Colonial Country Cupboard

Last summer, Coach and I took a long weekend trip to Bethel, Maine for a bit of golf and R & R.

Well, I should say R & S (Rest and Shopping) as we did quite a bit of antique shopping up and down the Maine coast. My heart skipped a beat when we turned a corner while wandering through the many aisles of Pa’s Tradin’ Post in Oxford, Maine.

and discovered this gorgeous old country cupboard!

And, I was even more excited that it actually fit in our CRV, even with all the luggage, coolers and golf clubs! (Truth be told, I would have tossed those clubs to get this piece in my car…)

It was newer, but completely hand-crafted using old lumber and pieces from antique windows and dressers. It needed quite a bit of work, so I took my time refurbishing it, in between quicker, easier projects. Well, I am happy to say that it is finally finished, and styled, and sitting proudly next to the fireplace in my family room. So, what once looked like that, now looks like this!

The exterior body was painted with Annie Sloan French Linen Chalk Paint. I then sanded the edges and raised detail to give it the distressed look we like.

The shelves and doors I painted (after replacing and re-glazing many of the old panes-these were actually old windows that were repurposed-I LOVE that!)

in Glidden Antique Beige “chalk-like” paint that I mixed myself. Here’s the recipe from “In My Own Style”

The back planked wall of the cupboard was painted with a custom color that I created-kind of a soft, denim blue.

I had originally painted it with Miss Mustard Seed Eulalie’s Sky Milk Paint (you can read about that fiasco here),

but once I decided where it was going to be in our home, that needed changing. Oftentimes, I paint a piece with the colors I would like, only to realize that it just doesn’t work in the intended space. That’s the beauty of paint-one quick coat and you have a whole new look! I wanted it to be a close match, but a lighter blue tone to the drapes in the room, since it would be in proximity to the window where they hang. Finally, I waxed the entire piece with Fidde’s Supreme Wax to give it a nice, warm, glowing finish. The hardware remained the same. Chipped, rusted black? Perfect!

This is the before, dingy white, cracked windows, unpainted interior.

This is now. A pretty painted piece that shows off many of the pieces that Coach and I have collected over the years.

The showcased pieces are primarily from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, The custom color blue I chose for the background enhances the blues in the pottery and plates and brightens the brass trivets and pieces.

Colonial Williamsburg is an historic site that Coach and I love and have visited many, many times. This is the William and Mary crest trivet-one of our very first mementos we purchased over thirty years ago.

The re-painted and re-loved cupboard now reminds me of the shop front windows and taverns on the Duke of Gloucester Street, filled with old glass and pottery pieces, brass trivets, plates and mugs.

Now, when I step back to admire my transformed country cupboard,

I am transported back in time to our many wonderful trips to Williamsburg. And isn’t that why we save our souvenirs and mementos-to remind us of happy times and fun trips? I hope you all have mementos you keep to tell your story, and a beautiful cupboard in which to display them. Have a “think spring” Tuesday, everyone! Susan