Sunshine inspired freehand mural chest of drawers

The weather in Cornwall has been stunning these past few months, even as we draw towards the end of summer to Autumn, and there’s nothing more rewarding than sitting outside my workshop on a beautiful day listening to the sound of the birds tweeting, the waves crashing and the occasional mooing of a cow.

Yes, our house is surrounded by undulating Cornish countryside but just 2 miles to the coast and there’s nowhere I’d rather be when the day is as perfect as it was yesterday.

Wanting to make the best of my surroundings, I decided to paint up a set of drawers I’ve had in my workshop for a while. I opted for a cool, mellow Parisian Grey, but it looked kind of flat and uninteresting once I’d finished so thought I should maybe add a stencil motif, or better still, a freehand drawing.

Working outside can be so inspiring and I often look to nature for ideas. I started off just swirling a pattern on the drawers which I applied in chalk, in the hope that inspiration might strike.

To begin with, my mural didn’t look that great but with a bit of definition and some highlighting with a fine painter’s brush, it soon started to take shape.

It can be tiring and uncomfortable being stooped over a drawing for a couple of hours at a time, so I decided to take a break, go for a walk and come back to the mural in the afternoon. I’m really glad I did, because when I returned and approached the drawers from a distance, it took on a whole new perspective. Just lovely!

I added some finishing touches such as the crystal effect drawer pulls, a further coat of wax and a clear varnish for added protection and Voila! I have to say, I’m rather taken with the piece and keep going back to have a sneaky look to check I still love it. What do you think?

I have an identical two drawer cabinet in my workshop, so may just give that the same treatment.

I'm sure both will be very well received at our next vintage fair.