Tags
2 toned, dresser, furniture, furniture redo, Furniture Renovation, gray, painted furniture, repurpose, white, wood
My mom and I spent a few hours working on this beauty. At first glance, it’s a nice dresser, well made with a very thick wood veneer on it. But as I looked more closely, I discovered that although the placement of drawers seems symmetrical, they are anything but. An unexpected break up drawers makes for an unusual asymmetrical construction (you can see the construction in the process photos at the end of this post).
Before the previous owner stained this dresser, it was painted white. I love how the original white color is embedded in the wood grain. I’m so glad the stripper didn’t remove that!
Materials
• Paint — Custom mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence and CoCo, Benjamin Moore creme/white color
• Stripper
• 120 grit sand paper
• Paint thinner or denatured alcohol
• Synthetic Brushes
• Annie Sloan Cear Wax
Prep
1. We stripped the drawer fronts and top of the dresser.
2. After the old finish had been completely removed, we wiped the dresser with a rag soaked with paint thinner. You can also use denatured alcohol for this step.
3. The top was lightly sanded with 120 grit sand paper then wiped down to remove the dust.
Painting
1. After the beautiful raw wood was revealed, we set out to assign a palette of neutral colors that would compliment the beauty of the wood color.
2. Then came the most important step… with paper and colored pencils in hand, we sketched several designs until we arrived at a nice balance of all three colors.
3. The piece was painted two coats of each color then lightly sanded to achieve a smooth finish. Although I enjoy distressing furniture, this piece didn’t need extra texture. I think the added texture would have compromised the design concept.
4. Two coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax was applied.
Lessons learned
When you buy a piece, consider removing a bit of the old stain/paint to get a peek at the wood in its nakedness. You just might find something stunning that shouldn’t be covered up with paint. I try to keep my ideas fluid as I’m planning a piece so that I don’t miss an opportunity to embrace nice surprises… like the amazing wood we found underneath layers of polyurethane and stain.
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http://www.myrepurposedlife.net
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Courtney said:
Great job- such a neat makeover. Thanks for linking up at Feathered Nest Friday!
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Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said:
What a unique look!
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Marilyn said:
Great job, love that your working with your Mother! Wish my daughter lived closer, we love doing the same projects. Checker is Fab! Newest linky follower, hope to see you visit and follow too.
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Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon said:
Beautiful!!! you did an amazing job! Thank you so much for sharing at uncommon! 😉 Bonnie
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BeColorful said:
Such a unique and chic design. So glad you shared this on BeColorful this week. You know I love your style. 😀
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martha at leonedesign.wordpress.com said:
As I do love your style also. Color rocks!
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Audra McIntyre said:
This is wonderful! Great job!
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Gail (@repurposedlife) said:
Great job on the two toned dresser! I bet it goes fast!
gail
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Stacey Freet said:
Very pretty – I am not sure of the style, but it turned out so nicely!
Thanks for sharing!
Stacey of Embracing Change
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Karen said:
Great work! I so love the checkerboard look. Wow, you really did a great job rescuing this piece!
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Toodie said:
What a great look for that dresser! I love it!
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kim@too much time said:
I LOVE this guy! I am really into the natural wood/painted wood combo right now and this one is just fab! Thanks for linkg up!
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martha at leonedesign.wordpress.com said:
Hi Kim: thanks for the comment. I’m so excited for your feature in BHG! I smiled when I saw your post! Great news.
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Suzan said:
What a fabulous makeover – loving it!
Your newest follower – would love to have you visit and follow back!
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Laurie said:
Great job! It’s gorgeous!
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martha at leonedesign.wordpress.com said:
Hi Laurie:
Thanks for finding me. I love your blog and especially the recent post on maps. So glad we found each other.
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Courtney said:
Nice one Martha, love that you didn’t paint the whole thing! Natural timber mixed with some paint is a huge favorite of mine right now!!
Great job and thanks for visiting me!!
Courts x
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Judy @ Addicted 2 Home Decor said:
Your checkered dresser looks fabulous! Awesome job!
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martha at leonedesign.wordpress.com said:
Thanks for the comment Judy!
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Denise said:
Very pretty, I love it!
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