Yellow Primitive Washstand
16June 12, 2015 by Terry
(This post has been chosen as a feature favourite for Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Feature Friday for June 18, 2015. Click to view)
Take a look at this sweet little washstand just dripping with character and patina!
I actually bought it off of my neighbour … I may have overpaid but some things are just worth it when it’s something you really love!
I was quite taken with the dry wood and chipping paint. It was missing some hardware but the ones that were on it have aged rather uniquely with different colors on them…
Is that pink and green mixed in there? Whatever is going on there it looks really neat!
Inside I left the wood just raw and added some antique book pages to line the base of each drawer and the cupboard.
It took me most of a day to clean it with a wire brush, vaccum and hemp oil. It was filled with spiders eggs and barn “stuff” .. wink, wink…
My neighbor says it was pulled out of his grandparents old homestead. He says he remembers it from when he was a little boy.
I am taken with the chippiness. I sort of wish that I didn’t go over the yellow paint with the hemp oil as I preferred the paint in the pale yellow it was before. Oh well, it looks sweet this way too. I did give the top a good sanding and a very heavy coat of hemp oil which it drank up completely without waste. I left some of the chippy paint on it too…
That jug I picked up at the Old Creamery when I was there the other day… I hope to fill it with peonie flowers once my little buds open.
I adore peonies and this is my first year of actually having my plant s bloom. One bud opened yesterday so of course I snipped it right away and brought it in! Turns out I may have also brought in an ant or two … oops!
(note the teensy ant photo bombing this pic!)
I just love it when I find a primitive shabby piece that needs nothing done to it except a good scrubbing … ahhhhh patina, patina!
Smiles!
Terry
Linking up to:
The Curators Collection 
Love it and love the book pages lining it. Great idea!! (as usual)
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I’m so glad my neighbour offered it to me first :0)
Smiles!
Terry
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This is gorgeous, chippy perfection! Such an awesome find.
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Thank you! Have a great day!
Smiles!
Terry
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[…] Lauren’s pick: Kitchen Pegboard from Elizabeth Joan Designs Amy & Vicki’s pick: Yellow Primitive Washstand from The Curator’s Collection Nicole’s pick: DIY Chalkboard Garland from Hawthorn and […]
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[…] am just smitten with this gloriously chippy washstand shared by Terry of The Curator’s Collection. She bought the piece from her neighbor and spent an entire day cleaning it up! I think it was […]
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Love your antique washstand! The yellow is fantastic! I have been looking for something similar for our foyer for years now! Great find and from your neighbor!
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Thank you Tara!
It’s always a good idea to befriend your neighbours… you never know what treasures they are storing in their garages that they might be willing to get rid of… lol! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Smiles!
Terry
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Terry, I’m coming over from Miss Mustard Seed and your was stand is beautiful. I too am cleaning up a few pieces that came from my in-laws barn so I know what you mean about barn dirt. I’ve washed a wooden tool tote four times this week and finally made to the wood. Any tips on how or what you use to clean pieces like these? I’m looking forward to exploring your blog.
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Hello Becky!
I’m So happy you popped in and I’m happy to share a few of my own little “wash” tips with you :0) I personally like to go over the whole piece with a wire brush… maybe a few different sizes to be sure to get into every nook and cranny… Really scrub it with the brush to loosen all the dirt and dust bits attached to the piece… you’d be surprised at what comes off! Yuck! Make sure to wear a mask when doing so, it will really save your lungs! I also sometimes use a pressure washer to go over wood pieces that are really gross… this will really strip it of any unwanted “mung” that may be on a piece that is wood constructed . If you don’t own a pressure washer you can also take it to a car wash bay that is timed and wash it in a booth there :0) I would let it dry really well in the sun if it is wood and follow it with a generous coat of hemp oil to re nourish the wood depending on the finish you want. If you like the natural dry wood look then skip the hemp oil. Same thing if you want to keep some chipping paint on a piece then skip the pressure washer and just use steel wool and a wire brush followed by a good vaccuming and a soapy rag. Sometimes… depending on the piece… I will also seal it with a coat of poly or varathane after washing to give it some added freshness while sealing in some of it’s “patina”
Hope this helps! There are so many things you can do to clean a piece. I think that each piece is so unique that the “clean up” process really depends on what your desired result/style is.
I hope you have a great weekend and that you stop by again soon :0)
Smiles!
Terry
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What a pretty piece! And congrats on the MMS featue :)
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Thank you :0)
Hope you had a great weekend!
Smiles!
Terry
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[…] Yellow Primitive Wash Stand […]
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[…] Yellow Primitive Washstand courtesy of The Curator’s Collection […]
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This was a lovely blog poost
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Thank you!
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