From Nay to Gray, Part V

So, this dresser redo is finally complete! I got a little delayed in finishing this project when my hubby got sick, but I'm happy to report all are healthy in the Houston House, and so we lugged this dresser up 2 flights of stairs on Friday afternoon. I was so excited. I don't know that hubby was as thrilled, but I know he's glad it's upstairs and done with.  

And now, fast forward through Part I / Part II / Part III / Part IV , here she is, ready to store all my odds and ends. A little styling with this and that from various shopping expeditions. 

The wall is Behr Classic Silver, and the dresser is a mix of paint samples I had around the house (listed here).

I used a pottery jug and candles on this end.
I can't wait for spring so I can bring in a little green from the yard for the jug.

I don't think I could love this mercury glass more.
These candlesticks are some of my favorite finds to date.

I replaced hubs' bachelor clock (you know the clunkers I'm talking about... think BIG and DIGITAL and PLASTIC) with this dainty number from Hobby Lobby. Oh, and I haven't gotten around to painting my craft numbers yet... lazy bones I tell you. Lazy. Bones.

For added texture, I brought in faux fur, why not? And I decided to put it all in a basket, because everything's better with a basket, right?

Remember the drawer liners I did... they are dry now.
The fabric is Waverly Cross Section in charcoal.

I hung my Ballard mirrors... (yes I HUNG THEM, all by myself. I'm proud.) This picture is for you, Dad; proof I hung them with the right hardware. Also known as power hooks. Also-also known as a major pain that was remedied with a glass of wine. But, they shouldn't come toppling down anytime soon.

The final result was worth it. Secret, one mirror is slightly larger than the other. Weird. I measured them to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me. They weren't. One is about 1/4th inch longer than the other. Hey, no one is perfect. I guess Ballard is right, each one is "unique". 

Now, can you guess which one is the bigger of the two? 

Hubby guessed wrong. Maybe it's not as noticeable as I think. What say you?

It doesn't bother me enough to take it all down and rethink this design. 

Don't worry, Husband.

The original hardware was prettied up with rub-n-buff in antique brass. That stuff is saaaaweet. A little brass bling mixed with distressed edges. Why is it I like to paint things new, and then beat them up? 

How much time you got?

And that's a wrap on this series, thanks for sticking around for the final result! After nearly 1 1/2 years of living here, our master bedroom is finally close to completion. That, my friends, is gloooooorious.

 I couldn't be happier with my old to new dresser, and I'm so glad I could save it from Craigslist Horrors. Have you saved any pieces lately? I'd love to see your projects!

pssst.... I finished my metallic numbers finally, read about them here! 

From Nay to Gray, Part III

Here we are on day 3 of my dresser rehab project. Are you sick of seeing it yet? You can read Part I  and Part II where I discussed finding this little forgotten gem on Craigslist and the daunting task of choosing hardware.

Today, I'm showing you a secret within this dresser. Not only was it among the Craigslist Forgottens, but it came complete with velvet lined drawers. Hubba hubba? No. I know, sounds lovely, but the liners are old and dirty. And that sort of (actually, it really really) grossed me out a bit (a lot). Apparently beauty and ugly are not skin deep. 

This looks like the armadillo cake on Steel Magnolias, right?

I cleaned the velvet liners and sprayed them down with Lysol, but in the end decided they should be recovered. 

In my fabric stash, which is resembling Mount St. Helens, I had this wonderful gray. It's Waverly Cross Section in Charcoal. I thought it'd be a perfect little modern touch and something extra for my dresser. 

To get the look, I first measured the insides of my drawers, twice. Just to be safe. I then measured out a piece of brown craft paper to the measurements to make sure it fit snug in the drawer. It did, so then I had a template for cutting my fabric.

I then used Mod Podge and applied it with a foam brush directly to the nasty old velvet. I was worried it wouldn't stick since it's velvet, but it did. 

I then grabbed my pre-cut fabric pieces, and started affixing them by smoothing and shifting until in place and the fit was just right.

And now, the end result is a new and clean look. No more velvet! And more importantly, they don't resemble the groom's cake anymore.

You'll notice I don't have the hardware on, but I'll get it together and it'll be on in my final dresser reveal, promise. 

I really want to hug my dresser. Is that weird? Hubs found me talking to it last night saying "oh, I love you, you look so pretty!".  He just gave me the familiar she's-gone-crazy-glance and a hesitant nervous laugh, and slowly retreated back upstairs. No sudden movements, you know?

Tomorrow in Part IV I'll show you the accessories and styling plans for this dresser. Until then, happy Wednesday!

linking up to Savvy Southern Style

From Nay to Gray, Part I

"Yay or nay?" A question often asked of my husband in reference to anything and everything house related. A question usually followed by some form of a sideways-are-you-crazy stare or just an outright NAY. God love him. You can imagine how the last few months have gone as I've tried to find the perfect dresser in the perfect price range and at the perfect size. Most of the lovelies I found were definitely going into the Craigslist Ugly Vault, and I was desperate to save one of them. Join me this week as I show you how to take something from NAY to GRAY. 

