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MAKING MY HOME A COZY PLACE TO LAND, ONE IDEA AT A TIME.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Dresser Re-Do

I was given a very ugly dresser when my husband and I got our first apartment. We had NO furniture (except a bed) and everything was a gift. Our dresser and a bed frame (now we had 2) came from his uncle, our couch and an oversized chair came from his aunt, our kitchen table came from his dad, and our coffee table was purchased through a catalog. It was a cheap thing that didn't really suit, but it was cheap. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

So, this dresser would have been considered "modern" when it was made, back in the '90s. But not today. I have always hated it. I hated the handles on it, I hated the doors on it, I hated everything. I have been secretly trying to figure out a way to get this thing out of my house since day one!

4 1/2 years later, it's still here! So, I decided that if I can't beat it, I should re-do it. Make it feel like it fits in here.

So, here's what I did...

First, I painted my dining room. It was this stark-white color in October of 2009. In my haste to be rid of the white, I put a peach up. What in the world was I thinking?! And because my husband loves me, he went along with it until I came to my senses. Lucky for him, it was only up for about a year. In my defense, however, I was trying to create a Mediterranean feel in the room.

So, this is the before...
And the new room (upon review of my photos, the best I can come up with is a picture of 2 of the dresser against the new color...hope you don't mind)...
Please excuse the dropcloth. In my haste to get this project completed, I did not wait around to take pictures.


Now, imagine that ugly dresser on that peach colored wall. Not a pretty combination. See why I needed to repaint? It looks like a beautiful shade of coffee that someone added a TON of creamer too.

I got my hubby to break out the power drill and take off those wretched handles. He also filled the holes with wood putty for me.
I had to wait around for the wood putty to dry. Next, I sanded that sucker down...just a bit, not too much. I only wanted to take the finish off.
Then, I put a nice coat of primer on. And I had to wait for the primer to dry.
I got a can of black enamel from the paint store to paint the dresser with. Lucky for me it was at a steep discount, thanks to a wonderful family member who works there and gave me the family discount.
I painted that baby and went shopping at Lowes while I waited, yet again, for the enamel to dry. I found handles that I LOVED at a local hardware store for $10 a piece, but they were like plastic. Lowes had the same ones that were metal for $3 a piece. So, I bought 8 of them.
After I painted this baby, I had hubbs help me drill holes for the news handles and and screw them in.

And...Voila! A new buffet with plenty of drawers for my scrapbooking and sewing stuff and some drawers to hide away decorations when they aren't in use!

The whole thing cost about a week of my time (enamel takes forEVER to dry!), plus $9.60 for the enamel and $24 for handles.

What do you think?

A Little Knick Knack

9 comments:

  1. Heather that is beautiful! I love love love it! I read this blog called Better After. Here is the link, you should submit this! http://betterafter.blogspot.com/

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  2. Thanks. I still don't love it, but at least I don't hate it now.

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  3. What I like about this piece is that it appears to have tons of storage space. I think you were wise to paint the whole thing black and replace the pulls. It looks brand new now!

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  4. Thank you Annie. It sure does. One row of drawers houses scrapbooking supplies, one houses sewing supplies, and one houses decorations when they aren't in use (such as candle holders and candles).

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  5. Looks MUCH better!


    Melinda

    Popped over from Just a Girl.

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  6. Thanks for stopping by Melinda!

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  7. omg! how can you NOT love it??? i have to say i covet that dresser! i always see those things at the thrift store but the ugly handles are so off putting i walk away! never again. i love all the clean straight lines. and the storage...sigh...
    i.am.in.love.

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