Painted Furniture Transformations by Mary Vitullo

I am sure a number of you can identify with spending too much time on the Internet, and in particular on Pinterest, so I guess you won't be surprised to learn that I have more than 11,000 images pinned on my boards, or that I painstakingly arranged them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find what I want. Pinterest is a continual source of inspiration which inspires not only my blog, but the journey of making my house into a home. Pinterest is also where I discovered Mary Vitullo who gives new life to antique and re-purposed furniture  with her painting skills.

Appropriately named Orphans With Makeup, Mary's catch phrase is, "See what a little make up can do". If you are thinking of painting some furniture, you will most definitely be inspired by Mary's website. Using paint and sometimes re-purposing, Mary transforms antique, vintage, or new and boring pieces, into stand out furniture for her clients. Mary's colour palette is similar to my own taste, whites and neutrals, pale greys and blues, however recently, Mary surprised me by painting a vintage cabinet in a rich and vibrant, lime green. I also spotted a few more pieces on her site, I couldn't resist sharing.

Above: formerly blue, this dainty armoire was given a new lease of life with 'Luscious Lime' from Country Chic Paint. Mary also re-purposed a wooden slatted blind to create a very clever back to the armoire....read more here. If you don't have access to this brand of paint, you could try a mix of Antibes Green and English Yellow Chalk Paint™. You would need to test this first. As an artist, I am simply making this suggestion from looking at the Chalk Paint™ Colour chart by Annie Sloan, I would estimate around 20% Antibes Green to 80% English yellow. If it is not lime enough you could add a little more Antibes Green. Tip: Buy two small test pots first to see if you can create the right mix before launching into full size tins. Also; if you are using Chalk Paint™, always finish off your piece with wax, it is the 'icing on the cake' so to speak. It seals and protects and adds a wonderful sheen.

Above: Formerly  golden, knotty pine IKEA Hemnes end tables. Mary gave this pair of cabinets some coastal make up using Pure White Chalk Paint™, a little distressing and a wax finish. You would be amazed to see what they looked like before.... see the full post here.

Above: This antique sideboard also caught my attention. Queen Ann style legs particularly suit a black finish, which adds further elegance to this piece.

Thank you Mary for allowing me to share your talent on Lee Caroline, I  hope that my readers hop over to view your  inspiring gallery. 

Find out your nearest Chalk Paint™ stockist here. If you are in Auckland, you can purchase Chalk Paint™ at Le Monde, Parnell (featured in a recent post). 

If you would like more furniture inspiration, you might want to pop over to my Paint Effects board on Pinterest. Please note; If you want to pin the images above, out of 'pinning courtesy', please pin from Mary's blog ☺.

My own makeovers are not as exciting as Mary's but you may be interested in the chest of drawers I gave a French look as it includes, a step by step tutorial with images which may help in understanding how to apply Chalk Paint™. 

I am excited about sharing a special interior with you later in the week. Not only French style, but French architecture and also located in France.