Dresser Before and After
…And you thought I’d be bored on my Maternity Leave…
This dresser was a wedding present from my mom, and we’ve had it for over 7 years. I love this dresser. I even loved it white but it was getting pretty dirty after so many moves. Here are the highlights:
- The dresser was almost raw wood so dusting and very little sanding was needed
- I had four of those little knobs left over from another project, so I decided to save a little money and use these knobs instead of purchasing a whole new set. I was able to purchase the remaining knobs at Home Depot.
- Paint color was Elegant Silk Interior Satin Latex Valspar Paint from Lowes. This was my first time using Valspar and my review is mixed. I thought the coverage was great but the paint dried too fast. Of course, this has to do with many variables, such as the weather, but I had to work in double speed to not leave brush marks
- I almost never have a plan when I head out to get paint. I knew I wanted a fun color, and that’s about it. I spent about 10 minutes looking for a color, and decided on this fun teal. I like how it looks with the black and white and even lime green {risky move!} in my bedroom.
Here are some tips for a quick paint job
Roll the paint first using a small roller.
Get the paint into the crevices with a brush. Use the same brush to smooth out the nap marks left by the roller. Be sure to go with the grain of the wood and make your brushstroke last the entire length or width of the brush so it doesn’t leave a mark where you started or where you ended.
Keep the bottom of the piece raised a little bit. I had my dresser on a furniture mover so it was elevated and I could easily rotate it to paint comfortably. You can use little pieces of cardboard underneath each corner so you can be sure to get paint along the very bottom of the piece.
Let me know you stopped by »
I saw the “before” and thought THAT was a cute dresser! You made it even better! You’re so talented. Now, what can I paint in my apartment…
That looks SO great! I think you made a wonderful choice with the color.
Love the color, you did an amazing job!
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I would never have chosen that color. I would have been wrong.
Thank you! Now, I’ve got to go get my clothes put back in it…
@Natalie – Ha! No way, you would have picked something different but equally great. I am always in awe of other people’s choice of color because we all see things differently!
@Jen – Get painting!
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
I’m with Jen Wallace: I like both the before AND the after. Great color!
I adore the color. Such pop! I am still waiting for the perfect craig’s list find to makeover!
It looks fantastic! I am all about bold color.
Wow! That looks incredible. I love that colour!
Love the color you painted it.
Almost time now!
I would have never chosen that color either but I really like it. I think I could use some bold color like that in our house!
It’s adorable! I love any color that reminds me of Fiesta Ware :)
This looks FANTASTIC! I LOVE the color!
Gorgeous! I adore the colour and the double shiny knobs. I painted my daughter’s dresser white last year and it was my first furniture paint job ever. Love love this and your tips are so helpful for a beginner like me :)
Love it Brooke. You have put new life into that dresser. Who knew being “green” could be so beautiful.
Teal, lime green and black! A classic combo! So cute.
that is one heck of a transformation. that dresser is begging to be in my bedroom. i love your innovation with the knobs!!! brilliant. your nesting level is over the moon, my dear ;)
These are great tips – thanks for sharing! I’ll be painting a bookcase for our nursery soon and will keep these suggestions in mind. Your dresser looks great! I love the color.
I love any color that reminds me of Fiesta Ware. Very vibrant! :)
^ and that’s what I get for trying to post to blogs off my Blackberry. Sorry!
I guess the color is okay. Personally I would have gone with a deep red color. Just curious, did you discuss this color choice with your husband beforehand. If so, how did you convince him to go with that color?
@Jason – my husband is so supportive of everything I do. He and I both knew that a deep red wouldn’t *quite* work, so I saved us both the hassle of painting it twice by picking this lovely color. He sees now that this was DEFINITELY the way to go.
Wow, that looks amazing! I feel totally inspired!
Lila Ferraro
Queen Bedroom Sets
LOVE IT! Love how you’re not afraid of color!
Love it! Want to paint our dining room the same color on your wall behind the dresser….do you happen to know the name of the paint?
@Vanessa – The master bedroom paint color is Benjamin Moore’s “Calming Aloe”… LOVE it: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_br=1&_pageLabel=fh_home&np=colors/533
In my future life, I want a room with a black and white motif and pops of color. The teal is so fun.
I am loving that bold color… you’re right it looks fabulous with the lime.
Oh I am glad you did the trip down memory lane, this is a post I missed and LOVE! I like the double knobs, that looks so contemporary and clean and of course I love the color!