Dresser Makeover: A Story

Everyone has one--an old piece of furniture that you've had for YEARS. You don't really love how it looks, but you can't bring yourself to do anything about it because:

1. You're too lazy.
2. It was your grandma's/aunt's/mom's/Mary Todd Lincoln's. And painting it would be a sin/make you an outcast at reunions/get your name and your children's names scratched off the family tree, etc.
3. You've never found time in the last sixteen-and-a-half years to DUST it, let alone FIX it. (This is mine.)
4. Insert excuse here_____.

You KNOW that piece. Maybe it's more than one. Maybe it's a whole dining room. The point is, everyone has one. This was MINE, and this is its story.

It was about a bazillion years ago. Hubby and I were shopping at a trendy spot called Valley Junction, where antiques abound and anything cool can be had for the right price. Including a jar of buttons, but that's a story for another time.

Another "before" shot of our little curvy dresser. Yes. That IS a lot of dust.

We were in one of those shops where stuff is piled on top of other stuff when we spotted it... a cute little curvy antique dresser. Solid wood. Dovetailed drawers. I had to have it!

"How much?" Hubby asked because I'm an introvert.

"$130," said one of the two guys who followed us around the store, spouting off the merits of each item as we passed it.

"Will you take $5?" I asked.

Okay, I didn't really, but I should have because $130 was just a wee bit out of our price range back then. In fact, it still is.

I'm going to give you the abridged version here since you can probably guess the ending. We bought it. We took it home. I put lamps on it and gushed over it and NEVER dusted it again.

Fast forward fifteen years, several dogs and about six houses later. The little wooden dresser is sitting in our upstairs hall because I don't know where else I can fit it. It doesn't actually work as a dresser for any of us because with two teenage daughters, we have enough clothes to build a suspension bridge to the moon.

I suddenly have an epiphany.

"Hey!" I say to myself, "I am pretty handy with a paintbrush these days. I should make over that old dresser that we paid too much for all those years ago!"

I started with a coat of Zinsser primer. You will hear that product name a LOT from me. If you hate sanding as much as I do, then you should get to know Zinsser. Then I followed with a coat of white paint. Any old latex will do. Satin finish. I used sandpaper to rough it up and give it that worn-in, chippy look.

For the top, I did have to crack out the old orbital sander. After it was sanded, I mixed white latex paint and water (about half and half, I'm not very mathy). And brushed it over the sanded top. When it was dry, I went over it with a coat of stain. I brushed the stain on, then wiped it off with a rag. Walmart sells these white kitchen tea towels in packs of 10 that are perfect for this and many other projects as well. This stain-over-white-wash technique gives the wood a grayish driftwood finish that I just love!

And that is pretty much all there is to know. If you are wondering about the end of this story, have a look at the photos. I think it was a happy ending. And I promise to dust it this time. Seriously.

The end.

Perfect. Just the way they are...

Sometimes I find or buy items that just scream, "Make me over!" They are usually scratched or neglected or from the 1970s. Other times, though, an item is so old or beautiful or perfectly rusted or chipped that I can't bear to alter it. Here are a few of those "found" items that I decided to just leave alone.

This cute little bench came from a flea market.
I loved the old leather top and rusty studs.

I found this lady left all alone on a curb. She was so graceful and
perfectly chipped. I just updated her hardware, painted some corner details,
and added a basket for her missing top drawer. Beautiful!

This potting table was a thrift store find. With its metal top and chipped paint
I couldn't even think about changing it! It's found a home on my Porch. :)

My daughter found these little lanterns on a curb. Perfectly rusty and chipped!

Another "free" find, this old wash bucket is a home for my impatiens!

Bought all this rusty hardware at a flea market. LOVE the patina!

Originally, I bought this RCA radio cabinet to gut and paint. But
after my hubby found out the radio STILL WORKED I couldn't
bring myself to gut it.

Garden Gate Doors

Garden Gate Doors by What's On My Porch

I am a junk-junkie. So when I saw a stack of vintage wood on the curbside I thought, "I can do something with that!"

"Welcome" Garden Gate Door by What's On My Porch - Find me on Etsy.

A couple months later, the wood was still on my porch. I knew it had potential, I just didn't know what. So, I began using the individual boards to make cute little Welcome signs. But I still didn't know what to do with the larger pieces of tongue-and-groove board. Then I found a beautiful garden gate that someone had painted words on and I KNEW!

I put Hubby to work cutting the boards into gate shapes while I scoured the known world for cool, old hardware. Then I chose a background color, a design and got painting! These Garden Gate Doors are the result. I am addicted to making these cute wooden doors!

If you like them, check out my ETSY SHOP or FACEBOOK PAGE and get one for yourself! 

Garden Gate Doors by What's On My Porch - Find me on Etsy.

A Few (Hundred) Makeovers

Okay, okay. I have been sorely remiss in posting on my blog. Let me just give a few good excuses: I am a mother, an author, a weekend warrior and furniture re-furbisher. I periodically update several different blogs (check out Booktorium!), an Etsy shop, my Pinterest page and various and sundry Facebook pages (for my books & furniture). Whew!

