The Red Dresser

My dear friend Molly in Pennsylvania suggested I visit our Goodwill Outlet (since we have one) so one morning during preschool I did just that.  Well, despite the GPS I took a wrong turn, which wound up being a very right turn.  I found a Krispy Kreme.  Tank up!  The outlet is a little rougher than the retail stores.  The clothing is unsorted, so I dug through bins of books and clothing, and then the angels started singing when I spotted this dresser.  I love Federal style furniture, and when I saw it had some chipping veneer and heavy gouges where a drawer pull had come loose I knew it was a good candidate for chalk paint.  Fortunately it fit in my minivan without removing seats, but a leg came off in the process.  I filled the gouges and spots where the veneer was missing, sanded the top a little, and glued & clamped the broken leg. And then I remembered to take a "before" picture.

Our first floor has mostly neutral decor. I like to use texture and contrast for interest, and usually I add color with accessories, but I wanted to try a pop of color since this will be in the middle of the living area.  Nearby there is a set of dining chairs I painted olive green, and I love using that color with a rich, warm red.  Yes, year round not just at Christmas.  I already had a can of red latex paint for another project, so I decided to add Plaster of Paris to a cup of that in order to "chalk" it. Chalk paint is porous, so it needs to be sealed with furniture wax, but that gives a silky finish unlike regular latex.

Wet paint looked raspberry pink

I know paint dries darker, and deep colors don't cover as well, but after two coats I could still see the wood filler right through it.  Also there were tiny white dots of the plaster that broke open when I would sand over the dried paint with a paper bag.  So I bailed on that idea and went to my stockist for a can of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  This is Emperor's Silk, which leans more toward the orange side of the reds, and that fits well with my autumn color tendencies.

Covered in one coat

After a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax I wanted to tone down the red just a bit. After looking at pictures and videos of her dark wax (also a solid wax) I decided to try deep brown Americana Decor creme wax since it is more like pudding consistency which seems easier to move around.  I applied it with a chip brush and wiped off the excess with a blue shop towel, letting some remain into the recesses.  I added more in some areas it seemed to belong, and left a bit extra on some of the flat areas just to give the appearance of age.

I was planning to Rub 'n' Buff the hardware, but once the dresser was red the drawer pulls looked good the way they were so I just put them back on. I even found an extra screw in my stash to replace the missing one.  That never happens, so in the tradition of my family I will continue to save everything potentially useful.

Are you ready for the dramatic transformation?

And here it is in its new spot, with the olive dining chairs in the foreground.  I'm so happy with it!