November 04, 2012

Custom Red Boudoir Set

My client Erika wanted to update her old dressers and she wanted to go bold!
I painted a dresser red (click here for that post) and it was a huge hit. Red has been the most requested custom color lately. I also have an update on the color I used for all of those who asked.
 
BEFORE
 
AFTER






 
I usually fill holes and chipped veneer but this time for budget reasons we decided to leave them. I am so glad we did. The glaze makes them pop and they add great character to the pieces.
 
 
Okay, onto the color I used.
With this red dresser and this red dresser I used Gumball Red and added a darker paint to make the red darker. I never measure when I mix so it was hard to answer any questions I got about it.
I found a color that was very close to the custom mixed color.
 
 
The new red I use is Posh Red by Valspar and there is no mixing involved.
 
This is what Posh Red looks like without glaze and with glaze.



If you are going to paint something red you will need a few coats of paint. The first coat (or maybe two) might look orange and sometimes pink. It will dry darker.
 
I used homemade chalk paint (1 cup latex paint to 1/4 cup baking soda) with these dressers. If you use homemade chalk paint you need to lightly sand with 220 grit before you glaze or wax. The color completely changes after you sand...yes, it's normal.....no, don't panic! Use a damp rag to wipe off the dust and the red will re-appear!
 
 
On these pieces I used Posh Red, glazed, and waxed.
I added new black iron pulls from Hobby Lobby.
 
I hope you guys like red because I have two more custom pieces that are being painted red and I will have them up next week.