Friday, February 25, 2011

Dresser Project

Before

I bought this dresser at an antique and estate sale shop. I liked it in black but the extra bedroom, which is going to be Ada's room, is in the back corner of the house and the citrus trees block a lot of the indirect light the room may get. So to brighten things up, I painted the dresser with Martha Stewart's Aegean Blue in eggshell.

After



In person, it's a bit more saturated in hue -- at least on my monitor.
What I used:
  • 1 used dresser
  • cheapo drop cloth to protect the floor
  • medium grade sanding paper on a block
  • 1 4" foam roller
  • 1 1.5" angled brush for the tight spots
  • one coat of Zinnser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 All Surface Primer
  • 2 coats Martha Stewart Paint in Aegean Blue - eggshell finish
  • Knobs - Anthropologie

What I should have done differently:
  • More sanding on the drawer pull areas (the only part I sanded). The paint job the dresser came with was done with the pulls on, so there was paint buildup around the edges which I sanded down. I wasn't sure I was going to reattach the pulls, otherwise, I would have just left them on and painted around them.

Tips:
  • Tie your hair back if it is longer.
  • If you use a brush, make sure the hairs aren't leaving the head and lodging themselves in your paint.
  • After you put your drawers back in to take a picture, immediately take them back out again so they don't cure in place (thanks for saving my ass, dad!)
  • Keep a damp rag with you to immediately hit spots that shouldn't have paint on them.




6 comments:

  1. It looks great! I'm excited to do mine now. Did you sand all the black paint off, or did you just sort of smooth it out before applying the primer? My mom's bringing me her electric sander next week (weather permitting!) so hopefully it will make that part easier.

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  2. The only place I sanded was on the drawer fronts where there was paint buildup from the factory paint job.

    The surface was in good enough condition, so I just put the primer over it, let it dry for the recommended 45 minutes, then painted it.

    That primer is fantastic, by the way.

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  3. primering over paint. That seems weird. I would have thought you would need to sand. I know nothing about this type of thing though, so... glad to know this for the future!

    Oh, and it looks great. Like the mismatched knob thing. Any chance of getting a wider room shot?

    Hi Ada! Ada... love it!

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  4. The primer I used was bought specifically because it eliminated the need for sanding beyond smoothing inconsistent surfaces and would allow me to simply paint over the primed surface. So far, it's been excellent. The primer was really thick -- almost like glue -- though it didn't go on goopy. I found the roller was WAY better for applying it than my original brush plan. The Bulls Eye 1-2-3 All Surface is also, apparently, good for use on vinyl, glossy surfaces, galvanized metal, and a ton of other randomly difficult to get paint to stick to surfaces.

    The wider shot will come later when there is actually something to show you! Right now there is a crib, a twin bed, a little garden table, a chair, and the dresser thrown in there but without any real "decorating." Rugs this weekend! Hello, Ikea!

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  5. This has been a very impressive project by Kat. It turned out so well, I think, because my involvement was pretty limited. I lifted some stuff, but otherwise it was all Kat -- with Ada's help, of course.

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  6. It turned out great!!!--I think the pulls are exquisite, they add a very nice look. Is Ada your housekeeper/nanny in waiting???? Did you discuss the whole project with her? Where in the new room will all the Husker decals/photos/murals/memorabilia go??
    This project really did turn out beautiful; can't wait to see it.
    Terry G

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