mr. dresser

From $30 interesting vintage find…

to…’how you doin’?’

• remove hardware (the lip pulls HAD to GO), remove brass feet covers, wood fill chipped spots, sand, label drawers, clean off all dust
• paint interior drawers – used interior semi-gloss linen white
• 2 coats Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – Graphite
• Annie Sloan’s Clear Soft Wax

Lower drawer with paint only, top drawer with paint + wax:

The wax was really frustrating until finally finding the rhythm & method by trial & error.  My method:

1. lightly sand with SUPER FINE sand paper & wipe dust off
2. have a bunch of white t-shirt rags handy
3. cover 3 fingers with rag, dip in wax, work in small areas with progressive plan in mind
4. circle the wax around like crazy, pressing & spreading even, end with a wipe following the grain

The final finish looks simultaneously fresh & old.  Dresser top:

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then  by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”  ~ Vincent Van Gogh

master makeover

The master bedroom is a work in progress.  The long turn-around due to… this “frugal minded” & super patient chick who will NOT put just anything in the house!

Here’s the transformation on the wifey side of the room – snore bore matchy dresser before:

After!:

All that for less than $150.  Sold the old dresser on Craig’s List for $150, bought the new for $150, chair $35, mirror $50 Hobby Lobby, lamp $25 Target, dogwood picture (moi) $5 winkflash, frame $25 Kohl’s.  The double frame – $1 thrift shop – actually has b/w family pics but for the blog, scrapbook paper.

Blue painter tape helped in deciding where to hang pictures & mirror.  Originally, a shelf was in the plan, but the balance seemed…off.

Of course, fresh flowers are a must…

“Design is the method of putting form & content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”  ~ Paul Rand

message wreath

A little welcome greeting…

$3 thrift shop frame, originally stained wood color.  Below, primed with Gliddon’s Gripper:

Next, two coats of Behr’s glossy Cottage White, followed by distressing on some edges.

Thanks to hubbie for cutting 2 1/2 inch chalkboard squares (material left-over from previous projects).  Originally, 5 squares were planned to be used…but they took more space than predicted…  so much for “hello”…

Less is more, right?  Loose leaf rings hold the squares in a dangly row:

A narrow ribbon secures the message within the frame.

Maybe we’ll go with “BOO” in October…”love” in February…or use text lingo any time of year…