Leah Dresser (Before & After)

Sometimes furniture is just crying out to be painted.  I mean really crying.  This dresser was solid wood. Perfect drawers and solid body. I think it is probably from the 1960s.  It was just looking very shiny and had that yellow style stain on it.

These photos were taken in the basement so it is making it look even more yellow.  The pulls also make it look very dated.

I knew this would look perfect in a beachy style, but first the holes had to be filled and new ones drilled for the new hardware.  We used Bondo by 3M to fill the holes and it was a great product to work with. It dried very quickly and sanded like wood, too.

This is how Leah came out with the new hardware:

I dreamed of a driftwood style dresser but when I tried doing a wash over the stained wood I hated it.  The yellow tone of the wood wasn’t pretty against the French Linen. Then I had a stroke of genius.  I’ll do the Restoration Hardware(ish) effect I learned at Haven:

I was painting away – one coat Pure White followed by one coat French Linen Chalk Paint®.  Then I started using a wet rag to pull away the color.  I was really putting my elbow into it and it was not looking like my sample board above.  I even wore away some of the paint on the top trying to get it to distress.  I read Marian’s recap from the painting workshop and this wasn’t the right piece for this technique.  The wood was too shiny, oak or pine would be better, and it was much too large.

Disappointed is an understatement.  What to do?  I decided to wash the piece – first a wash of French Linen and then a wash of Duck Egg Blue (my favorite) Annie Sloan shade.  To create a wash simply add water to the paint.  I distressed the whole piece and sealed with clear wax.

This one was meant to be this color.  Beautiful shades of blue, taupe and white with a hint of wood.

The Leah Dresser is like a day at the beach – soothing colors of the sand and restful hues of the sea.

The pulls are gorgeous.  They are the Sheraton Style Bail Pull by D. Lawless.  I am simply in love with that rope detail:

Here’s how the whole dresser looks:

Leah went home from my Saturday Open Studio with Leah (our neighbors’ daughter) and she is loving her.  The antique gold frame went home with Rebecca from Rhode Island.  I’m looking forward to catching up with her, Nancy and Elyse Major on my next trip to the Sea Rose Cottage.

What do you think?

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Disclosure: D. Lawless provided me with the Sheraton Bail Pulls and 3M provided me with Bondo to try.  I love both products.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.