It was the best of garage sales, it was the worst of garage sales …
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a little play on classic literature there, but actually it was just the best of garage sales because I found two fab washstands a week or so ago.
I purchased this one from a lunchtime garage sale first …
Looks pretty fab in that photo, but the finish was dried out and there were quite a few stains on both the top and the sides of the piece.
When I brought it home, I had just gotten a shipment of Prima Marketing’s newest transfers from their 2019 Summer line-up which debuts today! There was one design included in my shipment that I thought would be perfect on a piece this size and style, Out on the Farm.
I planned to put just the top half of the transfer (the photo of the barn) on the front of the washstand. To prep for that, I stripped the top of the washstand and painted the body in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.
But then, I hesitated. The transfer wasn’t quite large enough to fill in the entire front of the washstand. I wasn’t sure I would be happy with the results. So I hemmed and hawed, and then delayed some more.
And then I found a second washstand!
Unfortunately, I neglected to get a good ‘before’ photo of this one alone, but you get the idea. It was even already painted, and better yet, it was nearly the perfect size for the transfer.
What luck that I had hesitated on applying the transfer to the first one, it was going to work so much better on the second one!
Ta da!
Oh my gosh you guys, I totally felt like I was cheating with this project. I didn’t even have to paint it! I just went with the existing paint job and simply added the transfer to those lower doors.
It was a little bit tricky getting it applied because of the raised trim, but not too bad. I did trim a bit of excess from the top of the design so that it would fit.
I also swapped out the brass knob that came with the washstand for a glass knob on the door. I wanted the knob to disappear allowing that fabulous barn to get all of the attention.
As you can see, the design was not quite as wide as the doors on the washstand. I sanded those edges quite heavily to help them blend a bit more. If I was good with custom mixing paint colors, and if I was aiming for perfection, I could have painted the uncovered edges of each door to blend even better. But no, I didn’t need to make it perfect.
I think it looks pretty sweet as is.
Oh, by the way, the ‘1871’ on the top drawer was a remnant left over from one of the Prima Marketing Seeds transfers that I used on a piece a while back.
I sort of neglected to get a good photo of that trim piece at the back of the washstand, which is pretty unique. You can see it a little bit better here …
As for the other washstand, I went back to the smaller version of the Seeds transfer (it came in two sizes, and I say ‘came’ because they are no longer making this one, so if you love it you should order as many as you can online and then hoard them because that’s what I did).
And, funny enough, I swapped out the original wooden knob that came on the door with the brass knob from the other washstand (that I replaced with a glass knob). It worked beautifully with the original brass drawer pulls.
If you remember, I mentioned that I had stripped the top of this one. I have to confess I did a rather imperfect job of it and I had trouble eliminating some of the stains. So I decided to try using white wax on it to help mask some of those imperfections.
It’s definitely still not perfect, but I still think it looks pretty. This washstand had a fairly heavy grain to the wood which really catches that white wax.
I used a mishmash of products on this one. The paint is Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth, the top is waxed with Fusion’s white wax, the body is waxed with Fusion’s clear wax.
You guys are probably getting tired of seeing my clay pots, but I’m digging the ‘gardening’ theme these days (pardon the pun). So you’re going to be seeing them again at the end of the week too!
I’ll probably be over it about mid-August.
In the meantime, what do you think of my two washstands?
Which one is your favorite?
Many thanks to Prima Marketing for choosing me to help them reveal their new transfers. I’ll be sharing a couple more of them later this week too.
If you’re wondering where to buy them, check out Prima’s ‘where to buy‘ page.
And if you are local (in the Twin Cities), these washstand pieces make amazing bedside tables. Check out my ‘available for local sale‘ page to see if either of these pieces are still available.
q is for quandie 
Love them both! But I confess I’m partial to the barn! What a perfect fit in every way! These won’t last long I predict. So many uses for them both!
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They really are versatile pieces, perfect for bedside, next to the sofa, in the entryway … so many possibilities!
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They’re both great!
The barn is my favorite!
Love anything farm related.
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So far the barn is winning!
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Love both of them!
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Thanks Janie!
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I like both of them but the barn is my favorite. It looks even better in person.
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Thanks sis! It really does look better in person, doesn’t it?
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The Barn turned out awesome!
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Thanks Darleen!
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They are both great. Watch, someone will buy them together to use as night stand or in a family room as end tables. Either way they are great and I’m loving the barn transfer.
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They would make a great pair. Coordinating while not totally matchy-matchy.
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They are both beautiful!!! Hard to pick!!!
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Thanks Renee! I’m with you, impossible to pick a favorite 😉
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These turned out beautifully…I can see them in a cozy living room with a couch inbetween. Love the barn artwork. Bet these will go quick!❤
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Fingers crossed!
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Wow!! I love both. I love garden themes and barns as well. Both would speak to me! You did a fabulous job. Wash stand are so cute and useful. I’ve got to find me one of them.😊
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Thanks so much Nancy, yep, you definitely should keep your eyes peeled for one 🙂
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I literally gasped when I saw the barn one! I love them both. The hardware on the one is gorgeous! I would love these as a set of nightstands. Your prices seem so low! I need to move! I really like snow, but when it gets deep I feel smothered! I feel like the ground can’t breath! Crazy I know! So, I better stay put! Lol
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You see Shelly, the ground doesn’t have to breathe because it is frozen solid under all of that snow 😉 Ha!
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Love them both but that barn…! I love all washstands. Wish I could use all these beauties!
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Thanks Jeannie!
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Awesome Miss Quandie! I still love the Seeds best! Greetings from Xi’an!
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You really need to give me a little more detail on what you are doing in China, and how you like traveling there. Inquiring minds want to know.
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So talented Linda ! Love the Barn!
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Bruce! Good to hear from you. Thank you!
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Both of these washstands are beautiful but what you did with the barn transfer is amazing! I didn’t notice that it didn’t fit the doors perfectly until you pointed it out. Like you said, I’ve seen people use paint to blend and soften the edges of the transfer when it’s smaller than the piece it’s being placed on. I don’t think you need to do it on this piece. It looks as if it’s hand-painted on with a beautiful frame. You always impress me!
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Thanks so much Christie!
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Both of the washstands turned out awesome. I can’t tell you which one I like better. The “seed” transfer has always been one of my favorites, but I am loving that barn too! Decisions, decisions. 😆
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I hear that! I love them both too 😉
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OMG… I’m dying over the dresser with the barn! That transfer is perfect for a little washstand I have that was my great-grandmother’s when she was a child (my dad would be 94 if he were alive and it was his grandmother for time reference) and she passed it down to my grandmother. Eventually, my grandmother left it in a barn in Nebraska with other oak furniture when she moved her family to California just after the depression. It sat in that barn for over 40 years when my dad went back to pick up all the furniture in 1976 and the barn was being torn down. It’s in really good condition and I’d love to pay tribute to that old barn that sheltered it for so many years!
It’s the first project I’m going to do once I’ve moved and relocated after our house sale is final in early July.
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I absolutely LOVE that idea. Perfect!
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I think I love the barn more…..awesome work!
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I think the barn was definitely the winner in this contest. It also sold in less than 24 hours, while I still have the Seeds version. People love a chippy barn 🙂
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Those finished pieces of furniture look gorgeous Linda! I wonder what they’d look like as part of the decor in a room. Vintage can look so classy and stylish.
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I think you have done a beautiful job with both of them. Ho w are you holding up in this heat? It is sure hot and humid up here in Ontario.love to Mom and Sis.From Betty
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Absolutely beautiful…impossible to choose a favorite.
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