Hello again! I've officially caught spring fever...creativity, ideas, motivation...this is the time of year I don't sleep much because there is just so much I want to do and so many ideas my brain wants to work on! It's a welcome change from the internal slower pace of the winter. It's funny that this cycle happens year over year but I completely forget what it feels like each time. I'm so happy to have those inspiring feelings again - projects take on a life of their own and just flow so freely. It always amazes me when I finish what I'm working on and take a step back...the results are always worth the effort and I'm thankful everyday to do what I do and be a part of the process.
Ok...enough about me...let's talk about this beautiful new project! The dresser for this project has been waiting patiently for me. We acquired it in the summer and, honestly, I thought it was beautiful but knew it would take a good amount of energy and time to do it justice. It's a solid wood piece by Bassett...likely over 70 years old - featuring a curved front and six dovetail wooden drawers. The finish on this was dark and very shiny - I initially thought I'd have to use paint stripper to get it off (hence the procrastination) but, luckily, I was wrong. Yay! Here is an overview of this project:
BEFORE:
FIRST STEP: ASSESS AND FIX
I started with a quick clean (water + rubbing alcohol), removed the hardware and then repaired any damages. The top had come apart from the center piece and one of the rails on the drawers had come loose. Both easy fixes...I lined them up properly using the old nail holes as guides and used wood glue as well as the original nails to secure everything back. There was also a detail piece on the bottom corner that had been damaged - this required wood filler and some artistic skills on my part (it reminds me of working with clay). I knew it would be super difficult (for me) to recreate the original detail so, instead, I filled and transitioned it in (sorry - I remembered to take after pics AFTER I primed...and this was smoothed out even more as you'll see in the finished piece).
SECOND STEP: SAND AND PRIME
Next came sanding and priming. Since the previous stain was so dark on the dresser (I was worried about bleed through from anything remaining), I did two coats of primer on the body and three on the top.
THIRD STEP: PAINT
Now the fun part - paint! It's not hard to see that I'm loving green right now (previous project Olive Green). I was inspired after taking photos of the last project which showed almost a silvery sage green at times. Thus, the search for the perfect green began. I really wanted something subtle, natural looking, more muted, not too light and not too dark, something you'd see in nature. Like the soft silvery green of some of my favorite succulents and cacti. I came across Benjamin Moore's Storm Cloud Gray and knew it was perfect since it didn't even have the word green in the name (taking this as a sign that it leans more neutral). It's soooo lovely! Exactly what I was hoping for.
FOURTH STEP: CLEAN AND SERVICE
After touch ups and a thorough clean, I used candle wax on the drawers to help them run smoothly (I learned about that during my last project when researching drawer slides - just rub a candle over wooden drawer runners to help them slide smoothly).
FIFTH STEP: ADD NEW HARDWARE
Adding new hardware proved far more difficult than I imagined and gave my brain a workout (and loss of sleep too :-)). First off, the size of the previous pulls and holes are not standard. Second, the curved drawer front meant that most hardware wouldn't sit flush or would point at an odd angle. I think the curves of the dresser are a highlight of the piece and I didn't want to turn them into a negative. I also didn't want to use the original hardware because I had in my mind a more modern/minimalistic/natural look. I've been seeing and loving the look of leather pulls on furniture lately (and was looking for a warm/gold look) and decided now was my chance! I found some that would accommodate the previous holes (I really didn't want to change those in case someone wanted to use the old hardware again one day) and were the right color family. Happy happy happy with the results!
SIX STEP: CLEAN ORIGINAL HARDWARE TO INCLUDE
I also cleaned up the old hardware and will pass it along with the dresser just in case :-).
SEVENTH STEP: STAGE AND SELL
The painting is one I'm still working on but the colors/vibes went with the desert/cactus inspiration I had for this project...so I had to use it! And don't you just love the Prickly Pear Cactus in the picture? It's my favorite! The terra cotta goes so well with the sage and leather. Also, showing off all the pretty details...leather pulls, Bassett logo, dovetail drawers, and curved lines. Lovely!
JUST FOR FUN
This dresser also has a "sister"...I had to wait a week for the pulls to come and by that time I'd redone another dresser! Green, of course. I've had so many requests for another Dark Olive dresser (and this likely will not be the last). Here they are together...just because I could :-). Here they are...all ready for their new homes :-)
Again - thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed and feel inspired. Please send me a message via my website if you have any thoughts, questions or requests!
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