Hello, amazing friends, and Happy New Year!! Amen to a fresh new year, right?
I hope you all enjoyed your holidays! Ours was more low-key than usual as we were trying to be safe, but it was still very enjoyable. I chose to take a week off for the first time in several years, and it was so nice, but I did miss y’all! Of course, I have a hard time sitting still and the downtime led to a much-needed room redo ha ha. It is almost complete, and I’ll share that with you when I’m done!
I am so excited to get this new year started! 2020 was full of drama, so today, I’m kicking off the new year by sharing the most dramatic furniture makeovers of 2020! By dramatic, I mean these makeovers came a long way from where they started!
Enjoy!
11
In the number 11 spot as one of the most dramatic furniture makeovers from this year is my mom’s hutch:
It was time for an update! My mom has been wanting this painted for years and I decided to tackle it this Spring.
My mom chose Buttercream to coordinate with the rest of her home:
Buttercream is a beautiful cream color with a very slight yellow undertone that really brightens it up.
Painting this hutch really made a dramatic difference in the whole space!
See more of this pretty redo HERE.
10
At number 1o is this antique side table from my Mother’s Day Haul:
Many of the pieces from that haul made the cut since they all needed so much TLC.
This one came to life with Caviar and a little reworking:
I was so grateful for these pieces as furniture was hard to come by this past year, especially with thrift stores being closed for months and yard sales practically non-existent.
This one was once a night table, but the drawer was not able to be salvaged. It would be great in any room for a little extra storage though!
You can revisit this charmer and see what tip I share for a beautiful finish when using dark colors HERE.
9
Coming in at number nine is this $60 thrift store dresser. It was one of the very few pieces I scored big on this year:
It was lovely as is, but I decided to lighten it with some Fluff and bring it to life with this gorgeous transfer:
I included this one because it was a fan-favorite!
You can see more of this one HERE.
8
Number eight in this countdown is this dressing table bench that I scored for only $5 at the thrift store:
Fresh paint in bright white Cotton and a new cushion in one of my favorite fabrics did wonders for this sweet bench:
I faux distressed this one using this technique.
See all the fabric layers I uncovered and how I replaced the cushion HERE.
7
At number seven in our countdown is this ornate sofa table I picked up just before the shut-down for $28:
It was quite yellow before, so I decided to bring this one back to life with Sea Glass and Black Wax:
I really was tempted to keep this one!
You can see more of this makeover, including my tip for applying darker waxes HERE.
6
Number six in this dramatic flashback countdown is this Secretary I found for $34 at the Salvation Army in November of last year:
It’s hard to tell by the above photo, but it needed lots of TLC! In January, I loved it back to life with some Caviar and a fun stencil:
And a little gingham on the inside…
I do love some black and white gingham! My MIL bought this the day after I dropped it off at my booth!
See more of this pretty makeover, including the gorgeous fabric I used on the drawers HERE.
5
This next one was done for the sweet lady who blessed me with my Mother’s Day Haul. It had been her grandmother’s and she wanted it restored so she could use it again. I agreed to paint it for her since she had given me so many treasures:
It had sustained a lot of damage being stored in the garage for so many years as many of her beautiful pieces had. However, as we know, paint has magical powers:
Cotton is always a win for me, and that is exactly what Ms. Mary wanted for this piece.
This one makes my heart go pitter patter.
See more of this gorgeous makeover, including how I dealt with the bleed-through HERE.
4
At number four is a more recent makeover, this vintage secretary I shared in November:
I really had fun with this one using transfer paper!
The inside got a moody makeover to contrast with the cheery outside:
I really had fun bringing this one to life!
See more, including how I applied the transfer paper HERE.
3
I’m including two pieces in the number three spot, this antique dresser:
Which after a lot of work, became this amazing beauty:
With all those stunning carved details…
And her taller brother:
Which needed just as much work and also became a gorgeous piece:
If you missed the story behind these two, they were also part of my Mother’s Day Haul. Once Ms. Mary saw what I had done with the taller one, she wanted to buy it back from me. She also wanted the match to it painted the same way, so we settled on a price, and in September she was reunited with these pieces that had been in her family for generations. It was a tearful reunion and so sweet. It was an honor to bring these amazing pieces back to life for her to enjoy for years to come.
To see all the fixing I did, including how I remedied the very musty smell, you can see the first one HERE and the taller one HERE.
2
We are almost there! At number two in the countdown is a very dramatic transformation! This is a project that my sister and I worked on together for her kitchen. She had this table and chair set for years:
The chairs were in great shape, but she was over the table and set out to find a new one for this space. She spied this one at the thrift store that was perfect:
That is the leaf to it on top. She is not normally a thrifter, so I was so proud of her for giving it a go!
We gave it a Fluff and White Magic Voodoo Gel Stain makeover!
It is unrecognizable!
The Voodoo Gel Stain is gorgeous on this table:
It has been a year and has held up amazingly well!! And her family of five uses it every day!
You can see how we did and all the products we used HERE.
*You can also see the rest of her VERY 80’s kitchen makeover we did just before this HERE.*
She did finally get her new luxury vinyl floors in November, so I need to share an update! It looks SO good!
1
And finally, this one will probably come as no secret if you follow me regularly. This is one more piece from my Mother’s Day Haul that I recently reshared:
Here is a reminder of what the top looked like before:
This one needed all the TLC, and with the help of Caviar once again and a gorgeous transfer, this antique dresser was magically transformed into the most dramatic makeover of the year!
It will be hard to compete in 2021, as furniture as gorgeous as this is hard to come by for the price I want to pay (free lol)!
