The "Rivah" Inspired Dresser

Yes, I've been slacking a little on my furniture flips, but I'm finally getting back into the mood again.  Well, perhaps a lot of it is that I had to kick myself in the behind to get ready for the Vintage Home Market and our new room at Deep Creek Vintage.....both of which I need to be finished in less than two weeks!

 

As with most furniture re-do hoarders, I have a fairly large stash in the garage, but I went on a junk hunt anyway and found this adorable 1940s/50s dresser.  For the show, I want to do a little section geared towards beach living (and the Rivah), and this dresser screamed "pick me, pick me!", and I'm so glad that I did.

 

Not having a real plan, I started mixing a custom blend paint out of several different flat paints I had laying around, then added Plaster of Paris to make it a chalk paint.  I drew inspiration from this painting (that I also found during one of my hunts) and went with a deep turquoise.

 

This is the color I came up with.

 

 

Does anyone else re-use their plastic coffee containers for paint?  If not, it's great!  We go through coffee like crazy in this house, and instead of throwing those containers away, I finally found a good use....and the paint keeps for a long time!  Plus, they usually have handy little handles.

 

OK....back to the dresser...

 

I gave it a good coat of the turquoise, then added some undertones for the distressing part.  I had originally left some of the wood "faux painting" showing, but once I tried on the new knobs, the orangey color just didn't work.  So, the dresser got a final all-over coat of the turquoise.

 

  

Once all done, I handpainted a compass rose on the bottom of the front.  It's a good thing that I never became a surgeon...my hands are not steady at all!  However, I knew that I would distress after I was done, so it all worked out, I think.

 

 

After adding a darker wash to a couple of the panels and giving it a good sanding and distressing to show some of the undertones, I waxed it all over with clear wax, then went over that with some homemade dark wax (two parts clear wax to one part ASCP Graphite).  That gave it the age look I was going for. 

 

Last, but not least, I added these super cute knobs I found at Hobby Lobby....

 

 

...and, the end result is this:

 

 

 Ready for a new home on the water (or a beach home wannabe).  Will be available at the Vintage Home Market!

 

 

 

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When you buy a lemon....make lemonade!

 

We've all done it....bought that one thing at auction that you thought was a great buy, then quickly realized that you messed up.  That's what happened with this little dresser.  We had arrived at the auction a little late and didn't get to look around freely beforehand.  This dresser came up and she looked so adorable from where I was sitting that I HAD to have her.  Well....at closer inspection after I won the bid, she was a MESS!   Of course, she had the cutest applique on the top drawer, but that was it.  There were some bad, bad veneer issues.  At any case, we bought her....and she had to come home with us.  I couldn't take her to the shop as she was, and this was during the time that I worked full-time and didn't have the time, or energy, to do her justice.  So, there she sat in our guest bedroom holding old VHS tapes.... Yes, that's how long we had her! 

Finally, this past weekend, I talked my hubby into helping me bring her down.  It was time. 

So, here she stood....after I did a little patchwork. 

Really, it needed all the veneer stripped off and sanded, but I let her sit for a day so that I could study her.  Instead of taking all the character off, I decided to embrace her "curves".  I first painted her white....but, it didn't talk to me.

Then I painted her this gorgeous Blue Haze.  As I painted, it just clicked.  I dry-brushed the white over the blue to highlight the bumps and lumps.  I wanted it to look like she had been sitting by the sea for years....weathered and a little salty. 

I gave her a little distressing and of couple of coats of wax.

I saved the pulls by giving them a quick coat of the same blue and highlighted with some white.  Then sprayed with clear coat. 

The top knobs were found at Hobby Lobby.  Love them!!

She is an acquired taste, but all in all.....I think she is stunning!


Susan

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