But enough whining and excuses. I've done LOTS of awesome makeovers this summer and I want to get you up to speed! So, here is just a taste of what I've been doing. Maybe when you see how busy I've been (and all the super-dee-coolio pieces I've found & refinished) you'll forgive me.

Makeover #1: A French Country End Table

I'm extremely forgetful when it comes to "before" photos. I hope you'll forgive me; this is the only one I had of this wood table.

When she came to me, she was in need of some love. Her top was scratched. She was an orangey brown that really did nothing for her complexion. And she had something sticky in her drawer. I don't even want to know.But look how she turned out! A shabby-chic furniture piece anyone would be proud of! A little primer, a little paint, some sanding/glazing/sealing. The usual process. And she went to a kind and loving home. ;)

Makeover #2: Mantle BookcaseI found this excellent mantle at a thrift store. i wasn't sure what I would do with it, but when some vintage wood came my way, I knew it would make a beautiful, one-of-a-kind bookcase. With help from hubby, I transformed the orangish mantle into a beautiful shabby show piece!

Makeover #3: Shabby Chic Hutch
Again, I forgot to take a proper "before" photo. This is all I could find, but you get the idea. This hutch, while cute, had the potential to be MORE. So, I got to work, and after long, grueling hours of taping off glass and layers and layers of primer, paint and glaze, I finally had a beautiful, shabby hutch! I sold it to an amazing woman who was starting a boutique, and she was kind enough to send me a photo of the hutch in its new home. I know it will be VERY happy there!

 

A Few Winter Projects

Well, it's been a long, cold winter, and I haven't had much opportunity to work on the Porch. Still, I've managed to complete a few indoor projects. Since I don't have much time to write about them, I will skip to the good stuff and post some photos!

Faux Grain Sack Pillows: I used the CitraSolv method to make
these, and they turned out SO pretty!

Family Name Window. Hand-painted.

Yes, another makeover display hutch.
LOVED the detailed
molding on the top! Beautiful!

I Punk My Chucks

Winter brings a lot of challenges. Shoveling snow, scraping windshields... and figuring out how to do fun projects when my porch is knee-deep in snow.

Since I can't go outside and sand a hutch or paint a table, I'm forced to turn to smaller projects to release all this pent-up creative energy. And that is why I decided to paint my shoes.

The project started when my daughter asked for Converse shoes for Christmas. I started looking online for good deals. In the midst of searching, I discovered an entire culture of shoe-art. People, I realized, actually paint their canvas shoes. Being, well... me, I thought, "I could do that!"

So, when I found a decent deal on some high-top Chucks for my daughter, I went ahead and bought an extra pair for myself.

Turning to Photoshop, I worked up a design that incorporated my love for writing and books with my love for God. I also looked online for ideas and inspiration. One shoe design was a red and blue Red Riding Hood theme. I loved the colors and decided to go ahead and use red and blue in my own design.

My Converse shoes painted white. I know. It's hard to tell.

After working up the Photoshop version, it was time to take the plunge and do something that goes against mom-instinct: write on my shoes.

I read up a bit on the process. Even though I'm using the wrong paint and the wrong method, I thought I could at least take a LITTLE advice from the pros. They suggested I paint my white shoes white before beginning. I know. It sounds redundant. But apparently it helps with cracking, so I began by painting my shoes white. 

Design drawn in pencil.

Next, I used a pencil to free-hand the design, referring frequently to the Photoshop version. My reasoning was that I could erase my mistakes. FYI, pencil does NOT erase off canvas shoes. Maybe some kind does if you have special know-how, but good old mechanical pencils do not.

Me and my Sharpie paint pen (thanks, hubby!).

After penciling the entire design on the shoe, I realized that it would have been smarter to outline the background, paint it, THEN pencil the rest of the design on top, but I'm not exactly the think-ahead type. So, since I had the whole design on there, I went ahead and outlined in black with a paint pen. You can use whatever paint pen you like. Mine happened to be a Christmas present from the hubby: a Sharpie oil-based fine tip black paint pen. I wasn't sure how the oil-based pen would work on canvas or how it would work with the acrylic paints I would be using, but it seemed to hold up fine. The tip did get a little fuzzier by the end, but I worked with it.

Nearly finished...!

After outlining in black, I filled in the design with acrylic paint and a small brush. I decided to paint over the rivets where the shoelaces go. We'll see how that holds up over time. I'm not the most graceful painter, so after painting, I went back and re-traced my black lines. Then I did a finishing black outline around the shoes' edges.

The final product looked almost exactly like I'd envisioned it! I'm still deciding whether I want to add some shading or not. And I'll probably either spray or brush on a clear sealant of some kind. Still, I punked my Chucks with my own style, and I'm pretty happy with them. Now I need some blue and red laces, and I'll be ready to show my creation to the world.

The finished product! Well, maybe.

Rescue Hutch

Hutches are my new obsession. In the last two months, I've bought three of them and worked on a fourth one for a friend (see it here). They are oh-so-fun to makeover! They go from looking like something your grandma kept porcelain figurines on when you were eight to something BEAUTIFUL... not to mention the awesome storage they provide.

