Dresser & China Cabinet

Hello, hello!!!

I realize it’s been AGES since I’ve posted anything, but although things have been quiet on my blog, I have actually been working away.  Of course, with my kids on summer holidays my painting tends to take a back seat, but I’ve been sneaking out to paint when I have the opportunity.  If you’ve popped over to visit my facebook page you will have already seen these, but I thought I should share them here as well.

A couple of the projects I worked on and completed.

I actually agreed to purchase this dresser after only seeing a picture online.  I was drawn to the unique carved design on the front and the lion-head drawer pulls on the top drawers.

I painted the top a dark espresso with a glossy clear coat.  The bottom was painted white followed with a dark glaze to really draw out the details of the dresser.  The original hardware was updated in an oil rubbed bronze colour.

This next big project was this china cabinet.  I'd had it sitting waiting its turn for too long and it was high time it was refinished!  

 

I stripped the paint off the top of the bottom portion and stained it a darker colour followed by a glossy poly.

 

The remainder of the cabinet was  painted a light grey and then also followed with a darker glaze.  I replaced all the old/damaged hardware with new brushed nickel and removed the dated glass and added a simple hardware cloth.  The original back panel was damaged so I also replaced that with a brand new piece.

Both pieces have been sold.

Thanks for popping by!

 

Grain Sack Inspired

What started off as a very old and well-worn dresser ended up blossoming into…um…another old and well-worn looking dresser.  Wait, what?   

Well, the finished result was not actually what I had originally envisioned!  When I first looked at this dresser with its loose joints, missing drawer pulls, drawer bottoms cracked and broken and the wood covered in ink and paint, my first thought was “RUN!”.   

 

 

Maybe I should have actually listened to my gut instinct on that one.  Instead, I decided to give it a chance and with some pretty paint I could make it look new again. 

I started by “removing” the original drawer bottoms.  And when I say removing, I mean smashing them with a hammer until they fell out in jagged small pieces.  Over the years, this poor dresser had obviously gone through some not-so-awesome “repairs”.  Screws drilled through the drawer fronts in an attempt to tighten up some dovetail joints and drawer bottoms nailed and then glued in place with what I can only assume was some heavy duty cement or something!  Yikes.  They were also badly stained and were definitely showing their age.  I knew I had no choice but to remove and replace them with something new.

My original inspiration for paint came from a picture I came across of some beautiful vintage grain sack pillow covers.  

I thought the same look would be great for the dresser.  Sounds simple, right?  Apparently this dresser decided it didn’t want to look new.  Problem after problem I finally got frustrated and decided to “attack” it with my orbital sander….and attack is probably the right word.  I was tempted to sand the thing to a big pile of sawdust.  But then, something “magical” happened and as more of the paint came off, I started to see something more beautiful develop.  While a heavily distressed finish isn’t something I normally aim for, I loved it and knew it was definitely the way to continue with this piece.

One of the things that really caught my eye when I originally looked at the dresser were the sweet little round key plates on each drawer.  

Sadly they seemed to almost disappear against the original wood drawers, so I love how they stand out against the light paint color now.   

Because some of the original drawer pulls were missing or damaged, I chose to buy all new and picked a very simple pull that matched the key plates.  Love it!

After all the frustration and work that went into this dresser, I have to say I am thrilled with it.  Dresser is now listed and available for purchase.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bye Bye Blue

Do you recognize this dresser?   

 You may recall this past June I refinished this dresser that had certainly been through a lot before it came to me!   

At that time, I had planned to keep it for our sons room which is why I went with a fairly bold blue.  

 Of course, after it was painted, I came across a different dresser that was going to work out better for his room.  So, I choose to list the blue dresser.  I guess the color was a little too bold because it ended up not selling.  Well, I decided I would take it back into my workshop and go with a neutral color.  I chose to use a warm cream I already had in my paint stash as it’s one of my favourite creams.  After the paint, I finished it with a glossy clear coat.

 

With the new paint color, I chose to go with all new hardware as well.  The top drawer pulls were purchased locally, but I wanted something a little different for the bottom drawers and ended up having to custom order them.   

I am so happy with the way this dresser has turned out – it’s now complete and ready for a new home!

Thanks for popping by!

Farmhouse Tallboy Dresser

I love this dresser!  I picked it up last year and it sat (as do most of my projects) until I finally got an opportunity to work on it.

I’d planned to strip the paint off the top and stain the wood underneath and then paint the rest....

 ...but changed my mind partway through and painted the entire thing.  I decided to try something completely different and used a new paint technique which gave it a great faux chippy paint look!   

*Happy Sigh*  Love the mirror....

...and those sweet little wooden caster wheels – so cute!

I had to replace one of the drawer bottoms (it was badly damaged) and then lined all the drawers in a soft green vinyl.  

I absolutely love the way it turned out!  This beautiful dresser was finished with a glossy clear coat and is almost ready for its new home.

Thanks for popping by!