When Plans go Awry...

{A Vintage Find}

A few weekends ago the husband and I began our weekend with one of our favorite activities...

...Garage sale-ing! 

With our restricted budget and big dreams, we have learned how to be diy'ers, and to see the possibilities and potential in things we find.

So, on our first stop, I spotted this beauty... and folks, I was smitten.

Yes ...Really!

I know what your thinking, and believe me, the husband was horrified when I suggested purchasing this dresser. It literally took me 15 minutes to persuade him to trust my instincts. I saw the potential in the bamboo-esque details, amazing brass hardware, and brass caps on each of the legs, not to mention it had great lines and plenty of storage to suit our needs and was in great shape for being a vintage piece.

Having been searching for a dresser for our master bedroom for months, I knew that we were not going to be able to afford what I had my eye on in stores and online.

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I really love the mod details of dresser 2, with the storage offered in dresser 1.

Problem was, due to our tight (ahem, new mortgage) budget, the husband and I had recently settled on purchasing and dressing up a pair of 4-drawer IKEA Malm dressers, a la (my favorite) Jen Jones at iheart organizing...
 

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 ... using O'verlays, like this:

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And I had begun to fall in love with this cost effective plan. But, as we all know, the best laid (and organized) plans often go awry. So, rather than panic when I spotted our great, tiki-influenced, pale yellow with mustard and avocado detail dresser I adjusted our plans. 

And for 40 bucks, I could hardly pass the deal up.

That day, after fitting that beast into a borrowed truck (it's made of solid, hard wood, folks, and it is HEAVY!) I gathered the supplies I already had on hand, shopped for paint and primer, and removed and carefully labeled all the drawer pulls and handles.

Next, I sanded the whole outside of the unit with a heavy-grit (220) sandpaper, wrapped around a wood block, removing all gouges and nicks in the old finish, focusing on the top surface.  I followed up with a finer gauge sandpaper and cleaned and wiped the dust off with a damp microfiber cloth.

Next, I started priming. We chose this lovely dark gray color, to coordinate with our master bedroom colors. Plus, I envisioned the color contrasting beautifully with those brass details.

I usually purchase gloss (not high gloss) paint, and I really like Rust-Oleum American Accents 2x Coverage. I found it for only $3.87 at my local Home Depot! But first, we made sure to prime.  Priming is a super-important step and will prevent having to apply so many coats and will result in a smoother, longer-lasting finish, so don't skip it! A word to the wise: make sure to follow the directions on the can (every brand is different)... the results of your project will always be better.

After priming, we waited for it to dry per the manufacturer's specifications, then sprayed the dark gray color in even, thin coats. It is tempting to keep spraying the surface and get that beautiful, sleek finish with the first coat, but trust me, it will only cause drips, and potential bubbling. After many years of trial and error, I have come to the conclusion that spray paint (used properly) yields a much more professional-looking finish.

Should you end up with a drip or bubble, wait for the paint to dry, and simply sand it lightly with a high grit paper, then coat the area with a few thin layers, letting dry in between.

After about 4 or 5 coats of paint, I topped with 2 layers of clear coat to protect the newly painted surface.

You might notice my handy-dandy little sprayer in the above photo.  You MUST get one of these clip-on hand sprayers made by Rust-Oleum and save your poor index finger from "trigger finger" pain. They are only around $6 at Home Depot, and really worth the investment!

So, after letting everything dry and cure for 48 hours per directions, the husband and I re-attached all the lovely hardware, and lugged the unit upstairs. Man, that thing is heavy!! But, I give props to the quality of older furniture. New stuff just doesn't seem to have that kind of craftsmanship, unless you are willing to spend an arm and a leg to buy it.

 

Overall, I am so incredibly pleased with the end result.

Not bad for $40.00 (plus the cost of paint and supplies)!

What do you think? What are your painting tricks/tips?