First Craigslist Makeover!

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Okay, so I have become a major Craigslist JUNKIE! There is no 12-Step program for this addiction yet, so in the mean time I will enjoy basking in the delightful high that you can only get from buying furniture a-la cheap!

So, please meet sad dresser #1 that I scored for only $30!!!! The owner wanted it no mas and I was glad to take it to a loving home. The look on my hubby’s face was priceless when I said I wanted to buy it! But deep down inside I knew he had FAITH. I apologize for not having a picture with the hardware on it, but I did get a close-up of those tarnished old things.

You can see all the scratches on the surface of the dresser.

First thing’s first – I removed all of the hardware and sanded it. It had received a little wear and tear over the years and even though I was not able to take all of the scratches out, I made it look MUCH better.

After a TON of research on the web and bombarding my local Home Depot paint sales clerk I primed it using the best primer out on the market: Zinsser Cover Stain Oil Based Primer. Note: You can prime a piece of furniture with oil-based primer and then paint over with latex paint, but you CANNOT prime with latex primer and then paint with oil-based paint. Comprendes????

This is what the can looks like. I gave the piece 2 coats and gave it a light sand once it was dry.

I will also add that the products I list here are products I have read about, tried out and have come to like. I am not being paid to advertise – I am just sharing with you the products that I have used and have come to prefer.

Back to business… Okay so I am really into grays, blues and light greens and I found the perfect shade of grayish blue: Antique Silver Premium Interior Paint by Glidden. I chose a semi-gloss because I wanted a smooth easy-to-wipe surface with a little bit of shine. I did 3 coats of this just because I really wanted a thick and smooth surface.

One tip: I use this product called Floetrol – it is a paint conditioner and it comes in an orange bottle. This can only be added to latex base paint. It is supposed to make the paint much smoother and reduce brush marks. It also allows the paint to dry in a much slower time (in case you are painting in your garage in the middle of summer!).

This helps when the paint is really thick too, which is usually the case with enamel paint. If you want a good paint job, then use this with your paint – TRUST ME. See inventory below!

Tools: I used a 4” foam roller. You don’t need a big one since drawers aren’t really wide. They cover well and they apply paint better than a paintbrush since they don’t leave streaks. For the corners and crevices I use the small foam brushes that are CHEAPO (both shown below).

Always remember to allow at LEAST 24 hours for your paint to cure. NEVER rush or you will spend twice the time fixing what you did wrong. It can get very tempting to rush, but DON’T DO IT. The end result will be so worth it if you just wait!

The final step for the dresser paint was to add a sealer. I used Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Projective Finish in Clear Semi-Gloss (also shown above). I wasn’t sure how much “traffic” this piece was going to receive, but I did want to make sure it would take a lot of wear and tear so I did 2 coats of the sealer.

NEXT came the hardware. I REALLY wanted to restore the brass knobs, but after over 20 hours of backbreaking buffing and several failed attempts to strip the tarnish with chemicals, I learned I was getting nowhere fast… so I said FORGET THIS!

I raided my spray paint stash and pulled out some Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Projective Finish in Clear Semi-Glossand spray painted the crap out of them! Then AFTER letting them dry for 24 hours I used Krylon Short Cuts Gold Leaf Spray Paint. I ended up using about 3 cans, but it was worth it. Check it out!!!!

Here is a close-up of the hardware….

I currently have this in my dining room and it doesn’t go with the wall art, but here is what it looks like from afar (I am also learning how to take better pictures with my Nikon, so bear with me!).

I just can’t help myself! Here is another angle! I love the Modernized French Provincial Style -totally me!

I am very proud of this piece. Hope you enjoyed! I have about 14 other pieces in my garage waiting for a face-lift and I can’t wait to share the transformations with you.