Old World Style Dresser

Hello everyone. It's been a while since I've written for the blog. My days have been super  busy lately with painting, writing, and adventuring with the hubs and the pup. Unfortunately, this good-kind-of-busy left me with little time to sit down and actually jot down some blog posts. Rest assured though-- I'm still out there crafting and writing. If you ever wonder what's become of us, give us a follow on Instagram @ampnabi for proof that we're still alive.

A recent Craigslist find had me whipping out my paintbrushes and paint cans for a quick furniture makeover. Last week, I spotted this old dresser for sale. I immediately knew that I wanted it, so a quick email chat ensued and I headed to the owner's home to pick it up. She informed me that the rickety old (and I mean old) dresser actually had belonged to her great-grandfather. She hated to part with it, but just truly didn't have any use for it. So, home it came with me!

My favorite thing about it? It still had all its hardware. So often I find beautiful pieces with beautiful hardware... just not all of it. When I saw that this dresser still possessed its knobs, I was super excited. Already, a vision was unfolding of what it be with a little elbow grease and a lot of chalkpaint.

Here's a glimpse of the "before"...

Beautiful, am I right?

I knew I wanted this antique piece to have an Old-World style. The words dark wax, dark wax, dark wax kept repeating like a mantra in my mind. But what color?

I kept it simple and went with colors I already owned: Old Violet (from our kitchen renovation) and Paris Grey (from my bedroom dresser makeover). The end result was awesome--even better than I anticipated--and surprisingly not that difficult.

Materials used:
Annie Sloan Chalkpaint- Old Violet
Annie Sloan Chalkpaint- Paris Grey
Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax
mineral spirits
paper towels
paint brushes
old rags (for buffing and waxing)

Because the dresser was pretty scratched up, I had to give it a pretty thorough sanding. Now, typically. with Annie Sloan products you don't have to sand or prep the piece. That general rule is still very true. The sanding step served only to create a smooth surface. Over the years, the dresser had sustained some dings, nicks, and scratches. I simply wanted a smooth surface on top.

After sanding the dresser top, I cleaned and dusted the entire piece. Now it was finally ready to begin layering my paint. First, a base coat of Old Violet and then a top coat of Paris Grey. To get the peek-through of dusky-blue, I utilized a wet-rag distressing technique, simply rubbing away the still damp grey chalkpaint. Then,  I distressed the entire dresser using a high-grit sandpaper. A final coat of Dark Wax served as the topcoat-- and gave the piece its "Old World" patina.

And viola!

I have to say-- I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. True to the power of chalkpaint, this dresser went from shabby and neglected to stylish and unique in just two days.

Have a chalkpaint or furniture DIY you want to share? Link in the comments below!