Friday, April 8, 2011

Re-dressing Our Old Dresser

This has been a challenging process on many levels.  Not to be all sappy, but my mom owned this dresser and shared it with her twin (shared?) growing up.  My dad re-did it (and wrote on the back "") for my sister and added a mirror with two cork wings on the top.  I eventually inherited the dresser and it stayed in my old bedroom over at my parents' house. 

Until now.

 

My parents let me have the dresser to do with as I pleased.  Woo-hoo!  Guest dresser?  Linen storage?...........craft storage??

Regardless, it is going in my uber-girly-girl guest room/studio with a new shade of red.  It also helped me narrow down a color scheme for the room.  I think.  If you know me, you know I change my mind about colors all. the. time.  Shall we venture back to wedding colors?

Nah.

Moral is....colors are never permanent with me.  Especially color schemes.  I fall in love with them, devour them, and then I get sick of them.

Oh you wanted to see the new dresser?  Is that why you clicked?

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm trying to get better about the whole "before" and "after" photos, namely that I actually take the "before" photos.  I (again) didn't get to that in this project because I was too excited to start, but I did take a picture of the drawers afer Greer sanded them down and the dresser after I sprayed on some primer.



Dark maroon color


[sidenote- I did not like using the spray primer on this project.  I ended up just getting good old paint can primer and slapping it on.  It's also not good to spray paint in a tiny shop in winter.  Just fyi.]

Spray primer and Greer!







That little white shelf with the checkered top is yet another project that you'll just have to way to see later.  I've been playing with it since August and am just not satisfied.

So. Dresser.  We meet.  We dance.  We paint.

The wrong color.

 Grrr.  I found a swatch that I thought matched my studio walls and it was paired with a lovely little reddish pink called "Strawberry Patch."  Sounds like a good enough contrast to coral, I thought.

Since when are strawberries orange??

It was not red, not pink but orange.  I tried to wait and let it dry but I just wasn't going to cut it.  Back to Lowes to return the paint and pick out a new color (and this time I brought the fabric from my chair!).



So a better red- wonderful!  The trouble with reds thought, is that your primer should really be gray! I forgot.  So I did about 3 or 4 coats on this baby because I primed with white.  Seriously, the Lowes example board does not lie (ask to see it).  Red paint needs gray primer.

I used gloss for this project and I don't know if it was gloss that was the issue or the weather, but the paint job is still sticky feeling, not smooth.

All in all, it's okay.  I chalk it up to learning and experience



colors aren't quite right

colors still not right
Oh, and storage!
The left side of drawers holds extra fabric, scrapbook paper, and other crafty supplies.  The right side holds extra sweatshirts- the ones you want to keep around for summer for cooler nights by the campfire, but you don't want them cluttering the closet.

Ravish in the Rojo, friends!

5 comments:

  1. Can't wait to see it in person!! Great job! I like the idea for storage for the sweatshirts. I hate keeping mine in my "closet" because they take up so much room but I don't want to pack them away because they're great for summer nights down at Coney Island or like you said, by the campfire. Drawers are a great place for them!

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  2. When you mentioned colors and how you always changed your mind, I immediately thought of your wedding! Then I read the next sentence and laughed. The dresser looks great! I wish I had motivation, space, and permanent place to live to do that!

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  3. hahah you two are wonderful. I get comments really late... I guess I don't have notification set up and blogger doesn't tell me. The colors are COMPLETELY off in the pictures. Inside the house the cameras always seem to make it yellow. I don't know why.

    Speaking of changing colors- I already want to paint that room. And it hasn't even been a year....

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  4. Great job!!!! I'm a happy new follower to your wonderful blog. Pop over for a visit and be sure to enter my giveaway!
    xoxo,
    Kim

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  5. Thanks Kim! I'll be sure to check out your blog :)

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