I still need to paint the mirror that goes above it. I have no idea why I didn't paint it when I painted the dresser. It was even leaning on a wall nearby. But, this will just keep the anticipation going a little longer. The furniture sliders are still under it so I can easily slide it out when it's time to install the mirror.
I did some online research about what kind paint to use. I got excited about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It supposedly needs no prep. I like that idea. It's finished with a coat of special wax. I decided to go for it but when I went to the only local store I could find that carries it, they were so busy chatting with someone that they never helped me. I searched through all of the cans and didn't see any in the graphite color I wanted. I wandered around the shop a while longer, looking at samples of furniture painted with chalk paint and decided not to use it. The cost of the paint and wax alone would have been about $60 and I would have needed some special brushes too. Plus, from everything I'd seen, it was more suited for a distressed look and that's not really what I wanted.
I headed to the nearby Home Depot to look around. The lady working that day suggested a latex paint that had primer in it. It sounded like a good idea. I grabbed some more paint chips and headed home to decide on a color. I decided on a Martha Stewart color called, "Silhouette MSL260". But, instead of driving 20 minutes to the closest Home Depot, I went to Lowes which is less than a mile away. I asked about the paint with primer and how much odor it would have. They said it was one of the stronger smelling paints. I don't like that because it gives me a headache. They suggested using indoor latex without primer because the odor was very minimal and they thought it would work fine. They were right about the odor. It had almost no smell at all. I liked that. But, I'm not sure about the durability. I think the primer might have grabbed on better and would be more durable. But, we'll see how it wears with time. I used Olympic Indoor Latex in semi gloss. I spent about $20 for the paint and all of my supplies for painting and prepping.
I was so excited about my "new" buffet that I quickly started pulling things out to put on the top to play around with decorating ideas. I found the cocktail sign recently at Home Goods. The red color is perfect to go with other red things in my home. I started shopping for a tray for a little bar but didn't have any luck. I decided to try using this old, decorative cake pan that I picked up at an estate sale years ago. I think I like it! The silver candle stick is destined to become a buffet lamp. And, the red candle is something I won in a blog giveaway at My Sweet Savannah. The color is perfect and the scent is yummy...apple bourbon. It's from Goose Creek Candle Company.
I love the color of the paint. It changes with the light throughout the day. Sometimes it's black, sometimes it's more dark gray and very much like the Annie Sloan Graphite. I was aiming for black but I think the gray will show dust less than jet black would. And, I love how the rope trim catches the light.
In between the three coats of paint on the buffet, I painted the dining room walls in Benjamin Moore's "Stone House 1039". I love that color! Our master bedroom is also painted in that color. It's warm and makes a wonderful neutral for the colors and things I have and love.