The Painted Chandelier

A Creative Companion Home/Design blog to Interiors by Melanie Robinson

Coral & Gold Dresser Turned TV Console-Part 1

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Coral & Gold Dresser-Turned- TV Console

Part 1
 
 

Bonjour, Mes Amis!! I wanted to show y’all how the pretty girl turned out today. I’ve been showing sneak peeks here and there on social media of the dresser I painted this beautiful coral color. This color made me happy while painting. It was different! Not the usual white, cream, black, gray. Not that there’s a thing wrong with a good neutral, but sometimes color just breathes new life into a space, doesn’t it? 

 
The Before

Here’s a before shot….I got this dresser for about $35 from a friend that was in my boot camp workout class a few years ago. It sat in my basement for 2 years while I tried to figure out where and how I wanted to use it. Interesting, I just realized that’s how long it’s been since I have done a hardcore workout routine. I’m sure there’s no correlation. Moving right along…

 
 
Well if there’s anything that motivates me, it’s a new project. So because we’re finishing our basement for the boys, I really have started moving and shaking things around from the basement. Funny how my husband saying that we need to get rid of some things can make me kick it in high gear like there’s no tomorrow and find another place for my loot (hmmm, moving stuff from basement to upstairs~ a true hoarder’s mentality?! )
 
 
The Purpose
 
We ( and I mean Mark ) repaired the drawers, and I sanded the whole piece lightly with 220 grit sandpaper with my electric sander. I decided I wanted to use this piece as a tv console in our Master bedroom, while using the drawers for some of our seasonal clothes. (Honestly, we’ve never had a large dresser in our bedroom in 21 years of marriage! We’ve always had nice walk in closets in all our houses, and I have an antique dressing table that was given to me by one of my Grandmothers that I keep lingerie, socks, etc. but no real dresser for both of us.) It’s never really appealed to me to have matchy bedroom sets with all the pieces from one furniture store, so we just never had one… 
 
 
The Paint Color
 
 
Bougainvillea by Martha Stewart
 
I decided that since most of the bedding in our room is neutral, with the exception of pillows ranging from soft aquas, salmon/coral to creams/tans,that a coral color would give a nice accent to this mostly neutral Master space. I was envisioning French Country style, with a little glam. I didn’t want the tv console to be loud and obnoxious, just a simple elegant style to add some interest to this space. We still had an old style tv up here, y’all. And a cherry double door tv stand. The scale was waaay off, but just one of those things that had to stand in line and wait its’ own turn. ( we have alot of those…you too?! ) The color I used was called Bougainvillea, by Martha Stewart at Home Depot. 
 
 
The Secret
 
Let me let you in on a little secret you may or may not know. I know designer chalk paint is ALL THE RAGE. And they have some beautiful lines with swoonworthy colors. BUT, you don’t have to use those brand name chalk paints to get beautiful results. I have experimented with different paints, and even made my own homemade chalk paint from Pinterest pins I found using Plaster of Paris. That works great, but are you ready for the biggest surprise? Matte and flat paint can deliver the same result! I had the Bougainvillea paint color mixed in Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Interior Matte finish,and it worked like a charm. I have used this without sanding first, just like you would Annie Sloan or any designer chalk paint, but I’ve also used it after just sanding lightly. For this piece, I only sanded to even up some of the top surface. 2 coats of this paint will yield a great finish. I used clear Minwax finishing paste wax after the paint had dried, followed by some leftover Annie Sloan dark wax I had. I have also painted with matte paint, but skipped the wax and used a polycrylic product for a topcoat. Both ways work beautifully, it just depends on the finish you want. 
 
The Dresser 
 
After I did a quick all-over light sanding and then wiped away the dust, I taped the drawers off with painter’s tape to make the painting go alot faster.
 
 
Next, I painted all the drawers ( the paint dries really quickly and evenly, much like chalk paint ) I used a short angled paintbrush for the smaller areas ( I like Purdy XL Cub ) and a mini roller for the larger surfaces like the top and sides.
 
