Painted Chest of Drawers

So if you remember, we found a boat load of furniture that was “garbage” { post here }. Well a few of the pieces are in the middle of some pretty amazing transformations, here is the first reveal.
Before: Bad varnish, deep scratches, but otherwise in great condition.
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Inspiration: A Stunning green beauty from The Viceroy a la Kelly Wearstler.
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After:
This green was exactly what our living room needed. Plus, our small home just gained FIVE new drawers of storage!!!! Huge people. Huge!
Someone had asked me how to spray paint furniture… not really something I recommend (especially on a piece this large), but I tried it on this piece to create a tutorial. Ummm…. not even worth it. After priming with a brush & then spraying, the chest was beyond blotchy. I spent more time sanding it down with steel wool than I would have just painting it by hand. Once that madness was over i dry brushed it with a lighter green & then came back with a pewter glaze to add some depth (like the inspiration). I finished it up by adding some Finishing Wax.
I left the hardware as they were & added on my DIY Tassels.
For a grand total of $13.47…
Would you all pick up a random piece of furniture on the side of the road? Or am I just crazy?!?
L I N K I N G U P T O:
Absolutely beautiful! Well done. I have not had success with spray painting either, until I bought a sprayer. I absolutely love it.
~Heather
I need to go "furniture hunting" in your neighborhood, I never find anything but real garbage.
OMG Kristin! I love it. i cannot believe this is the same chest of drawers. Green is just the right color for it. Another beautiful makeover.
Only someone as creative as yourself could make something this beautiful. I would not have seen the finished product from the original chest of drawers. π
Wow. That is an amazing transformation! (in my favorite shade of green to boot!) I will be opening my eyes even wider next time I see furniture on the side of the road.
you just continue to amaze me…β₯
Gorgeous!!!
–Katie
WOW! It's beyond gorgeous and the styling takes it over the top! And, yes, I'm always up for free garbage! π
love this, such a beautiful color!
LAUREN
Great Job! I am inspired.
Beautiful, beautiful. I love that green and the tassels…love π
Beautiful! I love Kelly Wearstler style. Great job!
So beautiful! Might I ask the name of the paint color you used? Love it so much I just might copy π
Thanks Jill! The spray was Rustoleum in Meadow Green. I then layered a mystery sample green I have had on hand that I mixed with some white primer & water. I then topped it off with a metallic pewter glaze I got at Lowes at least a year ago…. Sorry that isn't much help! Good luck π
This is beyond gorgeous and very bold to go green!
This is gorgeous! I love the pop of green! Very daring!
Oh my house is full of "garbage" :)! I love it! And love the color too….I'm glad to see your comments on spray painting furniture. I've seen many posts about people doing that and was very doubtful about how that would look. Love your blog —oh and THANKS for introducing me to Domino magazine too!!! I had never even heard of it and am now obsessed—-
Ha! Our cottage is FULL of random pieces of furniture that we picked up on the side of the road. {We even pulled an antique desk out of a dumpster.} Love your new chest!
Thanks for sharing the products you used. I love the way this came out with the green and I could tell there was something more than paint to it, but wasn't sure what. What is the brand on the glaze and where do you purchase it, if you don't mind me asking? As for picking up roadside treasure, ha! that's the main way I find the furniture I fix up. Once you've gotten stuff for free, it's hard to justify spending money. I'm your new follower. Hope you'll stop over and see me and my projects at Quirky Vistas follow as well. Found your post at Miss Mustard Seed.
Liz
What a phenomenal transformation! I am not a huge fan of green but this looks great!
Lovely green dresser…and YES I brake for junk along the side of the road. You bet I do!
I have a number of 'treasures" found just that way. See door turnd calk board, and others on my blog.
Small House / Big Sky Donna
http://smallhouseunderabigsky.wordpress.com
I absolutely LOVE this! Like L-O-V-E it! Will you puh-lease share the color that you used? I agree with spray paint. I can't get it even so it never seems worth it. I spray painted a coffee table with a billion cans of paint and it still was blotchy. I'd rather roll it on because it's so much quicker!
This is really really beautiful – would love to know the color!!!
And I'm your newest follower – would love to have you follow back!
I'm doing a special feature on dressers and would love to include yours , if that would be ok please let me know,
lauren
Absolutely stunning!!! I LOVE green and what a way to spruce up the living room with some color! You've got an eye for design π
Vera
I have several pieces of roadside furniture – one that has a similar varnish to your before picture. It has a very smooth finish. Did you sand the varnish off before priming or just use a gripper primer? The amount of sanding is daunting….
Thanks G! I sanded lightly (by hand), & then used a gripper primer.
This is gorgeous!!! I love the bright pop! Well, I love anything bright! I'm hopping over from the Mustard Ceiling, and you've got a new follower π
Love it! I pick up from the side of the road all the time. My mom used to take me bottle digging in old dump sites when I was 4 so things like that are kinda in my blood. The last item I found was a perfect mid-century modern credenza. I ended up selling it because I found another (at a thrift shop) I liked better. Free can be really good!
Picking up furniture on the side of the road is one of my favorites. Especially if I have an audience of strangers that look at me like I just stole someone's car. love the dresser transformation. Love your home!
mymulberrytree.blogspot.com
Kristin, Found you via West Furniture Revival. So glad I did! Your green dresser is BREATHTAKING!
you are such an inspiration!
http://alittlewit.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/diy-inspiration-chest-of-drawers/
I once found an 8 drawer dresser on the side of the road while I was running and made my fiance go back with me to pick it up…he, too, thought I was crazy, but it's my favorite piece I've ever redone! (partially because it was FREE!)
I once found an 8 drawer dresser while I was running and made my fiance go back with me to pick it up … he, too, thought I was crazy, but it's my favorite piece I've ever redone! (partially because it was FREE!).
Love the bold color…I tend to stick to neutrals, but I want to try something fun next time. Now, for the piece of free furniture…
Yessss, I do it all the time, it is so exciting to see the potential and give new life to something that someone just threw away :). I have few pieces to work on now. I was wearing striped t-shirt with green accessories wondering if that really matches. Thanks to your photos I know I wasn't wrong.
Love that you found that dresser so cheap. It looks great. I'm getting ready to paint a side table just like that. Hope it turns out as well as your dresser. I'm wondering where you got that framed paneled mirror. I'm looking for one that size and can't seem to locate one to buy or repurpose.
I love the strenght of that green.. really stunning!
Love, love the dresser, your blog – I'm now obssessed! We have very similar styles but you are Faroese creative! Love the kitchen pendant too!
Can I ask what wallpaper you are using? I like the darker colour of the grass cloth. Looks great!!
Hey ! I just found this link for a similar look of your green chest:
http://chattafabulous.blogspot.com/2013/02/orc-ming-coffee-table-makeover-and-new.html.
I love it!
Can you give us a wider shot so that we can see the wallpaper? it's so fabulous, and I notice that you've only used it in a framed "square" on the wall, and not on the entire wall..I love it! Please tell us more!!
I love the grasscloth panel. Do you have a tutorial on how you did it or where you got the cloth?
I agree with everyone above! The grasscloth wallpaper is fabulous, especially in contrast to the green dresser. Do you mind sharing the information on the wallpaper and some details on installing. I have been wanting to put up grasscloth for a while but I am nervous to venture in that direction by myself π