DIY: Zero to Hero

Ok, that’s not exactly true. This little miss was certainly not a Zero when I found her (that lattice front and hardware alone are completely gush-worthy), but she had so much Palm Springs swankiness going on that she didn’t know what to do with herself- she was on swank overload. I didn’t want to strip her of her swank, but I did want to do her right.

I hemmed and hawed over what to do with her. I knew she could be perfect and shine without being obnoxious about it, but what to paint this little miss? Just look at her. She was in dire need of a swank-appropriate makeover.

I thought about a high gloss navy with a black trim or the reverse, but I have so much of that already going on in my living room that she needed her own color. I thought about gray but wasn’t convinced until I revisited DIY goddess Jenny Komenda’s An Ode to the Pax post and once again fell in love with that glossy Knoxville Gray.

To seal the deal, I decided I would email Ms. Komenda in the hopes of catching her on an off day. She answered me straight away. “A super glossy mid-tone gray”, she replied. Music to my ears. She quickly put the kibosh on my navy and black idea and ruled out a white as well, adding that it would only cheapen the piece.

A little interior wisdom goes a long way. Thank you for the advice and the endless inspiration via the Little Green Notebook (that Jenny Komenda is truly inspired and crazy talented).

Here she is folks, my Palm Springs Swanky Lady in all her newly mid-tone gray glory:

P.S.: This was a Craigslist purchase for around $100. Add in a coat of paint for $20 and Voilá- DIY success!

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