Hey y’all, Tracey here! I love my job. For many reasons…..one of them being the element of surprise almost weekly…like unexpectedly “geode painting” on furniture like this piece!

Early American pieces are difficult to refresh.  They have a very distinct style with their spindles and curvy trims and such.  Often times I will remove the spindles but with this being an heirloom that wasn’t an option.  My goal became to offer a focal point on the overall hutch that the eye would be drawn to rather than the spindles and trim on the upper hutch.

I could NOT be happier with it and I hope to paint many more in different colors!

I honestly didn’t plan this look.  I knew I just needed to get a coat of paint over the orangey maple….so I started at the top of the hutch with Dixie Belle‘s French Linen and did a gradual shift of colors on the way down.

I incorporated Hurricane Gray and blended that on down into Bunker Hill Blue (which is now one of my favorite blues by Dixie Belle) and straight into the depths of In the Navy!  That was as far as I got with design.

I walked away from it for a few days…..and would just stand in front of it from time to time…..hoping a design idea would show itself to me!

And then it did….just like that!  Check out my Facebook live video on the finish!

The final touch was going back in and adding the thin lines of metallic gold for the win!!

The geode itself is filled with the following colors: Cotton, Tea Rose, In the Navy, Bunker Hill Blue, Hurricane Gray, and Liquid Leaf Gold.

I finished off the hardware with Liquid Leaf Gold as well.

I did some light shadowing of the hutch and shelves with Best Dang Wax in Brown…..and some very subtle highlights on the hutch corners with Redesign Decor Wax in Eternal.

The entire piece is sealed with Dixie Belle’s Clear Coat in Satin.

I really love this piece!!!

I honestly don’t even think about it being early American now.  I really do think the lower asymmetrical glamorous finish is exactly what it needed to bring it into 2020.

To read more about it on Tracey’s Fancy, click here!

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About the Author

Traceys Fancy

Tracey Bellion is well known for her innovative, brilliant, and over-the-top furniture designs that encompass a Whimsical Wonderland. She loves to paint with playful colors and infuse multiple mixed patterns and textures not usually seen together. Tracey’s signature black and white checkerboard pattern is not only one of her favorite patterns to use to add visual interest, it also serves as a neutral in her furniture designs.

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