No matter how long I’ve been doing this, I still seem to learn from every project…and in the case of this Boys Dresser, I actually learned two things: One, sometimes I picture things way differently in my mind. And, Two, you should really read directions. You’ll see what I mean as you continue reading on. For now, let me take you back to the beginning, when this cute and colorful dresser was plain white.
A dear friend of mine found this dresser at a garage sale last weekend and knew she could use it in her boys’ room. It had minor scratches, but was in excellent shape overall. More importantly, at $30 dollars it was a smokin’ deal.
Having seen her boys’ room before, I knew exactly how I wanted to paint it, and immediately got to work sanding. It didn’t need too much sanding; just enough to get those scratches out and rough up the surface a bit to give the paint something to hold on to.
I noticed a gap at the bottom of the dresser and used wood glue, wood putty, and a strong clamp to fix the problem before painting.
With everything all prepped, it was time to paint. In my mind, I pictured brightly colored drawer fronts in three different colors, with the body of the dresser a more neutral color, like beige to tone down all the other colors. I thought I could even distress the edges just a bit for a little added character. I could totally see it, so I got to work.
Everything was going great. After applying three coats of paint on each drawer, I distressed them by rubbing some charcoal paint on the edges.
I was completely satisfied and even feeling a little proud. Then I got to the dresser itself. I rolled on the beige. It was nice and smooth. You could no longer see where any of the scratches were. Again, I was pretty satisfied.
I painted the drawer knobs in the same beige color, knowing they would look great against the different colored drawer fronts. And once everything dried, I put it all together and…it looked fine. The problem was, I was going for better than “fine.” And the more I looked at it, the more “blah” it seemed. It was not at all what I had envisioned and I was completely disappointed. The drawers were so cute, but the beige did absolutely nothing for them.
Instead of a neutral backdrop, the drawers needed something bolder to make them pop. Then I remembered the deep blue paint my friend had brought over “just in case” I needed it. Duh! I held it up next to the drawers, and BAM! That was exactly what it needed! So, you guessed it, I repainted the dresser…and did so gladly.
What a relief! It now looked terrific! All that was left to do was apply the clear coat protective finish and call this piece done. I usually use a clear finish that comes in a spray can or a wax that you rub on with a cloth, but this time I used MinWax Polycrylic Finish.
I’ve used it before on smaller projects, but it had been a while. I knew I had to brush it on, which I did. So much, in fact, that I started noticing little bubbles forming.
That’s when I decided to read the directions and learned you have to be careful not to “over brush.” Thankfully, I was only three drawers in. But guess who had to go back and completely re-sand and repaint the drawers!?! ME! What a mess!
Thankfully, that was the last of my setbacks and I did learn something: When all else fails, read directions. Go figure!
All is well that ends well, and this Boys Dresser is more than “well.” It’s certainly more than “fine” for that matter. I think it’s fun and full of character! Now that it’s home, it looks like it’s been there all along!
