Blah to Blue (Antique dresser makeover)

I'm sure all of you can relate when I say that I sometimes buy or find "projects" and then drag them around with me for YEARS before I finally get around to giving them the much needed makeover. With the kids all grown up and on their own; living in the lonely, empty nest affords me much time for projects. The subject of this post was actually purchased for an event I was involved in last June. But I had so many other projects on the go for that event, it just didn't happen.

But, I decided last month that some things just had to GO and so I started to work on this baby!

As a side note; part way thru this project it occurred to me that I might have been sanding off a lead paint. I wonder how many of us, without even realizing it, are putting our health at risk in pursuit of our art-form. Be careful girls, lead as well as asbestos pose big health risks for us DIY divas. Please, do your research and be safe when working on old furniture and old homes.

So that being said, here is a before picture of my year old project. Oh so young in my world of projects, and ohhhh soooooo ugly!!! Ummm...excuse my messy garage and the out of focus picture. I confess, I'm not a very tidy DIY diva.

I neglected to take any transitional photos as I worked on it I'm afraid; but here is what I did:

First off, I had to make several repairs. The back needed reinforcing as well as one of the bottom drawers. The hardware for attaching the mirror was missing so that needed addressing as well.

The top two drawer interiors were kinda icky. It looked like someone had lost control of the shellac bottle about 100 years ago, and the results were not a pretty site. To clean that up I primed and decoupaged the drawers interiors, first with old sheet music and then with several pretty vintage graphics. (I love the vintage gypsy photo best; I found it on pinterest).

ahhhh....much better..

The entire dresser and mirror were primed and then painted in Behr's Polar Bear white. I then dry brushed the drawer fronts in several layers of blue and aqua shades until I was pleased with the colour.

The original hardware appeared to be a solid brass; but was, well, to brassy. So I toned them down with some bronze spray and then a black glaze to give them depth. Much prettier against the blue.

Finally it was given a good dose of distressing and then varathaned (two coats) and buffed to a soft sheen with steel wool.

I'm very happy with the final results. I just love it when I can give something a whole new life and keep it from the trash heap.

Here it is.......
hopefully this pretty piece will grace a happy new owners home soon.

I had considered transferring an advertising graphic onto the bottom two drawers, but I got lazy. But I'm actually kinda liking the cleaner modern country look on this girl!