though. I think the mahogany would be too dark. Of course, you could start painting bits and then stop when you think it looks good, no need to paint it all in one go.

I think it's on my profile now, feel free to have a look & share your opinions!

Paint it all and change the handles!

Ha! Better than 'shove it in the garden & set it on fire' I suppose!

I just don't think there are obvious bits to leave unpainted. Paint and new handles will, I think, transform it.

Maybe the small ledge where the cupboard is deeper than the to could be left but I think I d paint it all. It's a nice shape.

Oh that is lovely and will look amazing if you paint it all. You could paint the inner parts a contrasting colour like Aubudon blue or Emperor's silk (a vivid scarlet).

Annie Sloan do a gold leaf too I am not an agent, just an addict

That would look flippin' awsome on the inside middle bit.

Annie Sloan shed - decadent!
I'm liking the gold/silver leaf idea. I love the red but not sure if it would be a bit much?

And much, much excitement- I am within driving distance of the actual Annie Sloan shop! Woo! I'm also having ideas about doing the transparent effect (liming?where you can see the wood grain) on my sideboard, and (crap, Argos) pine wardrobes... What have you started???
Just need to do a boot sale to raise some paint money cash