I was lucky enough to find this fabulous old dresser
on a yard-sale page and I knew immediately that I had to have it. She looks like she’s seen better days and I would love to hear about her travels. However, I’m just happy to rescue her from the garage she was stored in and give her a new life and new look.

Isn’t she Pretty?
This type of furniture makes me so happy…
and a $50 price-tag makes me ecstatic. I cannot pass that up, and since I needed a dresser for my very own…I didn’t. Just look at the details….those details are what sold me!

Details, Details, Details!

Such Beautiful Details

Details are the Best!
This old dresser had a lot of years of grime
on her so I used my Norwex Enviro cloth to clean her up. There were a few spots with minor veneer damage but those don’t bother me because I love the distressed, chippy look anyway.

Functioning dove-tailed drawers

Slight damage on a drawer front

Damage to the top which will be under the mirror…No big deal! 🙂

Mirror removed. Yay! Look at those gorgeous details.

I couldn’t help it! I saw a face! 🙂

A surprised face??? 🙂

Clamping! 🙂
Now it’s time for the fun part….Paint!!!!
Chalk paint was my paint of choice for this project. I actually started making my own chalk paint using flat paint and calcium carbonate and I’m very happy with the results. For this dresser I decided on Behr’s Palais White made into chalk paint. This is so much more affordable than the brand name chalk-paints so I decided to give it a try on pieces that I’m keeping for myself so that I can monitor how it holds up. I got it all painted and realized the color was a bit too yellowy for my taste….so I started over with Behr’s Bit O’ Sugar, also made into chalk paint.
Finally, after 3 coats of chalk paint…
I lightly sanded the edges and the raised areas to really bring out the details and allow her age to shine through. I used Valspars Glaze in Asphaltum with a tiny artist brush to add some depth in the lines around the edges of the drawers and the design on the front. I also used this glaze on all of my kitchen cabinet doors. If you missed that post you can find it HERE. Then I waxed it with Annie Sloan Clear wax to protect it and give it a beautiful sheen.

Jimmy is my little helper. ALWAYS!!

It’s all in the details!

They just don’t make them like they used to!

Glaze really brings out the details!

I love Valspar Glaze ! So easy to use!
The drawers needed some love too
and since they were pretty beat up inside I decided to cover the bottom of them with fabric. This dresser is going to be used for my clothing and I prefer the drawers to be fresh and clean so I used Mod Podge to line the drawers with this pretty Parisian print fabric. As a last-minute decision I removed the original hardware …after painting it…(on the two bottom drawers only) and replaced them with glammy glass knobs from Home Goods. So fancy!

Drawer before Lining

Drawers need love too!

Drawers are fabulous and functional!

Even her feet are pretty now!

So shiny!
I love this transformation!
From the first day I rescued her from that storage garage I thought she was pretty…but now, she feels pretty! Results like this, which to me are great rewards, are what make me love finding old neglected furniture and giving it a new look and a new life. If these old pieces could talk just think of the travels they may tell us of, or of the changes in the world that they’ve seen. I love old furniture, I love the smell of the old wood, the craftsmanship, the architectural details but more than ever, I love their stories.
Here’s a reminder of what she looked like before….

Before
And After…
Now that her makeover is complete, she stands proudly in my room holding my clothes, giving me a place to display my pretties, and I’m pretty sure she’s reflecting on her life and feeling grateful for her second chance. 🙂

Well Hello Gorgeous!
Happy Painting my friends!
~Cindy~