Tall Dresser Makeover and a Birthday

The House Enthusiast is ONE YEAR OLD!  This is a big deal for me.  Of course, I thought by now  I'd be rich and famous, but eh.  Mediocrity and obscurity works too :-)  Take a look at my very first post - HAHA.  

This weekend I worked on a dresser I won at auction a couple of months back.  It was a little beat up, but nothing too bad and all the hardware was intact.  I did my usual oh-my-gosh-I-have-to-pick-a-color mental gymnastics but I'm not having the panic attacks as much.  

The top laminate had popped off during the move from the auction house.  Hubs glued it back on with Elmer's thinking I wouldn't notice.  I noticed.  However, I decided to (insert Frozen reference) "Let It Go."

I decided to paint the body ASCP French Linen and the drawer faces Old Ocre.  Since there is no prep work involved with chalk paint, I pulled out the drawers, took off the hardware, made sure I wasn't wearing anything NEW and started painting.

In the past, I was always concerned with coverage and brush strokes with my first coat. This time I decided to actually do what Annie Sloan suggests and just "get on with it!".

Here is what the first coat looked like.

I know, it looks wrong to me too.  But just wait.  This took me almost no time to paint and it turns out great!

I painted the drawers the same way with Old Ocre.

After the second coat, I put a coat of clear wax over everything.  I use Annie Sloan's brush, but you could use a regular one.  You could even hand rub it.  I painted it on and rubbed it off with an absorbent cloth.  You don't want any build-up.

I followed with Dark Wax over the French Linen parts ONLY.  I'm not a huge fan of French Linen without it.  It kind of looks like dull primer to me.  I painted a small area with dark wax and immediately rubbed it off before moving to another small area.  I didn't want the piece to be TOO dark.  Wax on, wax off. (The 80's were good to me.)

I didn't do any distressing.  I finished up by buffing everything.

I was going to spray paint the drawer pulls black, but decided that it would be too dark and they looked fabulous the way they were!

I'm pretty proud of this one.  Hubs hadn't seen it since the haphazardly-painted first coat.  When I called him to come take a look, he said "Oh.  That's pretty cool!"  High praises from the Man Of Few Words :-) 

 Thanks for stopping by on our birthday and reading :-)

Linking to:
The Girl Creative, A Pinch of Joy, Lip Gloss and Crayons, Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Sew Can Do, Mad in Crafts, Craft-O-Maniac, Creating My Way To Success, All Things Fee, Serendipity and Spice, Clair Justine, That's What Che Said, Huckleberry Love, Home Coming, Tip Junkie, Kammy's Korner, The DIY Dreamer, Nap Time Creations, Inside BruCrew Life, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Yesterday On Tuesday, Sugarbee Crafts,Three Generations Living Out Loud, savvy southern style, Gingersnap Crafts, It's Overflowing, Create With Joy, The NY Melrose Family, Oh My! Creative,Tilly's Nest, Naptime Is My Time, Mama Bzz, The Life Of Jennifer Dawn, This Silly Girl, Craftastic Moms, White Lights On Wednesday, Duck's N A Row, Janine's Confessions of a Mommyholic, Posed Perfection, Lambert's Lately, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, A Peek Into My Paradise, Miss Mustard Seed, Nancherrow, Funky Junk Interiors, Stylish Patina, My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, Jennifer Rizzo, One Project Closer, I Heart Naptime, The Cottage Market, By Stephanie Lynn, A Stroll Thru Life, Thrifty Decor Chick, Dwelling In Happiness, Bigger Than The Three Of Us, Boogieboard Cottage, Power Of Paint, Domestically Speaking