I love to paint furniture.  Since I discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint a few years ago, I have several pieces in my house that I have restored using her fantastic paint.  But, I have to say, I am most proud of the restore I did on this dresser…

The French Provincial dresser belonged to Sister Bee and was part of a bedroom suite of furniture.  Then, it was used by my grandmother when my parents set her up in a little apartment.  Over time, it had yellowed and the paint on the top was peeling away.  But, I didn’t care.  I used it in all our bedrooms around the house.  It was always in the back of my mind to repaint her. Then, one day I was thinking to myself why do we always relegate the dresser to a bedroom?  Look at all the unused storage space just sitting in a guest bedroom.  So, we moved it downstairs to the entry way.  I plan to fill it with party essentials and seasonal decor.  The top right drawer houses all our pet supplies such as treats, leashes, meds, and their sweaters for walks.  Making it so convenient to be right by the front door.

Here are some before photos.  You can see how the furniture had yellowed over time.  My grandmother was a smoker and when I cleaned the piece with 409 before I painted it you could see years of dirt, smoke and just yuck coming off the furniture.

 Peeling paint on the top. 

I sanded the top where the peeling was happening just so I could smooth it all out. After I cleaned the furniture, I wiped down everything again with a damp cloth. Then, I gave it a light coat of Annie Sloan Pure White paint. I let it dry overnight.  The next day I gave it another light coat of paint.

For the hardware, I didn’t remove it and painted around it being careful to get just the right amount of paint on the hardware.  This photo shows a little of what I mean.  The first photo is just after I painted it on…

 The second photo is after I wiped it off with a damp cloth.

This is Mr. Wilson helping me.  The smaller the container, the better the fit.

After I finished painting, I let it dry for several hours.  Then I went around and sanded the piece where it would get normal wear — around the edges of dresser top and legs and by the drawer pulls.  I wiped the piece down again with a slightly damp cloth, and then I waxed it with Annie Sloan clear wax and buffed it with a clean, dry cloth.  The only feature that isn’t present anymore was the golden paint that ,when the piece was brand new, was in the crevices of the legs.  I may try to figure out a way to replicate the gilding without it looking to “perfect.”

Then, came the fun part!  Styling the top.  I plan to use this piece as a showcase to change out the top with the seasons.  Right now, I am feeling a blue rhapsody with blue and white pottery I have started collecting.

Add a candle and a pop of green with tiny apples.

I moved some lamps around and decided my Target Threshold beehive lamps were perfect for this dresser.

 I’m just really excited about how it turned out.  Now, to find something else to paint!