apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

So happy it's not turquoise!

Pretty!!!

Great job! What color is the larger dresser?

LOVE the dresser with the green knobs...so pretty.

Again people going with a fad that is likely to be outdated in just a couple years.

Hi LSUgrad03- Thanks! The larger dresser is the same color as the dusty blue-green stripes/main background color on the green-knobbed dresser. I bought too much paint, so everything is a similar color. It was California brand paint, and I think it was called 'Viscaya' from their historical color collection.

Hi ChrisGal- (for full effect, please play 'Piano Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor' as you read this) Yup, it'll probably be an outdated fad in a few years, but I've loved that color long before it was a fad, and will continue to find love in my heart for that color way after the fad has died a painful blue-green death.

@ChrisGal, you know, the joy of paint is that it's easy to change.

These are beautiful. I love the dresser with the green knobs.

I'm so impressed! Thanks for sharing. How did you do that pattern on the drawers on the taller dresser?

Simply gorgeous.

ChrisGal= Snark Attack!

Hi Tiamat_the_Red- Thank you!

For the stripes, I measured out lightly in pencil a plain rectangle with a long ruler, then went in and measured off the corner designs after. It helped me a lot to line up all the drawers on the floor, face up, arranged as if they were still in the dresser. That way I could compare each drawer to see if I made any measuring mistakes.

Each drawer was taped off with with regular white artist's tape so that the stripe was an even quarter-inch all the way around, then I painted longest areas, being careful not to paint over the corner design measurements.

Take the tape off before it dries, so the stripe paint won't rip off. Then, go in and do the corners and any touch-ups by hand. Easy as pie. Hmm. Actually, pie is sometimes not so easy. Easy as canned soup, maybe?

Issomethingfishy- YOU are simply gorgeous.

Hi Adiaphane- So happy for sarcasm.

ChrisGal-
Who cares if it's a fad? She found one of them on the street for god's sake! And she can always paint them a different color anytime she wants.

Sorry to comment so much, but I never realized there was a such a war against blue-green out there! It's funny, actually. Plain and simple, I just thought it was a nice color- it reminded me of the color waves are in Maine, on a sunny day, just before they break on the rocks. It's the color of happy childhood memories! Fad or no fad, I'm guessing most people wouldn't follow one if they didn't like that color in the first place. If the fad was neon pink, I wouldn't go paint my furniture that color, but that might be the perfect time for someone who loves neon pink to get their furniture-painting groove on. However, if the bright leaf-green fad comes along, I may be tempted into buying some more paint...

Trends aren't always so terrible, if it's the right trend for you.

Looks great ! Did you use latex or oil- the finish looks really smooth. Lots of sanding I'm guessing. Did you seal them with anything ? I'm just about to attempt my first painted furniture, any pointers would be great. Thanks

Lindsay has shown the best style sense of all - she went with what she loves and it is beautiful. Spectacular job and wonderful color!

I admire all of the work you put into these pieces Lindsay! Beautiful results! I hope my next restauration projects will look that well done. And I'm glad you went with a colour you love. Had it been white, red, black or brown, the amount of you work you did is still outstanding!

Hi Amba-

Thanks! I used semi-gloss latex paint, which turned out just a little too shiny for me- next time, I'll probably use something more matte (my mom suggested eggshell- sounds like a good idea good to me). This was also my first serious furniture-painting project, so I'm definitely no expert and I'm sure I've made lots of mistakes that I'm not even aware of, but this was the process I used on the dresser with the silver knobs:

The biggest and first step was the sanding! Lots and lots of sanding! Be sure to wear a face mask or else you'll be breathing in a lot of dust. Be prepared to be sore if you do it by hand.

Then I used Elmer's brand wood-filler on the holes, because I'd be replacing the old pulls with new pulls (the new ones had just barely different screw measurements... sigh). Use a plastic spackle knife to push the wood filler into the holes from the outside, sort of like frosting a cake, but with more force. Put more wood filler in than you need, and then, from the inside of the drawer, push the wood filler back out a little through the hole, so it bumps out of the hole a little on the front of the drawer. Sorry to be gross, but from the outside of the drawer, each hole should now resemble a wart. Remember to wipe the excess wood filler off of the inside of the drawer with a wet rag or paper towel. Let the filler dry completely, and then, very gently, sand it flat so the hole feels flush with the rest of the drawer. If the 'wart' falls off while you're sanding and creates an uneven dent in the surface, just add some more wood filler and wait for it to dry again. I had to touch up a lot of the holes because I wasn't patient enough and sanded before the wood filler was thoroughly dry. Wood filler is a lot less dense than spackle, so it crumbles very easily.

Then drill new holes for the new hardware.

I primed the wood with Kilz (not sure if I needed to, but it seems to have worked out alright).

When the primer had fully dried, I painted two coats of paint, using a roller on the large surface areas, and a brush in the corners and in the detail areas like the striped grooves in the front. Watch out for drips! There was one drip I didn't notice before the paint dried, but luckily it was in an area that wasn't too noticeable.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

@Greencanary: LMAO! I even followed your instructions and played piano sonata no. 2 in B-flat on iTunes--it provided quite the effect!

Anyway, I'm on team green-blue. I think the dresser looks beautiful, and I imagine that it feels even more rewarding b/c it was free! Keep up the good work!

way to go! for the first time doing this, you seem to have done your homework, and the results speak for themselves. I'd love to see the rest of your place.. maybe you'd give us a brief apartment tour?

Love it !! What a change, so stylish !! Thanks for sharing !

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