The Over-Faux Finish- When You Just Don't Know When To Stop.!

image.www.Farrow-Ball.com

I had an idea a while back.  I was going to panel the ugly island at the cottage to make it look old...like an old fixture re-used here in the kitchen.

Melissa from Cranberry Cottage Blog had a little meltdown yesterday, (read it here) wondering if other bloggers had things go wrong, if their houses were ever a mess, or if they were in a perpetual state of staged perfection.  So, I thought it timely to show my kitchen with stuff laying about and unflattering pictures of my project.

This is the before picture.  A standard Home Depot veneered ugly-pugly island. (that is not my furniture here or my decor)

And here is phase 1.  You may ask yourself "is that a door" nailed to the island and you would be correct in your assesment.  In my quest to use only re-used materials in the cottage, I came up with the idea to use old doors for my panelling.  Lorraine and her husband found me the perfect old door at a thrift shop for the back, we cut the window piece out and nailed it to the island.  I found 2 smaller panels at the Re-Use it Centre and used them for the ends.

Handy Ken, then filled the gaps with old barn board.

Last weekend, I attempted to paint it, adding layers of white, blue, brown.  The paint took to the barnboard areas much differently than the painted panels, however, and I couldn't get the look I wanted....so I kept going and going, obsessively added colors to "age" it.

After a dozen coats, it ended up with a Very Faux, Faux finish.  Over the top and completely overdone.  Not at all what I had in mind. 

I think it looks like,

 it was in

 a FIRE.