Homestead House Series: Rideau Blue

We’ve been having some crazy weather here in San Antonio lately. One day its 42 degrees and the next it’s pouring rain in the 70’s with 90% humidity. Part of me is glad to be moving to Virginia in the next couple of months, but I catch myself really beginning to enjoy some of the wonderful things I’m going to miss about San Antonio. Right now, Im bored out of my mind. The house is spotless as we have been living in a picture perfect home since it went up on the market. I’m waiting for paint to dry in my garage and that’s always testing, especially on rainy and humid days like today. Im not hungry, but feeling the need to snack and I’m caught up on my Etsy listings so I figured a blog post was in order.

Today’s blog post features a charming little chest I painted in one of the truest denim blues I have ever painted with, “Rideau Blue” by Homestead House Paint Company.

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This time I actually have a pretty decent before picture! I was surprised to find that this was covered in a bird’s eye maple veneer, and although I was super hesitant to paint it, I noticed during my usual prep that there was a lot of veneer patches that just looked terrible. The top was perfect, but the base had some issues.

So never mind the mess in the background. Im pretty chaotic when it comes to painting furniture but I have my own system and know where everything is. I’m so lost when Jake comes in and organizes everything…I can never find anything! But it was overall in decent condition and all it needed was a good sanding. Before I started sanding though, I used my new favorite cleaner, Krud Kutter to remove those painted designs off the drawer front. I have used Krud Kutter plenty of times to remove wax and clean grime off my furniture. But it’s pretty handy at removing dried latex paint too!

I knew this color was going to be gorgeous the second I mixed it. It’s the perfect denim moody blue with gray undertones and it can go either way with masculine or feminine decor. I think I actually referred to it as the perfect Ballerina Blue. I only needed two coats of “Rideau Blue”
for full coverage.

I didn’t have to do much distressing at all. I just used 220 no-slip sandpaper to smooth out the surface and the paint sort of faded away where it didn’t bond. I really like the look of this because the color makes it appear weather and washed and it blends so well with the original base color. It’s not stark but the distressing is subtle.

I wanted to use a sealer that would really deepen the color, so I opted for Hemp Oil and Fusion’s Beeswax Finish. Hemp oil is awesome over milk paint. It penetrates through the porous surface and provides a water resistant seal while at the same time hydrating and strengthening the wood. I only use the Fusion’s Beeswax as an added layer of protection and for a bit of shine since hemp oil dries matte.

The top was given a deep sanding, but I wanted some warmth to contrast with the depth of the blue. I used Homestead House Stain and Finishing Oil in One in the color “Golden Pine.” I have used these oils before and love how STRONG they make the wood and how deep the pigments penetrate. Since this has resins and strong oils, a topcoat is not required!