Rosalind Dresser (Before & After)

Happy Monday to you all!  So sorry for the later than usual post.  The boys are home and I had an extra long sleep in…

Today, I’m excited for you to meet Rosalind:

Isn’t she a an elegant, gray beauty?!?  I just love her, especially those beautiful legs and the hardware. She’s a bow fronted dresser by White’s Furniture Co and I think from the 30s.  Here’s the lovely label on the back:

 But she, of course, didn’t look this way when I found her.  She actually wasn’t in very good shape at all.

Before the hardware just seemed to disappear and there was some damage to her drawer:

and more on the top:

These damaged areas had to be fixed before I could paint her.  For this we used Bondo Wood Filler a two part system by 3M.  You simply mix the filler and hardener together and apply. Once dry (usually dries in 15 minutes) sand and your ready to paint in 25 minutes.  There is no shrinkage either.

Ah, much better.  Then for my favorite part – time to paint!  I had high hopes that this one would chip and flake so I didn’t use bonding agent.  After two coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in Grain Sack – a beautiful gray, I had bleed through.  Yes, the dreaded bleed through.  A horrible yellow stain was coming through my soft gray paint. Sigh!

After seeking the advice of Marian (AKA Miss Mustard Seed) and Nancy (over at the Sea Rose Cottage), I applied two coats of shellac to create a barrier and then applied two more coats of milk paint with bonding agent this time.  The results were perfect.  I was so happy that you could still see the crazing (crackle) and I accentuated this with antiquing wax.  If you have this issue with bleed through, Marian also said you could use thin layers of wax on darker colors.

Here’s how this feisty lady turned out:

Can’t help but show you another picture of my books and shells:

The drawers are rich wood which I revived with MMS Milk Paint Hemp Oil:

I brought Rosalind down to Gentleman & Daughter Antiques in North Scituate.  Dan’s shop is filled to the brim with gorgeous antique pictures, leather horses, apothecary sets and beautiful furniture.  Rosalind is down there too if you’d like to meet her or possibly bring her home.

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Disclosure: 3M sent me Bondo® products to try.  I loved them and will be using them on future furniture repairs.  All thoughts and beliefs are my own.