The Evolving Chest of Drawers

Furniture refinishing 37 comments

I’m pretty sure I have mentioned before how much I hate repainting pieces I have already painted… well I did it again (clearly I’m not very bright)! This time it was partly my “fault” and partly Mother Nature’s fault.

You may remember I started off with this…

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Did a quick update to this…

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Took it to Lucketts Spring Market and the super hot direct sunlight heated up the original paint and it bubbled like it was cooking… WHAT?!!!

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So of course I had to fix it and since I never seem to be able to sell pink I decided to change it up entirely…

This is the beauty that it is now…

Painted and stained vintage chest in custom ASCP mix, turquoise and white.

I striped the top with my heat gun and sanded it down starting with 100 grit paper working my way to the final sand with 220. This process took about 45 minutes, I know there are a few of you who may like to use strippers… try a heat gun it works like a charm! For the staining process I first applied a coat of dark walnut stain and let it sit for about 15 minutes. After I wiped the stain off I coated the chest with Watco Dark Walnut Oil, I use this to replace the lost oils in the wood keeping it moisturized, I did two coats following the directions on the can. I finished it up with a coat of Briwax Dark Wax.

The top has some small pits in it with leftover paint, but it still looks great!

How to refinish a dresser top

For the drawer fronts I first removed the wax coating with 00 steel wool and Mineral Spirits, wiping it off with paper towels after I scrubbed it. I let everything dry and then applied two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, this shade is a custom 50/50 mix of Provence & Florence. After the paint dried I applied a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax and then immediately applied a coat of Briwax Dark Wax.

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I think the chest looks so great! I am actively trying to find a piece in the house to replace with this one I love it so much!

Painted and stained vintage chest in custom ASCP mix, turquoise and white.

Even though I hate redoing pieces, I am thrilled that this one turned out the way that it did! I guess I won’t be painting anymore pink for a while… but I certainly will be using this color again!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time…

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37 comments

  1. Well the final colour is a stunner, & looks nice with the wood stain. Its changed it from a little girls bedroom to a grown ups room :).
    Isnt it odd that the paint bubbled like that…Do you now what may have caused it? Weve just done some outdoor furniture, I’ll keep my fingers crossed x

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  2. I’m constantly repainting things Susan lol – and for some reason I can’t sell pink either – and the few times I’ve done something in pink I’ve thought it was gorgeous!
    That last makeover is spectacular – the wood and that gorgeous color – it HAS to sell!
    XOX

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  3. Hey iike this piece may want to buy it.  Can you show it to Jordan and Peyton and se if they like it for their room at my house.  Then i can get rid of the Pottery Barn kids dresser i have.  I think it just looks to young for them. LEt me know what they think.

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  4. The new wood top is beautiful Susan! Maybe I need to give a heat gun a try. And I love your custom color on the drawers! I thought the pink was pretty too, but you just never know what will sell. I always think it just takes the right person at the right time. … And I’ve seen quite a few pieces of melting furniture at Lucketts over the years. The worst was a huge dining room table with black paint – it was a hot mess. I would have tried to get it out of there immediately, but the vendor just put a funny sign on it. At least she kept her sense of humor!

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    1. OMG.. I would have freaked! Yes the wax will liquify in direct sunlight but I think because this was over CP over latex might have been the reason, who knows! I guess I’m glad it happened because I’m pretty much in love with the new look 🙂 thanks so much Sharon!

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  5. So sorry you had to paint the piece twice. No fun! It looked/looks fabulous both ways. Funny that you don’t sell pink. I have two little girls, so I have several pink pieces of furniture in my house. Pink seems to catch my eye first. Also, I keep meaning to tell you I must come to Lucketts some time. It sounds very similar to Round Top Antique Week, which is what we have in Texas. It’s my favorite time of the year. 🙂

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  6. Well this piece has convinced me to do the paint/stain combo on some pieces I have. There was a reason you had to put in twice the work, it came out two times better! Great Piece! I bet it sell’s now.

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    1. Isn’t wood conditioner for conditioning the wood prior to staining, for soft, unfinished woods? I use the Danish oil a lot because most of the wood I get is old and dry. I find that it helps protect the finish better, kind of an extra layer of protection against moisture. The wax creates a barrier, but if the barrier is penetrated the wood is vulnerable, with the addition of the oil the wood is no longer thirsty… At least this is how I look at it! It’s worth the extra step when dealing with vintage raw wood surfaces I think.. Whew! Hope this answered your question 🙂

      Susan

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  18. Thanks for sharing how to remove chalk paint. Unfortunately, I also painted a few pieces in ways I thought look great but have not sold. Back to a more classic look! Both makeovers look great but I love the stained top version!

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