I wish I had taken pictures during the process but I did not, soo I will do my best to explain the steps. As you can see from before, it was a plain wooden dresser. I knew I wanted a super distressed turquoise look and i’m very pleased with how it turned out.
First: Clean it/wipe it down
Second: Take off the hardware
Third: I lightly painted the entire piece with a light brown latex paint. I didn’t go heavy or worry about full coverage because that was the look I was going for. Brown paint: Farell-Calhoun Interior Eggshell Latex / Color: Noble Crown
Fourth: I had read that rubbing Vaseline on furniture before you painted made it super easy to sand/distress once the paint was dry. So I tried it… BUT warning, a little goes a long way. In some places I put way too much Vaseline and actually had to go back and paint over it again, wait for it to dry, and sand again. I simply rubbed a little bit of Vaseline in little or big places all over the dresser where I wanted to distress it. Then let it dry for a little bit. I didn’t apply the Vaseline before painting the light brown because I did that coat so lightly I knew I could still sand down to the original layer.
Fifth: I painted over the light brown paint with the turquoise latex paint. I just did one coat and let it dry. Turquoise paint: Farell-Calhoun Interior Eggshell Latex / Color: Pleasant Steam
Sixth: Sanding time. I used sand paper and started sanding the areas I could remember I had rubbed Vaseline on. If I just wanted to expose the light brown underneath I would barely have to sand. If I wanted to expose the natural wood I sanded a little bit harder. I loved how some areas looked more worn than others because of the painted layers.
Seventh: I usually hate the hardware that’s on old pieces but this hardware was so simple I thought I could save it. I used Rustoleum Oil Bronze Spray Paint and it turned out great. I have since then used the same spray paint on countless jobs and I am pleased with how well it holds up. I didn’t even sand/roughen the hardware up before like some recommend.
Eight: I didn’t seal the piece at all, but I would at least recommend sealing the top of the piece to prevent it from getting scratched up. Mine has been used for three years and moved about five times and I only have a few scratches on the top. For dark pieces i would recommend a polyurethane and you can choose your sheen (how glossy/shiny you want it to appear). For light colored pieces I would recommend a polycrylic because it will less likely yellow
Ninth: To freshen up the inside of the drawers I put faux wood grain contact paper in them. If your drawers are in great condition then there’s really no need for it, but a few of mine didn’t look as clean as I would have liked them to.
Tenth: Fill up the drawers and enjoy!