 
 
The colors appear more orangey in some shots, while more pinky coral in others. In reality, the color is  with more pinky than orange, but it does change with the lighting and time of day.
 
 
I decided this piece needed some interest & sass, so I used Rub & Buff in Antique Gold along the edges to accent it.( I use an old white cotton t-shirt to apply it) I also did this along the edges of the drawers to give it a more finished look, as well as painted the inside of the drawers in a Martha Stewart metallic gold paint. You can buy different colors in her line of metallic paint ready- to-go at Home Depot. It really gave the drawers a pretty pop of surprise~ much better than a plain wooden drawer. I mean, if this girl was getting a makeover, leaving the drawers plain ( blah! ) would be the equivalent of going to the prom without having a mani/pedi. Amiright? ( I’ve got prom on my brain, with my son and his girlfriend getting ready for that soon 🙂 I may be as excited as they are. Or more?
 
You probably want to wear gloves….
Tip: a Brillo pad will get almost all paints and waxes off your skin easily with no chemicals… My girlfriend taught me that! Works great:)
 
 
I then brushed the entire piece, including the drawers, with clear wax, followed by dark wax The dark wax ages the gold, and brings out the architectural details in a piece ( not that this dresser had that much interest ) but it also tones down the brightness of a color, if that’s what you want as your end result. Use it sparingly, and always after clear wax, or you’ll have a mess. You can alternate clear and dark wax, the clear acts as an eraser if you have too much dark wax. Make sure you have a clear wax brush, and a dark wax brush. I have to say that I bought my brushes from an Annie Sloan dealer, and they are amazing! Again, I use an old white cotton t-shirt to buff it after it dries. 
 
I don’t have a real picture of the next step, but basically I didn’t like how dark the wax made the piece look. It went from happy & fun coral to dark & serious in a hurry. So I painted over it with quick, sweeping brushstrokes over all the pieces again, avoiding the gold edges on the large dresser and around the drawers.( That’s the beauty of chalk and matte paint: you can layer paint and waxes) The color came back, but was more subdued…perfect. It’s sort of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” with painting furniture. 
 
The Hardware
 
I really liked the original hardware,but the brass was aged, and I wanted some glamour on this particular piece, so I used some Rub & Buff on them and they really came alive.
 
 
What do ya think? Do you like the coral and gold together? With the faint dark wax in the crevices? I’m sure she feels better about herself now than she did in the basement. After all, she got to come upstairs and be pretty. Sort of like Cinderella. 
 
 
coral-and-gold-dresser-corner-closeup
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you found some inspiration, and will consider trying matte paint with primer sometime, as an alternative to fancy chalk paint. It’s available in any color, and you can have 2-3 cans for the price of 1 designer chalk paint brand. Promise me you’ll let me know what you think if you try it? I’d love to hear your thoughts. (oh, & I’m not being compensated by Rub & Buff, Behr paint, Martha Stewart, or Annie Sloan for the brush reference and all opinions are all my own.) I just love to pass on good tips/products that I personally love and that have worked well for me. 
 
Coming up soon in Part 2….The wall art arrangement I chose for this tv console wall! 
 
 
Til next time, y’all~
 
Have a fab day! xxooxx
 
Melanie+Signature+Styles
 
 
 

Comments

    • Oh, Kelli! Would you believe I forgot to take photos of the drawer interiors? I will do that and update. I used Martha Stewart Living Metallic Paint in Vintage Gold sold at Home Depot! The dark wax can be tricky tricky, but it looks good used sparingly over clear wax!

      Reply

  10. GOOD JOB MELANIEO. i ALWAYS ENJOYED THE STRIPPING AND REFINISHING. I’M NOT AS SMART AS YOU WITH THE COLORS. TOO OLD TOO I THINK BUT EMILY IS INTO SUCH, OR AT LEAST CHAD.
    some good tips there if one wants to try . THANKS FOR SHARING!

    Reply

  11. Thanks, Aunt Judy! I remember years ago painting a trunk that Grandmother gave me a teal color….Mom wasn’t sure she would approve… Lol!! I think that was back in the early 90’s? Thanks for visiting the blog!

    Reply

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