Introducing

I'd like to introduce you to The Beast (although I should probably rename her because she is anything but beastly now).

The Beast was entrusted to me recently by my roommate and friend (let's call her "The Gov"). The Beast was gifted to the The Gov with a rich legacy... of storing things (see below).

While this legacy was quite noble considering the absurd lack of storage in the house we live in it was time to give her an update and hopefully find her a new home. Until then, she will be a more aesthetically pleasing addition to our basement.

I have been eyeing The Beast for quite some time itching to put her under the paintbrush so I went into this with a semi clear vision. Nearly 75% of the time my initial vision is not at all what the final product ends up being and The Beast was no exception. I'll save those photos for another post.

For this project I decided to go back to my roots and use good 'ole latex paint rather than the boutique paints I have been using lately. The outside is Behr Premium Plus with Primer in Graceful Gray and the interior is a custom mint green mix from leftover paints. Note to self: make sure you mix enough of a custom color when working on a project. Metallics and Rifle Paper Co. are my latest obsessions and this was the perfect piece to implement both. 

Amazingly, Behr's paint + primer makes it super easy to give your piece a quick update. I thoroughly wiped her down and started slapping on paint. I put 2 coats of each color, used Modge Podge to adhere the Rifle paper to the back, sponged on the ombre dots using metallic gold paint, 2 coats of water based poly on as a protective coat and voilà! Well, maybe not just voilà. This was actually my most labor intensive project yet, but that had more to do with the sheer girth of The Beast than it being a complicated process. That and being creatively stunted one or 10 times but again, that's another post...

Here are a few Before and Afters:

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Photos of The Beast post makeover. Sadly, she was so large I had to take photos in the basement so the pictures really don't do the colors justice. Either way, she's a beaut if I do say so myself.

I'll leave you with this photo as a cautionary tale of what happens when you leave your projects unattended. Roommates will make mischief. 

Courtesy of The Roommates

Playing in the background while working:

• Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors
• Patty Griffin
• And several episodes of Parenthood which is not a great idea because painting is not conducive to sobbing uncontrollably. Such a good show.