A while back, middle daughter Jaysa said she was looking for a new dresser for the baby's room.
I offered up a vintage dresser I have been hauling around for a life time.
Jaysa wanted a dresser that would double as a changing table. Yep, this one would! It had a nice large top. I just needed to paint it.
Wild Bill and I hauled it up to Illinois with us just before the baby was born. We used Swiss Coffee (with a satin finish) in Behr's paint and primer from Home Depot.
Jaysa and I looked for "baby-type" knobs everywhere. Nothing worked. But, once the final coat was done and we put the old knobs back on, Jaysa decided they were perfect.
The knobs are from Hobby Lobby. I bought a whole bunch of them a couple of years ago, for a couple of dollars each, when they were 50% off.
We decided to paint the inside of all three drawers a raspberry color. The only color we found that qualified as raspberry was a little too much on the red side. We put it on anyway. But if anyone out there knows a sweet raspberry paint color, please let me know!
Jaysa loved the dresser and wondered how old it was and how long I'd had it?
I truly don't remember when I bought it second hand, but it was already vintage back then. It even has the original wheels on the bottom of the legs.
I just remember that back in 1993 it was in my "single mom" bedroom holding my very large boom box, which was a 6-CD changer -cassette tape player -- and radio combined!
Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I know you want to.
...Anyway, back in the late 80's, the hot color of that time was forest green.
Being a savvy DIY stylist back then, I painted all my used furniture in my bedroom forest green. I think I painted all my mis-matched dining chairs forest green too. WOW. Imagine!
So the dresser was forest green until I re-painted it in 2011 with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Old White. And then apparently I started to paint it a yellow color instead.
Well there it sat, part-way painted and holding painting supplies, until Jaysa mentioned needing a baby dresser.
Here's the before:
I'm so glad it has a new life with a purpose.
I'm so glad it's not forest green any more.
And, I'm so glad I still have my early 90's boom box.
Come join the party over at French Country Cottage.
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
It's great when you can give something a new life like this. It's also nice that it is moving down the family line and working as a changing table and dresser for the baby.
ReplyDeleteI love this. And what a great idea to paint the inside of the drawers rasberry. Just love it!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could show you the room all finished, but I haven't received any pictures yet (hint hint Jaysa) of it completed. It has pink walls and dashes of sage green and raspberry and a little pale yellow.
DeleteHaha! I remember that dresser in 1993, complete with boom box.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, all our dining room chairs (and the base of the dining room table) were forest green. Everything was forest green back then. But five years before that, everything was dusty blue. Pick your poison.
Love your hand me down, especially when you know where it's been all this time. I have a houseful with stories to accompany them. I curious, did you not like the Annie Sloans chalk paint, I hear such rave reviews on it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll post some stories about your furniture Irene!
DeleteI'd love to read them.
as for AS's chalk paint, I do like to use it. But, I've found I can make my own by adding non-sanded grout. Also I've used baking soda (Picked and Painted's recipe) and gesso. It's so easy to mix up your own chalk paint and it's so much cheaper and you get rid of all that left over paint too.
Love that dresser ( or chest of drawers as we call them here); it's lovely that it will have a new life. I'm visiting from Sherry's blog as your comment about Google reader's possible demise,just so reminded me of myself...worry about it when you have to, or as my mum used to say 'don't worry, it might never happen!' lol
ReplyDeleteBrilliant repurposing! The dresser makes a great changing station, too. Aren't you glad you lugged that dresser through life?! -- Jan
ReplyDeleteYour chest looks beautiful, what a great job you did on it. The fact is, furniture was built to last back then . . . not like the stuff you buy today.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week.
Your blogging sister, Connie
P.S. congratulations on the baby :)
Love the dresser, it looks great as a changing table and will transition nicely as baby grows! Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting on my chicken wire crowns!
ReplyDeleteTania