Wash stand

This post is a bit late.  I actually purchased this washstand this past Summer and have been working on it for a couple of months.  When I bought it, it had yellow faded paint and one of the legs needed some minor repairs.

This washstand was made by hand, which is why I love it.  Someone designed it and put it together so there is only one washstand like this.  I love that they added a towel bar on the right side. My guess is that it was assembled in the early 1900s.  That’s just a guess based on the knobs used on the drawers and the craftsmanship in the assembly of the piece.

This piece exemplifies why I love using Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.  When using it on primitive-antique pieces, it just adds such a sense of authenticity.  The paint compliments these pieces and doesn’t try to make them look like something they are not.   I love how the milk paint “chipped” slightly on the legs.  You can even see some of the original yellow paint.  I used the color French Enamel as the primary base for this project.  I gave it a light wash of thinned out Farmhouse White once the blue paint dried.  If you are interested, a link to the milk paint is provided here. To protect the piece,  I sealed it with MMS clear furniture wax and gave it a wash of white wax as a final coat.

As you can see, the mirror has long since faded away.  It’s almost like a thin aluminum coating.  This is also another reason I believe it was made in the early 1900s.  I personally love that the original mirror is still attached.  I love the faded way it looks since it adds to the washstand’s character and authenticity.

Originally, the piece did not have a wash bowl.  Fortunately, I have a number of ironstone washing bowls from that time period.  One of them fit the piece perfectly.  Almost as if it was meant to be.

Here is one final photo of the refurbished washstand.  It’s such a charming one-of-a-kind piece.  I am so happy that I found it and had the opportunity to bring it back to life.