Fanny, A Fabulous Washstand
- Alaina Smith
- Jun 28, 2017
- 3 min read
Shortly after graduating from NYU, I worked as a Drama Therapist in a skilled nursing facility, aka nursing home. I've actually worked at several assisted livings and nursing homes mainly with people with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. These people are so often forgotten by society. They are pushed aside and all of their beautiful memories are lost. It was my job to help them remember and to give them purpose and a little pleasure throughout their day. Those experiences have forever shaped my view of the world, aging and what is truly important in life. Whoa, I am getting a little deep here. Anyway, I see so many similarities in what I do now with what I did then. These forgotten pieces of furniture remind me of my previous friends at the nursing homes. I somehow feel like I am honoring them while restoring these furniture pieces.
This brings me to Fanny. Fanny is a 100 year old washstand. At least that is what the lady on craigslist told me when I bought it, but who really knows with Craigslist. Oh the feelings a 100 year old piece of furniture evokes in me and a washstand!! For a time when there might not have been indoor plumbing. I imagine Fanny in a little wooden house proudly serving her family. Maybe with a pretty basin and soaps on top. She is missing her towel rack and her drawers are a mess, but she is still a star.
This piece of furniture reminded me of a friend from my time at the nursing facility in New York. This little lady was such a pistol. She would make a sassy remark and then bat her lashes at you. I can only imagine her in her heyday. I bet she got away with everything. I still remember sitting with her and holding her hand while she was nearing the end of this journey. She had fire engine red nails and even though every breath was difficult she still had her sass. She wasn't speaking any longer but at one point she turned to me smiled and batted those lashes. She was a firecracker to the end and will always be in my heart.
Well this washstand with its petite stature, sturdy nature, and little ruffles just conjured up this friend of mine. I changed her name for confidentiality but Fanny still rings true. I selected a pretty shade of mint from Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint called Layla's Mint. It is much less minty green than most mint shades and really seemed authentic to the era this little lady was created. This was my first experience with MMS and there was a definite learning curve. I went through one and a half packages for this tiny piece which is absurd. It was definitively user error but I think I have figured it out for the next time.
With MMS milk paint you have to mix the paint with water. This was the tricky part for me. I never got all of the clumps out but I don't think I let it sit and absorb enough. Lesson learned. The paint went on really smoothly and dried quickly to such a soft matte finish. For extra protection you can add a wax or oil but I loved the soft finish so much I just left it. To finish her off and give her a little more sass I lined the drawers with leopard paper. Every girl needs some leopard drawers!
My plan was to list her for sale but after all those memories conjured and the leopard drawers, I just can't part with her. Now Fanny is a permanent fixture in my entry way. Even my kids refer to her as Fanny!