See all the ways this piece was loved back to life and how I fancied up the other large drawer HERE.
And that’s the most dramatic furniture makeovers of 2020!
Were there any there you forgot about? Any favorites??
I’ll be back on Thursday with my favorite non-furniture makeovers of 2020:
UPDATE: See how these thrift store gems turned out HERE now!
See y’all then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
EMAIL * INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST * TWITTER
Mary Kaiser says
I remember every one of them, it is so fun to look back over a year like 2020 with fun projects like you share! Your transformations truly AMAZE me every time. Looking forward to 2021 and all the great things you will do! I appreciate you!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary! I appreciate you too!! Looking forward to a fresh new year!! XOXO
Jenni Floyd says
I still love that dresser in the #1 spot! But I love all these pieces! So many gorgeous restorations!
Christy says
Thank you, Jenni! Bringing those older pieces back to life was very rewarding! XOXO
Maureen Provost Ryan says
Gorgeous work. You are very skilled and inspired! Thanks for sharing all these transformations with us! Your fan from L.I., NY!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Maureen! It is a pleasure! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Happy Nee Year Christy! You had some great pieces last year. All so beautiful. I look forward to following you this year to see what happens and what awesome makeovers you do.
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! I was very lucky with the treasures I got to work on last year! I’m excited to see what 2021 brings! XOXO
Pamela Adler says
Stunning makeovers every one of them! But also extremely inspiring! I am sanding and painting up a storm because of you!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Pamela! Ha ha I love it!! XOXO
Christina says
Wow! So many wonderful transformations! My favorite is the transformation of your sister’s table and chairs. Why? Because of the love between you two! Second favorite are the matching dresser and chest of drawers. 🙂
I look forward to seeing more in 2021!! Happy healthy joyous and prosperous New Year!!!
xo
Christy says
Thanks so much, Christina! Aww…I love the table and chairs too and for the same reason. We had a lot of fun redoing her kitchen and that set! A joyous New Year to you too! XOXO
Janice Holt says
Welcome back and Happy New Year. My favorites are your Mother’s hutch and #1. Of course I love all of them.
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! My mom was so happy with the hutch! XOXO
Sharon says
I just LOVE your transformations! I missed you while you were enjoying the holidays! 🎄 Looking forward to your magic in 2021! ❤️
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Sharon! I missed you guys too! 2021 is going to be awesome!! XOXO
Vicki Lombardi says
Happy New Year Christy! I had 11 favorites in this post (well 12 with the sister/brother pieces!). Revisiting each one!! Your Christmas ski project inspired me and I did my own!! Looking forward to following along on your 2021 transformations!!
Christy says
Oh ha ha! Thank you, Vicki! I hope I have as much luck finding pretty pieces this year! And I love that you were inspired with the skis…woot woot! XOXO
Rosie says
Happy new year Christy! It was fun going down memory lane. I of course enjoyed all the transformations but I would have to say my favourite came in at 3 and 1. Looking forward to What you have in store for 2021☺️
Christy says
Thank you, Rosie! Those were great makeovers for sure! Looking forward to a fresh new year! XOXO
Toby Peplow says
Some how I missed a couple of these! Love them all! I have to go back and see how you did the voodoo stain…I haven’t heard or played with this product before–I am very curious! It looks amazing!
Happy New Year Christie!
Christy says
Thank you, Toby! The Voodoo stain is great because it is water-based, so clean up is a breeze! The white did wonders for my sister’s table! Happy New Year! XOXO
Gail says
Hi, I consulted you on your paint colors about a year ago and did a few white projects (OK, HUBBY did them!). I really thought the white would look great on my pedestal table but I was a bit disappointed. This one you did above looks so amazing! Not sure why mine doesn’t feel that way. Maybe the lighting in the room? Maybe the size and other decor in the room? I just don’t know. I keep a table cloth on it (especially after moving that caused some new scrapes that hubby hasn’t had time to repair.) I also finally found some wooden chairs to match it which hubby is still working on refinishing. I think it helps pull it all together a little more. You definitely have the knack! I LOVE following your work and maybe one day, we’ll get to visit your shop!
Christy says
Hi Gail! Thank you! When we redid my sister’s table, we were in the process of redoing her whole kitchen and eat-in area as you can tell by the before and after photos. If we had left the yellow walls and wood trim, the white table would not have looked nearly as good. What is going on in the rest of the space definitely makes a difference. And yes, I believe matching chairs will really help! Good luck with them! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
I am still in love with your moms display hutch!
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! She really loves it now! XOXO
Mary King says
I’ve been a little slow after the holidays, but catching up on emails finally. So happy to see how many of my old family pieces made this list. Granted it was not a great year for thrift store shopping, but even if it had been I would be partial anyway ;). I loved how you transformed your mom’s hutch and also the dresser with the colorful floral transfer on the drawers too! Much happiness and success to you in 2021 and if I ever get a larger place you will be my go to for furniture. Shoot you may be anyway!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary! Your beautiful pieces were the highlight of 2020 for me! Happy New Year, my friend…wishing you a wonderful year ahead! XOXO
judy says
Your work is sooo beautiful. Wish you lived closer so i could hire you…love your work….
Christy says
Aww, thank you so much, Judy!! XOXO
Julie Briones says
I had actually missed some of these, so I’m glad I came by to visit this post! They all look lovely, but I especially like number one in the dark paint and gold transfer looks so rich! Love!
Christy says
Hi Julie! I’m so glad you stopped too and thank you! I hope your year is off to a great start! XOXO