Antique "Layer" Dresser

This dresser was a great estate stale find from back in Spring of this year.  I wanted to try a more masculine look with this piece and also wanted to experiment with a layering technique, in which I started with a base coat of paint, and then used different finishing products to create a rich, textured finish.

Here a few before pics:

Two interesting characteristics that drew me to the dresser were the double table top:

And the fact that the top layer of wood veneer was peeling back:

I decided to remove the remaining veneer and stain the top of the dresser only, while painting the bottom. Removing the veneer required lots of time and patience, as well as gloves, a hammer and a putty knife. After slowly chiseling away at the top and carefully removing all of the veneer, I filled in any holes with wood filler and sanded everything down.  The top was then stained in a deep espresso stain and left to dry.

I wanted to try my hand at acrylic on this piece and I choose a beautiful color from Paint Couture's line of water-based acrylic paints.  The shade is Amber and it floats somewhere between sandy brown and gold. Two coats did the trick while the color was pretty, I didn't feel I should settle for a clear topcoat and call it a day.  So I decided to try a glaze from Paint Couture's glazing line, cleverly named, you guessed it, Glaze Couture.  Their glazing products are water-based and super simple to use, just paint on and wipe off.  The glaze was pretty but standing back and looking at the piece, I still felt something was missing.

So I left the dresser to sit for a while.

We're talking weeks and weeks.

And the one day, while bumming around my garage and noticing, for the umpteenth time, the dresser sitting there, decided to try some dark wax on top of the glaze.  It was perfect. Kismet.  Exactly what the piece was missing. I used Maison Blanche's Dark Wax and just painted it on with a chip brush, concentrating on small areas.  I let the wax sit for 5 minutes before wiping it off with a lint-free cloth.The result was an aged look to the paint finish, with underlays of shimmer and gold.

I had some old, antique pulls from another dresser project and decided to use them for this piece.  I used silver polish to remove some of the patina and buffed them with a lint free cloth, to bring back some of their shine.  Once the pulls were in place, I used my finger to apply small amounts of an awesome product, again from Paint Couture, called Gilding Wax.  This stuff is basically lip gloss for your furniture.  You can use this wax to add depth, sparkle and texture to furniture, cabinets, hardware, etc.  Awesomeness.  Go ahead, take a look:

So there you have the story of my little antique dresser that could.  I love the rich finish provided by the glaze and wax layers and hope this piece can find a Happy home in the future!

Quick Decorative Vase DIY

Today's post involves a quick, DIY project anyone with a little tape and spray paint can accomplish, and in less than an hour too!

As one of the last pieces to my Living Room Redo, this little project adds the perfect amount of shine and shimmer that my Happy little space needed!  If you've been on Pinterest lately, and let's face it, who hasn't spent at least an hour glued to your phone/computer/laptop/etc, Happily pinning away... you may have noticed how much the gold trend is showing up in home decor and accessories.  I LOVE the gold dipped look for accent pieces and I think this look is very fresh and polished and can be used for any decorative item in your home.  Table legs, vases, lamps, frames, the list goes on and on. In this case, I choose a small, circular vase I've had for years that holds beautiful silk roses and dried hydrangea leaves. I used Rustoleum spray paint in Metallic gold for an even and quick application. Here's a pic of the vase before:

Here are the steps:

1.  Choose your vase.  Scuff the surface with a fine grit sandpaper; in this case I used a 120 grit.

2.  Tape off the section that you do not want painted.  I used Frog tape and tried to make as even a line as possible.  Once I had all of my tape in place, I used my finger to firmly seal the tape edge so that no paint could leak through during application.

3.  Prime the vase.  I made sure to prime the vase using a Rustoleum primer in Flat White.  I've found that using a primer allows for a more even finish and allows the metallic spray to adhere perfectly to the surface. Once the primer dried, I applied to coats of the metallic paint.  Again, used Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint here and I have to say, this is my favorite metallic paint ever.  In the history of metallic paint.

4.  Seal your vase.  After 2 hours of drying time I applied one coat of a spray gloss sealant to provide a durable, protective finish.  Once the paint and gloss had completely dried, I removed the tape slowly and carefully so as to not disrupt the paint edge.

The result was a unique, updated accessory for my living room and it did not cost a penny!  Can't beat a Happy little vase for a Happy little living room now, can we?

Let me know what you think of the new gold accent trend in the comments below!  

And, as always, have a Happy day!!!