Abby's Dresser Makeover & Faux Embroidery Art

My newest client contacted me about painting a dresser for her daughter Abby. She saw the pink ombre dresser I did for my daughter and wanted to do the same on this piece. 

Unfortunately, there isn't a before picture because I misplaced the cord for my camera. 

It's easy to picture the before....imagine it white with a shiny manufactured finish. Oh, there were also burns on the top from a flat iron. 

I mentioned DIY art so the above is just a teaser.

AFTER

 Even though the dresser was already white it was a little beat up so it needed a fresh coat of paint. 

I used chalk paint (as usual), lightly distressed the sides of the drawers, and sealed with paste wax. 

The shades of pink are (from light to dark):  pink chintz, springtime bloom, and fuchsia kiss.

All are by Behr paint and are on the same color swatch (100B).

The pulls are from Hobby Lobby.

If you have ever looked online for ideas to decorate a little girls room or a nursery you have probably seen the embroidery hoops with scrapbook paper. 

source

This is just one example but there are many. 

Well, money is a little tight sometimes and I didn't want to spend money on embroidery hoops or fabric or scrapbook paper....etc.

I used things I already had on hand. I used a diaper box for the backing, ribbon to hide the cardboard, scrapbook paper, and the rosettes I used to make for decoration. 

If you would like to see a tutorial let me know in the comments or on my facebook page.

Here is one more after picture of Abby's new dresser

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Retro Gentleman's Desk

Okay, this isn't really a gentleman's desk.....it's just a desk. However, it is for my brother-in-law Ed and I have been working on it for way too long. I picked it up from Goodwill over a year ago (maybe close to two years ago) and added it to my furniture collection. Ed saw it, needed a desk and I thought it would be a great housewarming gift for him. Well....life happened, clients happened and his poor little desk sat in my basement for a very long time. 

It was worth the wait. Before I show you the after photos please keep in mind that Ed requested manly staging.....not my normal flowers and vases and garland. Apparently to me manly staging means using my daughter's toy dinosaur.   : )

 So manly!!!

I used Cliveden Pasture (at Lowe's) but I didn't glaze this time like I did on these pieces.

I painted the whole thing green and Ed requested I paint the legs and the back brace black. 

No problem.....but it needed something else. I painted the spaces between the legs and the base black as well. 

I used my homemade chalk paint but I did something a little different this time with the baking soda....I will share soon! I sealed with wax and did no distressing. It is a manly desk after all!

This style is different from what I normally do, and I miss my signature flowers, but I'm really happy with how it turned out! 

What do you think? 

Make sure to check out my facebook to stay connected. It's a great place to ask me questions! 

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IKEA Crib in Pink

Last week I mentioned that I painted two cribs but I was waiting on after photos. Amanda sent me a few photos of the crib in her nursery. Thank you Amanda and congrats on sweet baby Felicity!

Just a plain, boring, white IKEA crib 

 I threw my daughter's mattress in there to see if it would fit. Apparently you have to buy an IKEA mattress to fit and IKEA crib (we wanted to see how true that was).

I used a green paint (safe paint) from Sherwin Williams called Dragon Fruit. This color is a little more true to the shade of the pink.

Amanda was sweet enough to send me a few photos she took. Most of you will probably wonder why someone would want to paint a crib pink? Why not?! 

I like things that are different and you won't see in every house you visit.

When Felicity gets older, her friends will come over to play; they'll all go home and tell their mommy's they want a pink bed too! She will be a little trendsetter. 

The walls in her room are pink so it's a little hard to get the true color of the crib. The two pictures on the left give you a better idea. 

Congratulations to Amanda and her family!

Dresser turned Media Stand

Last year I re-purposed an old cheap dresser into a functional TV stand....(click here for a refresher). 

My newest client wanted to find an old dresser to use as a media stand for her newly renovated basement.
She also had this desk customized to put in her basement.

I found a dresser on Craigslist, the price was right, and it was in great working condition. It lacked in the pretty department, but that's where I come in, and it had tons of storage. There's a total of 8 drawers and a cabinet with 2 shelves. I'm a little jealous myself.....I have a love of drawers (it's where I hide all of my junk.....I could hide a lot in this piece). 

BEFORE

AFTER

There were two big drawers inside the doors but that space needs to be used to house electronics so we added two shelves. My husband gutted the inside, took out the drawer tracks and cut 2 pieces of 3/4 inch  MDF to fit. I do the painting and my hubby does all the hard stuff.  

These three photos give you a visual of what the process of gutting and adding a shelf look like. 

Since electronics are going inside the doors I also made sure to add ventilation holes to prevent any overheating. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the holes.

Here is one more after photo

For those who are interested in the small details:

The paint is Thermal Spring by Valspar (I think it has more green undertones in person)

I used homemade chalk paint (1 c. paint to 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. baking soda) 

**start with 1/4 c. and add more if needed**

The pulls are from Hobby Lobby

I lightly distressed and sealed with Johnson's Paste Wax

Let's talk about the gallery wall! In our living room we have a huge wall, and it's vaulted too, which means a lot of empty space. We decided to turn it into a gallery wall using pictures taken by my husband's granddad, pictures we found on a trip to D.C., a few pieces I found on Etsy, and some plates I found at Goodwill years ago. We have lived in our house for over 2 years and we just started putting stuff on the walls.

 I wanted to make sure it was something I would love. We still haven't painted any room since we moved in either (except the playroom and guest bathroom). I feel like those are big long term decisions and I am not ready to make them......but the time has come. Baby steps. 

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