Delphine (Before & After)

When I first met her, I knew she had to come home with me.  It was love at first sight.  This is a double bow fronted dresser by White’s Furniture Co.  I think it is from the 1930s and solid mahogany.  The pulls are 5 inches wide and are just so beautiful.  I pulled my neck while lifting her onto the truck with the drawers in.  Luke didn’t think we had to take them out.  Man, is she heavy!!!

Like many of my painted ladies, she wasn’t looking very happy when I found her:

She was missing some hardware and was all scratched up and really needed some paint to make her pretty again.  I thought she’d be perfect in blue (naturally)!  Before I started painting I stripped the top.  Many people commented on my stripping post and a few said I should try Citristrip.

Well, I have to tell you I LOVED working with this product.  I stripped this piece right here in my sunroom.  It took two applications and on the second I covered it in plastic wrap.  Kim from Reposhture recommended covering in plastic wrap to keep the stripper working and it worked like a charm.  Thanks, Kim!

The wood under all that shiny top coat is gorgeous.  I didn’t even need to stain it.  I simply applied several coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Hemp Oil.  I used this inside the drawers as well.

On the body of the dresser I used MMS Milk Paint in Flow Blue.  This is a gorgeous blue.  The kind of blue that makes your heart sing (well, my heart anyway).

The details were painted in Old White Chalk Paint®.  I didn’t apply the boding agent to the milk paint because I wanted it to chip and flake and the paint did just that.

Then I distressed a bit with a sanding block.  I applied two coats of MMS Milk Paint wax to seal and used white wax on certain recessed areas:

Wiping away the excess.  I really love the white wax.

If it wasn’t already apparent, I’m a little bit in love with this one!  Delphine is actually my current favorite.

They really don’t make furniture like this anymore.

I’m also a little bit in love with my blue and white pottery.  I found these amazing English dishes at Goodies II in Scituate Harbor:

While I found the Chinese pottery at a consignment store in Cohasset.

I’m keeping the pottery but Delphine will not be staying with us even though I wish she could.  I feel so very privileged to have gotten revive this one.

She will be available at my Open Studio this Saturday 11/2 from 11-3pm.  If you’re local, I hope you can make it.  Delphine and I will be waiting!

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