apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

what about some metallic paint? it would be lovely in a silver/silver-leafed look! change the hardware and you can give it a glamorous art deco feel.

I think it looks really cute, but maybe it's because of the grainy picture and it's totally my style.

I would paint it one solid color - whether it is the matte white or a soft yellow or a color that is husband-approved, then get interesting knobs. Anthropologie sells them, or find antique knobs.

I like the lines of this dresser. Maybe your husband would prefer black? But that might require redoing more than just the dresser.

I love this piece. It's chic and modern, esp with the white, the knobs and my favorite, the curve along the front.

However, if you really aren't loving it as is, then I've seen a handful of fun diy dresser treatments. You could do either a wallpaper or a pattern on only the dresser, leaving the drawer fronts a solid color. Or the opposite. the drawer fronts a pattern and the rest a solid.

This isn't the exact thing, but it gives you an idea:
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/new-lena-corwin-printing-by-hand-book-contest.html

splendor? it's from ikea. i think it's kind of pretty but the hardware should be changed. you could paint it a medium grey with green undertones for kind of a scandinavian painted furniture look.

but the white doesn't look that bad either. it looks cute in your space with that green wall.

Easy Route: I would just put different knobs on it. For some reason knobs with ring pulls comes into an image in my brain. Optional: Put a table cloth runner, scarf or other nice fabric on the top. Not expensive, would take 1 second to do, and would be easy to change

More Complicated Route: Paint it a vibrant or dark color (a dark stem green would be nice against the rest of your decor in the photo) AND add new knobs.

For your own private whim: Also add cool wallpaper, contact paper or decoupage the inside of it.

It's a great dresser! why not repaint it white, but this time go with lacquer? get rid of the pink for sure. Rustoleum has a lacquer paint featured in several of this month's DIY projects.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=109

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=358

*note that you have to use *very* light coats of the lacquer to avoid what some users are calling "fish eyes"

I would definitely get new knobs (someone above mentioned anthropologie...their knobs are great).

I would paint it all one color, even if all you want to do is paint the sides white (your husband may just be reacting to the pink sides) I think you should go with a dark color, though, to contrast with the light decor surrounding it.

Where did you get your owl, by the way?

I think a gloss paint and different hardware would do it. You could go with gloss white or gloss black or if you're up for it, a bold color. The lacquer look will emphasize it's curves. I think the anthropologie knobs will make it too girly - go with something in polished nickel/chrome like a pull ring.

Get a length of polyester lace fabric with an interesting pattern.

Wrap around the body of the dresser (remove the drawers for this)

Roll or spray with a glossy white paint.

Carefully remove the lace and allow to dry.

Reinstall drawers and chrome replace knobs with Brass Loop or Lion's Head pulls.

Voila: A lacy white pattern over your existing pink dresser and glamorous new hardware!

I got the owl on sale at the Anthropologie store on Lake in Pasadena. It was $18 or something and it's actually a vase.

There was a type-o in the original e-mail. I meant to say 'Anthropologie knobs' and the ones I brought home were the Granita Knob in blue - hence the easter bunny colors. The more I seem to mess with it the more terrible it becomes. But I appreciate all the suggestions very much, thank-you.

new knobs!

Black.

anthropologie has some nice sized coral knobs on sale right now- they would look sophisticated and organic with this design. That might be all you need!

I think this is a great idea and I love the color blue, too.

http://www.craftpad.com/2007/07/blue-tape-artwork.html

Maybe paint it a similar color to knobs to simplify the look?

What about some cut glass knobs/pulls like these?
http://www.elizabethsembellishments.com/store/product.php?productid=17346

Paint it to match the wall, but high-gloss.
Install (fern) leaf knobs to echo the prints.

Metal -
http://www.knobgallery.com/shop/theme/Leaves & Twigs/1

Ceramic -
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/mariansgifts/knobs/flowers/flowers.html

First off, really consider the suggestions here, some great ones and I will chime in on going all white, a glossy white.

Some of the problem I think and it's hard to tell w/ the grainy photo but that white/pink may be soo soft a color against the white and having both in a matte finish may be adding insult to injury here, ditto w/ the blue knobs.

However, the knobs may still work, just repaint the entire piece a high gloss white and then add the blue knobs for it will add a touch of color to the piece while it letting it be husband friendly.

The biggest mistake I see is not decorating for both sexes for not every man can tolorate a frilly/girly room, nor can all women tolorate an all masculine room either so a compromise is called in this situation.

I think that you should paint the outside a deep brown or black (or maybe even white). Then get something like this contact paper to put horizontally (wood grain horizontal) on the drawer fronts to emphasize the waviness. They have a ton of neat wood grains on that site, not just the zebrawood. I like the pulls that are on there now. I have that contact paper on my white painted kitchen cabinet doors right now and it is thick and durable, and realistic. And you get a ton of it for $50, so you could probably do the whole thing (though I think just the drawer fronts, or even 2" strips centered across each drawer would look awesome).

Just my 0.02.

Urban Outfitters sells some great colorful scarves for around $12.00. For a quick fix I would drape one of these over the top while deciding what direction to go with paint/knobs.

For some reason, I keep wanting you to use vertical stripes, maybe like kirei (sorghum) board. (Faux.) Or zebrawood. (veneer or faux.) (Do a Google Image search for lots of examples of both.)

For faux, you could base coat in one color (metallic gold might be fun) then get your vertical stripes by using a squeegee with notches cut out (slightly irregularly) to remove stripes from a layer of dark glaze over the base.

Then maybe some wrought iron color hardware -- I just got some attractive leaf patterned ones at Home Depot recently. Kind of modern with an ethnic/African flair...

(Or not!)

stop futzing with the finish--it's Ikea: paint will never transform it adequately. Find knobs that make you happy, and if you can't find them--abandon the project and put the dresser in the closet.

I second eg's comment. it's Ikea, probably particle board and cheep veneer. Sell it on craigslist then go to a thrift store or flea market, find something with a really great shape, good structure, in a hardy material and spend the money you get for it on craigslist on a new dresser and materials to spiff up the new one. Part of good design is knowing when to let go or just say no.

Paint it black. And chose knobs which are easier to grasp. Chose the knobs together with your husband.

It looks as if you have a green/nature theme going on. Perhaps you could paint the dresser a deeper green than the wall and get some brown rustic "african" type of knobs. If this is across from your bed, your husband will probably appreciate the "wildness" of it, and also probably appreciate the removal of Mr. Owl (as cute as he is) from staring at him.

Get some metallic or mirrored tiles and tile the top and sides - then paint the drawers a brilliant color.

Paint the wall or paper it. Put stuff on the dresser that does not compete with it colorwise.