Updated Dresser for the Entryway

Hi, Friends!  I can’t believe it’s Friday!  Where did the week go!  I got a little sidetracked on Tuesday evening when I went into the garage and found that our drywall ceiling seam was buckling!  Yikes!  We had a ton of heavy rain in the past week and Mark and I were afraid we had a huge problem – so we spent two days unloading everything from our attic – which is above our garage. Now, I don’t know if your attic is like ours, but it was pretty full with a baby crib and mattress, toys being saved for grands someday, all my seasonal decor, and plenty of things that have been up there since we moved here 17 years ago!  It was a BIG job to bring everything down and go through it!  We found things that were up there from the previous owner that we never knew we had!  We ended up with a huge pile to throw away and a smaller pile for a yard sale.  I still want to go through everything more carefully and will probably have a lot more to sell or donate.  In the end, the drywall seam buckling wasn’t due to water damage, but from a few bins that had fallen onto an area that didn’t have a wood floor.  It’s an easy fix – thank goodness!  And, while the attic was empty, Mark got some plywood to make more floorspace for storage. And, that’s how this week got away from me!

  

Here’s what I intended to share with you on Tuesday!  I purchased this pretty dresser for $60.  It had a dark wood finish when I found it (and unfortunately, I deleted the before pic from my cell phone).  Since I’m trying to lighten and brighten up around here, I knew it was destined for a paint makeover!

  

I used Maison Blanche La Chaux French Lime Paint in Garconniere (a warm gray) that I had left over from a previous project HERE.

Even though the dresser had a dark  finish, it took just two coats for complete coverage.  Once the paint was dry, I sanded the entire piece with a fine grit sanding block.  Then I did  a bit of distressing with the same sanding block to highlight the details in the dresser.  

I used Maison Blanche satin varnish on the top of the dresser for protection, but ended up leaving the rest with no top coat.    Sometimes, I like the bare chalk paint look with no wax or varnish.

The original brass hardware was really grimy, so I used a brass wire brush to remove the crud and reveal this gorgeous brass shine!  I really love the contrast of a gray painted piece with brass hardware.

  

Once the dresser had it’s makeover, I knew where it belonged – in the living room entryway!

To dress it up a bit for summer, I added this fun basket I found at Target the other day for $12.  I filled it with some star fish and faux sea urchins.

  

Then, on either side, are inexpensive glass cylinder vases that I had on hand (originally purchased at Walmart).  I dug out the leftover jute rope from THIS project and used it to wrap around the cylinder vases for a summertime coastal vibe.  I added some sand and a candle to each vase –   simple, summer decor!

If you are having a laid back, stay at home holiday weekend, here are some other easy projects to add a little coastal charm to your home!