When I came across this older dresser I knew it had so much potential for a custom makeover. The softly curved drawer fronts and pretty feet were a big part in my deciding to paint it in a soft buttercream and rose blended color palette and to apply a colorful floral transfer to the front.
I always begin a custom project with a full check of the condition of the piece. In this case all of the drawers needed some repairs so they would slide smoothly and close easily.
Next the old finish was stripped from the top, then sanded and a light coat of white wash was applied. Once dry it was top coated with four coats of Varathane, sanding between coats for a completely smooth finish.
With the top finished I went to work on the dresser base. Before painting I primed the cabinet with Dixie Belle BOSS to prevent bleed through. The new blended color combination of Buttercream and Tea Rose was applied in two coats and will be clear coated after the transfer is applied.
Once the paint was good and dry I laid the dresser on its back and positioned the transfer pieces on the drawer fronts. When I was sure I liked the layout I removed the paper backing and used a small wooden paddle to burnish the transfer onto the drawer fronts. Then using a 5″ square piece of brown paper bag I gently rubbed over the entire transfer making sure that all of the edges and small pieces were completely adhered. The dresser then got two coats of polyurethane to protect the transfer and the custom paint.
To add interested to the ends of the dresser I masked off stripes and painted with one coat of GF Champagne Pearl. This gave a subtle striped accent to the ends.
Products Used
- Dixie Belle BOSS
- Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint Buttercream
- Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint Tea Rose
- Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane Satin
- Annie Sloan Bright Gold Gilding Wax
- Artists First Remarkable Garden Transfer
- General Finishes Pearl Effects Champagne Pearl
To complete the update for a dazzling finish all of the original hardware was cleaned, polished and accented with warm gold gilding wax. This floral transfer was just the right addition this piece needed to be dazzling!
