Keeping It Simple
Up to this point, I had been painting by blending several paints together to get the look I wanted. For this piece, I decided that I wanted to keep it simple by painting with one color only. I am a huge fan of Mark DeRemer, aka “Refurbished Gentleman” and I have learned so much from him. I also love the Wise Owl color in Refurbished Gentleman and so I decided that it would be perfect for this piece.
BEFORE:
This beautiful dresser was in like new condition. All I had to do was clean it and take off the hardware, which I will discuss later. I started by giving it a scuff sanding and then wiped it down with a tack cloth to remove all dust. Because I planned on painting it all over, I didn’t have to do anything further. I gave it 2 coats of Refurbished Gentleman and let it dry after each coat. I then put a coat of clear wax and antiqued the details just a bit with black wax. So simple!
To finish it off, I decoupaged this beautiful floral pattern on the sides of each drawer. I find that adding these unexpected touches makes a piece even more special.
*Learning point - Should I use existing hardware or replace it? The ultimate factor in making this decision is style. What style do you want? Another question to ask yourself, is do you want to fill the existing holes and drill to fit the new hardware? I think another factor is expense. It is more expensive and time-consuming to replace hardware. For this piece, I chose to use the existing hardware mostly because I was trying to complete this piece simply and inexpensively. I cleaned it, sanded it a little, and then spray painted it. I then put on a top coat to protect it.
*Learning point - From the beginning I said that I was trying to keep it simple when painting this dresser. One important part of refinishing furniture is figuring out how to price it once you are finished. One factor that affects price is of course how much work you put into it. If you paint using more than one color or enhancement, this adds to your work, which adds to the price for the customer. I wanted to complete this project in a way that would make it more inexpensive for someone to purchase.
*Learning point - The customer is always right!? My original plan for the hardware was not the bright shiny silver that you see here. However, before I finished this piece, I sold it to a friend and she had her sights set on bling! When I began planning and painting this dresser, I had a more antiqued look in mind. Lesson learned is that the vision that you may have for a piece may not line up with your customer’s. It doesn’t matter, because what they want is the most important thing.
Supplies used:
Wise Owl Refurbished Gentleman Chalk Paint
Wise Owl Natural Furniture Wax in Clear and in Black
Re Design with Prima Decoupage paper
