A classic look: MCM Batchelors Chest

I absolutely love doing Mid Century Pieces. I love that the simplicity in their style is also very modern and sophisticated. I think I may be one of the few people here in Texas who appreciates the clean lines and funky shapes mid century can bring to any home. I guess that's why it's so hard to find mid century pieces in great shape!

This piece I purchased from an online Facebook page. Initially I passed on it because our garage was jam packed, but after my first MCM piece, I knew I was addicted. Fortunately for me, a few weeks later it was still available!

I went back and forth for weeks trying to find the right color combo. I knew I wanted to bring out that trim detail somehow and I toyed with the idea of painting this a funky color with some of the wood tone. I settled on red, but then after we stripped and sanded the wood down and made all the repairs, the wood was just too gorgeous to paint. We have a rule about painting gorgeous wood...it's a no-no. 

See what I mean? That wood grain is to die for! We used two coats of  General Finishes "Antique Walnut" Gel Stain and 3 coats of wipe on poly. Painting the panels within the trim was tricky. I didn't want the edges to bleed so I very carefully taped off the top and applied a thin coat of poly to seal the tape. Doing this prevents bleed through; a handy trick I learned from Reeves at the Weathered Door.

 The inside panels took about 6 coats of General Finishes "Snow White" because I didn't lay a primer down. 

This piece did not initially have hardware. In order to open the sliding drawers, you would have to use the trim as a lever to push and pull the doors open. So we added two very small round knobs to the top of each door, to make it easier to slide open. We painted them gold and gave them an enamel clear coat. As for the interior, we decided to leave the original stain and just give it a good wipe down. I think it's another good contrast that blends the old stain with the new.

My favorite part of this picture (aside from the piece itself) is that vintage lighthouse build print. You would never believe I found it in great shape at a thrift store! All I did was paint the frame gold to match and paint the matte navy blue. I don't know why, I've been into marine and nautical themes lately. Hopefully you enjoy this piece as much as I do, it is already sold! :)