Ornate + Mint + White = Yum!

This solid wood dresser was in fantastic shape when I picked her up.  She was a lovely dark wood and had been taken well care of over the years.  I hesitated for a moment before breaking out the paint cans.  But like a good addict, I conceded in the end!

I wanted a break from turquoise, thought about a nice dark grey, but in the end I went with a mint/white combo.

This piece has fantastic hardware!  Large, solid and very curvy.  They just don't make hardware like this any more!

I bought some new paper about a week and a half ago and got to put it to good use!  This is a floral mint/white paper and it goes perfectly with the theme.

I used modpodge to attach it - easy peasy!

I used my Zinsser primer again and tinted it a similar shade of green.  I used my favorite dulux paint in satin for the body, I custom tinted using some green tint I got from the paint store  

I painted out some of the trim in white, and then distressed it a bit to age it up.  I also distressed the entire dresser lightly.

I think this piece would lovely in a nursery, or a room featuring neutrals or soft pastels.

And here is the before - quite the looker in her original duds, wouldn't you agree?

Linking up to:
missmustardseed
http://www.flusterbuster.com/
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com
http://www.redouxinteriors.com

Aged Light Turquoise

I custom mixed up this colour.  It is a nice feminine blue-turquoise.  This dresser was in fabulous vintage condition.  A great find with all the detailing.

  

I sanded really well, and then primed the entire thing with Zinsser BIN (I find this stuff so frustrating to work with because it dries so bleeping fast, but it has aaaaamazing adhesion)

After my Zinsser dried (about 4 seconds later), wink wink, I painted on two coats of the turquoise.  I then highlighted the recessed detail with cobalt blue, and the raised detail with a lighter shade of the turquoise.

The result was very pretty, but not nearly edgy enough, I decided to give everything a really good sand to make it look more ‘antique-chic’ and less ‘little girl’s room’.

Because the Zinsser is stubborn as hell, it doesn’t come away when sanded like the paint does, so its great for creating a layered paint look.

The hardware was very dull and dingy, but I used my old sanding technique to bring out the soft gold lurking beneath.  I then shot a blast of sealer to prevent future tarnishing.

I picked up four new rolls of decorative paper a couple of days ago, and it was a real toss up to decide which one to use on the inside drawer facings.  I decided to go with a grey/white chevron pattern.  I kind of think it gets a bit lost against the boldness of the dresser.  I had a great dragonfly on butcher paper one, I wish I’d gone with that one instead!  Next time.

And here is the before. Not a bad looking lady.

Linking up to missmustard seed.  Have a great long weekend!

Blue-grass Inspired Rustic MCM Dresser

This dresser was pretty ugly, Im sure you will agree when you see the picture below. The mirror is pretty cool though, I found the same one at a Salvation Army and it now hangs in my bedroom.

The Before

 But back to the dresser, I had a vision of a really cool distressed blue/black rustic looking blue-grass kinda thang.  Sometimes your vision turns out exactly as you expected, other times it doesnt.  This was one of those times I wasnt over the moon with how it turned out.

I thought the top looked a bit too much like marble, and the detailing on the front middle that I thought was pretty neat when I picked the dresser up, didn't really do it for me after I was finished.  

I kept working, and re-working the dresser (adding colour, distressing, more distressing, etc) until I was a little bit happy with how it looked.

In hindsight, I wish I had traded out the hardware for something with more personality.  Instead I opted to paint the hardware out black, and I think it disappears to much against the black drawers.

But that is the way it goes, Im sure we all have some pieces that we love more than others!