In fact, right now the hutch in my dining room (a Salvation Army find for $75, total bargain) hides a jumble of board games and seasonal decor underneath and displays books and photographs above! Maybe I'll post pics of it later, but back to the rescue hutch.

So, when I found this baby on Craigslist, I jumped at the chance to make it over. The sad thing was a victim of basement flooding and had some damage to the finish  on the bottom portion, but glass doors, an interior light and those fabulous engravings more than redeemed it!I knew I could refinish it and make it shine like new. So, I got to work.

This hutch was a mixture of solid wood, most likely pine, and composite wood. Sanding was a bit of a challenge. But I managed it. Then, I put it through the usual routine: prime, paint, distress, glaze and seal. The end result is stunning! (And sold.) :)

French Country Table & Chairs Makeover

Chairs BEFORE.

French Country Table & Chairs Makeover
I picked up this table and chairs set a few months ago with high hopes of refinishing them into something be-you-ti-ful! They did not disappoint!

Table BEFORE.

The pretty fluted legs and molding details are really what make this set special. I knew with a little love (and a lot of sweat), I could bring out those details, so I got to work. First, as always, is the sanding. Lots and lots and lots of sanding. The trouble with pretty little details is they don't like to be sanded. But I did my best.

Next was painting. I used an ivory latex color to coat the whole thing except, of course, for the top of the table. That got a dark walnut stain. Gorgeous!

After painting, I distressed with some sandpaper, glazed with a mix of acrylic paint and water, and sealed it all with spray-sealer. After staining the table, I sealed it, too with a matte finish Mod Podge. Three coats. They were brushed on with a sponge brush (you can find these cheap in Walmart's paint section).



Pretty details.
Ugly cushions

Finally, I had to cover those hideous chair cushions. While in great condition, the fabric just screamed ugly. Loudly and annoyingly. So I covered up that nasty jungle print with faux grain sack that I made myself. I bought a darker muslin fabric and also a striped fabric. Then I printed images from The Graphics Fairy and used Citra Solv to transfer the images onto the fabric. This is like magic. The kind you only dreamed of as a child. You can find out more about Citra Solv image transfer here. FYI, I washed the fabric directly after transferring the images, and yes! They do stay!

Despite a few imperfections, I think the table & chairs are beautiful! I'm only sad that my Porch will most likely be closing down soon for winter. :(

AFTER! So pretty!

 

 

"Grain Sack" Cushions.

Love the details!

Shabby-Chic Nightstand

So, my daughter sent me a frantic text saying her friend's neighbor had just put some furniture out on the curb and would I be interested? I texted back saying, "Send pics!" THIS is the result of that fateful text.

I decided to ask my teen daughter if she'd like to take on this little nightstand and keep the profits. Like any American kid, she perked up when she saw the dollar signs and agreed to make-over the nightstand. It was a pretty little thing with good bones. I knew it would turn out great!

So, my darling daughter began sanding and scraping off veneer. It was a lot of hard work, and I honestly expected her to give up and lose interest, but she didn't! She persevered and by the end of the day had scraped and sanded that little nightstand so much that we actually had to get out some wood filler to repair the little dents.

She painted a couple coats and then got very busy with school. So, I decided to put the finishing touches on it myself, wondering if I was stealing her thunder. I knew it was a mistake. She was disappointed she didn't get to, "Put the little knobs back on" herself. I should've let her finish the work she'd begun, and I promised next time to let her do it all herself. But when she'd heard that it had sold for $55 on Craigslist, she forgave me. ;)

Hutch Makeover

All sanded.

What I Did
Something I realized over the past two weeks is that refinishing furniture for a client is SCARY. I don't know if I want to do it ever again. See, when I buy something from Goodwill and decide to fix it up, the worst thing that can happen is it looks bad, or I dent it, or I just can't sell it and get my thirteen bucks back. Really, the consequences aren't all that dire. But when I'm working on someone else's furniture, I have to worry a little more about if I'm doing everything right and if it will stand the test of time.

Left unglazed. Right glazed.

That being said, I really did LOVE working on this hutch, despite my fears. And in my opinion, I think it turned out BEAUTIFUL. The client seemed happy, too, which was my biggest fear.


How I Did It
First, all the hardware was removed. Yes. All of it. Next, I sanded the whole thing. Yes. All of it. My fears here were if I didn't sand it, the paint would slide right off. It's a lot of work, but in the end, sanding really pays off.  Next step was priming, then painting with a creamy satin latex paint. It took a few coats to cover it all up. After that, I sanded all the

I also painted the hinges to match the
new hardware.

edges to bring out the details of the molding. Next, I glazed it with a mixture of burnt umber acrylic and water, brushing it onto the surface, then wiping it away, leaving just a hint behind for that aged/worn look. And finally, I coated it with a clear acrylic sealer. I used spray matte finish Mod Podge and then also brushed on few coats of matte finish furniture-quality Mod Podge.