On Saturday we went out to look at a dresser I thought could be a winner, pictures of it here. If you're wanting to redo furniture, I suggest looking at the overall shape of the furniture, and make sure to buy real wood. Both of which this dresser was. Still though, when we arrived husband was a little leery, but he says now that he trusted me to make it look better... ha.

So this was the scene this weekend, dresser drawers and hardware strung about the basement. I started by sanding with a 150 grit sandpaper. In any furniture rehab I've done over the years, I tend not to go crazy with the sanding because I like the weathered and beaten look. I'm not too concerned with paint coming off here and there, but I've never actually had chipping or peeling problems in the past. 

Sanding completed, I was ready to paint... but what color? I didn't have much left of my Sherwin Williams Functional Gray, but what I did have was a few gray paint samples from my find-the-perfect-gray quest a few months back. So, what's a girl to do? Mix them all together, of course. So, the official color of my dresser is something of a Chelsea Gray-Functional Gray-Fashion Gray-Classic Silver combo. Chelsea's Classic Gray Fashion I suppose.

When repainting furniture, I recommend using a foam roller for smooth surfaces. I used one that's meant for cabinets and doors because it allows for application of a thin and smooth paint coat.  Of course, my dresser has a lot of nooks and curves to tackle, so for those I used my handy shortcut brush. These things are magical. Get one.

Then it was watching paint dry. Really. Tip- my dad taught me how to save my rollers and brushes in between paint coats. Wrap them tightly in tin foil. This will keep them from drying out, and it will save you from having to reload a fresh roller or from cleaning out your brush each time. Not going to come back to your project for a few days? Wrap the roller in tin foil and place it in the freezer. When you are ready to get back to work, thaw it out and you are good to go! 

After a few coats of paint, I was ready for my favorite part- distressing. I love the look of weathered furniture. It feels like it has a story and a history. Plus, you get to err on the side of imperfect. Really, isn't life easier that way?

For the distressing I used a 100 grit paper to easily take it back down to the wood tones on edges and various parts of the piece.

Sanding a little off the top...

A little from the drawer corners...

And some from the bottom....

It's exciting to see a piece take on a new life! I can't wait to finish it, and hubby can't wait for me to get my project out of his man-cave basement. But I will say he's feeling more confident about my Craigslist choice now seeing it painted.

Tomorrow I'll share with you my top hardware choices and what I picked in the end.... until then, happy Monday! 

Random Friday

Hello all! It's Friday again! My favorite part of the week is Friday night when I know I have the whole weekend ahead of me. I tend to get depressed on Sunday nights, and my hubby picks on me for it. I've been that way since grade school though- can't get over those Sunday night blues! Anywho, told you it's random Friday and I'm just-a yappin' away 'bout nothing in particular. 

First of all, I found a dresser! I mentioned in my post here I've been on the hunt for literally MONTHS AND MONTHS for the right sized dresser at the right price. I thought I'd found the match a couple weeks ago, until the Craigslister completely flaked out on me and stopped responding. Oddness! In any event, I found one that is newer and better, and get this, CHEAPER! I'm going to pick it up tomorrow... with my husband in tow (stop worrying, Mom). 

Second, I'm loving Bruno Mars lately. I tend to not get into "today's" music.. or what the young folk are listenin' to... but I can't help it with Bruno. I find myself belting his tunes in my car, having my own little American Idol moments. I'm especially liking that song "Talking to the Moon". Talking to the moooo--oooo-oooon.... Stuck in my head for days.

And lastly, how do you like the look of my blog nowadays? It got a major facelift thanks to my friend Melissa. I love my new logos she designed for the blog and for my gallery. What do you think? They are exactly what I had in mind! 

Cheers to the weekend friends! Hope it's a great one! 

Craigslist Find & Gray Furniture

I've been on the hunt for a dresser for a while now, but haven't seen a lot that I like.  My biggest problem has been finding a dresser that is the right size. They have been either not long enough, too long, or too short. I really want something that is 36" high so it's not lost in our master bedroom in the land of small furniture, and I want something that's around 60" wide. Oh, and I don't want to spend more than $100. Easy, right? Ha. Never is.

So, in the months past I've been swarming over Craigslist in the hopes that I'd find something. No luck until this week, I think I found something. Side note here- I am super annoyed with peeps on the CL. Why do people not follow up or call back/write back/ set up meet times? Do they just not want to sell their stuff or what's the hold up people?! That's annoying... Anyways, end rant.

I found this number and contacted the seller, the dimensions are exactly what I'm looking for! Picture from the ad:

So, my plan is to refinish whatever dresser I find in a nice gray.  The stripes I painted in our master are in Sherwin Williams Functional Gray, so that's likely the color I'll be using. I LOVE gray bedroom furniture. I just don't LOVE to pay for it.

Ballard Designs Louis Dresser

Ballard Designs Louis Dresser

One Kings Lane

Me thinks so puuuuuurdy. Drool, oops.  I have these nightstands I picked up from o.co a while back and plan to refinish them in the same tone, along with Pottery Barn's mercury glass knob hardware. 

I hope it'll all look cute in this space, and maybe make it feel like less of a work-in-progress... we shall see! 

What do you think about painted furniture? I'm loving it. Gray or nay? 

Happy Friday!