This post has been a long time coming! I ran into this mini dresser at the local Goodwill for $25 all the way back in October. I had been wanting a new end table for next to the lounge in our living room and this was just tall and wide enough and provides a lot of storage. So I scooped it up and crammed it into my teeny weeny car all by myself. As you can see, the cats took to it right away. Oh, and is this their blog debut? Meet Inara and Kaylee. (Yes, they are named after Firefly characters.)
I decided to go crazy with it since it's all mine to use. (Josh has his manly section of the living room which consists of a LaZBoy recliner and a lamp/shelf tower from Target, and the rest of it is up for me and our animal menagerie to fight over.) First I visited Hobby Lobby while their hardware was 50% off and picked some pretty baubles for the drawers. I love funky jewelry and knew the dresser would too. I know that mismatching is not for everyone, but I liked the eclectic, unpredictable look.
I took her (yes, I assigned the dresser a gender) outside and removed her hardware, including the weird fake plastic keyhole-ish things, and then sanded her down by hand with sanding sponge. From the above picture, she looks to be in good shape, but up close she was really chippy and the paint job had a lot of drips. And it smelled kind of like a nursing home.
Then I began painting her. I picked out a bright orange (looks a bit Nickelodeon to me, but I think it works) and gave her thin coat after coat after coat till she was completely covered. I at first painted her body and drawers orange, but at the finish I thought that the orange was just too much, like a giant cheese block dresser or something. As much as I like cheese, this would not do. I decided to break it up and let the sparkly hardware stand out by painting the three drawer fronts cream. I just used spray paint for this. Here she is today.
I also picked up a roll of funky elephant gift wrap for about $5 at World Market to line her drawers with, so there is a pretty surprise inside, too. I love it!
Now I have ample space for magazines, books, paperwork, electronic stuff, and whatever needs hiding at the last minute.
The top displays a funky Target lamp stacked on antique flea market books (bought for their funny titles or bright colors), a little teal Goodwill dish that I throw my jewelry in at the end of the day, and another Goodwill tray that hold some pictures I love.
- Taking time on projects is so worth it!
- I should invest in an electric sander of some sort. I worked really hard to smooth this dresser out, but I think it would look and function even better if I had completely stripped it. Next time.
- I think I'd also like to try spray adhesive next time I line something. I just used Elmer's glue along the paper's edges this time, which works fine, but I think a spray adhesive might be more durable and the paper would have laid down smoother.
Just A Girl's SAS Day
Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party
Elements Interiors: Whassup Wednesday
Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday
Finding Fabulous' Frugalicious Friday
Tatertots and Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party
