If you’re a purist, consider yourself warned regarding this dresser makeover.
I put paint on a 100+ year old dresser.
Now. I feel like I should preface this by saying that I do not feel the need to put paint on everything but I also don’t feel the need to keep something as is just because it’s old. That isn’t to say I’d turn a pristine 17th century bench into a garden planter but I don’t see the point in allowing a piece to sit in your attic or garage and not putting it to good use, especially if it’s a family heirloom.
This is Uncle Joe’s dresser. It sat in a garage until the veneer started to peel.
Of course, giving it away wasn’t an option. It was Uncle Joe’s. So it sat.
In the bedroom on the back left corner of the house with the yellow roof on Zetterower Avenue is where this dresser once lived. Uncle Joe’s room. This property, including the property where my client now lives, was part of a land grant to my client’s great, great grandfather from the king of England. So this dresser has a story and I love a good story.
First the bubbling, cracking veneer had to be removed from the drawer fronts and bottom front of dresser.
Luckily most of the missing pieces from the claw feet were stored in one of the drawers so I was able to build them back up with only a few missing pieces.
The bottoms of the drawers were bowed from moisture and age but I wanted to keep the dresser as original as possible. Fortunately I was able to clean them up, tighten up the bottom boards and straighten them out.
Then I added the paint and some new brass knobs and suddenly Uncle Joe’s dresser was transformed.
Add a little distressing for character and to hint at the great story it has to tell.
The dresser came with a mirror and this gorgeous frame. Instead of using the mirror I turned the frame into into a wire picture holder with some pretty fabric and brass wire.
So she can hang her treasured memories, perhaps a picture of Uncle Joe.
And while the feet, with their original wooden casters, aren’t perfect, they’re perfectly imperfect.
I don’t know about you but I kind of feel like Uncle Joe might be proud of his dresser these days. And my motto is, and always has been, if you don’t like it the way it is – revive it. Even if it’s old. Because, in the end, heirlooms belong in your home not in your attic or garage.
I have done an updated post on this piece. If you’re interested in find out how I did what, check out the Uncle Joe’s Dresser – The Answers to ALL Your Questions post.
Great job, Jamie, wish I had this piece.
lisa
I love this! I have an old dresser that needs to look better! Maybe this will help me get up the guts to do something about it!
This is an amazing makeover 🙂 Uncle Joe would love it!!!
It is truly awesome and Uncle Joe’s great niece loves it!
Aww I’m glad you do!! Thank you!!
I love what you did with the dresser, it looks great! I would rather have the mirror in the frame, just me! I think bunches of pictures just look cluttered, but like I said that is just me, but you did a Great Job, that was a lot of hard work!
I was just thinking about this topic yesterday while considering painting a piece that I have a love/hate relationship with. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you Lisa!! I wish it were mine, too!
You are too sweet Debbie! I adore you! Thank you!
I LOVE this piece and love that you shared the history! I LOVE LOVE the brass touches as well. Can you tell I love it? Love, Me
Thank you!! 🙂
Wow, when I saw your post I realized the dresser my friend gave to me son when he was younger to store his games, was the same dresser minus the mirror! Glad to know it still has a ton of potential…although I love it just as it is..yours is beautiful!
Lovie Hall
Germany
Love it!! What brand of paint did you use?
I would also love the brand/color of paint on this. I’ve been looking for this perfect shade of blue!
Well, I actually LOVE this dresser and came over here because someone pinned it or something…but now I think you MIGHT be the person I sat across from at dinner last night. I keep looking for a picture of you to double-check. Anyway, this probably sounds stupid if you have no idea who I am…but I still love the dresser.
Kirby did you get my reply via email?? It IS Me! LOL Isn’t a small word afterall? Love it!
I literally just sat and read your entire blog and now I’m feeling very inspired and do it yourselfy since I just moved into a new place and I’m super broke. Also I’ve decided this is my new favorite blog. 🙂
That is such a great compliment! I hope you enjoyed your read. Thank you so much!
Amen. I love a good transformation, especially when it’s with a piece of history that can be admired and talked about with the next generation because they can now see and use it. Great job!!!
Oh yeah, I’m totally following along now too.
Thank you so much!!
I’m loving following your stuff! It’s amazing.
Thank you!!
I love not only what you did with this piece but also your approach when dealing with old furniture. You’re so right that heirlooms deserve to be in your home, not stuffed somewhere in the attic or garage, wasting away with age. If something is special and worth keeping, then it is worth reviving. The paint is a new chapter for this piece. In another 100 years, someone else may repair it or dip it in vinyl or whatever space-agey thing they’ll be doing to old furniture in 100 years.
So glad to have met you.
And I’m dying to tag along on a thrifting trip with you, Kim & Debbie. You ladies are hard core deal hunters!
Thank you so much! I loved this story but truthfully I’m kind of thankful she told me afterwards. I would’ve been a bundle of nerves trying to work on it knowing it’s history ahead of time.
You can tag along ANYTIME! As a matter of fact we are planning a return trip to NC sometime soon. 😉
Jamie your talent is amazing and I love to read all about the story behind every great find! If only you were still local! ~Carla 🙂
I wish I were still local, too! You could do my parties! 😉
Thank you!
I love how you transformed this piece. What a great color and new use for the mirror is a great idea. Would love for you to join my wow party. So good to meet you at the conference.
Thank you Kim! I would party with you anytime!
could you provide a step by step instuction and supply list for this dresser please! please 🙂
A step by step would be awesome, but a supply/ brand specific list would be wonderful! Do you ever share that kind of info?!
Found your blog (and specifically this post) via Pinterest and the top 45 amazing DIYs of 2012. I have to say yours is a definite top one. I LOVE you choice of color and I love the piece all together with the claw feet and wooden casters. Beautiful!
That is such a wonderful compliment! Thank you!
I found you a The Ivy Cottage blog and just had to see how you fixed those claw feet! I have a VERY old buffet with a similar problem but I don’t have the missing pieces 🙁 you did a gorgeous job on this piece, it’s just stunning! I’m going to start following you! – Susan
Thanks so much for following along and for the compliment. And thanks to the Ivy Cottage for sending you my way!
Can I PLEASE get the color you used for this dresser? I am redoing one myself and NEED this dresser!
color*
Will you share the color on your blog or via email?
This is so pretty. Love the transformation. The brass colored knobs are perfect with the color you chose and I really like what you did with the frame. I’m pretty sure my parents have a couple dressers similar to this. I need to go check them out!
Wow!! I found your post on HomeTalk and clicked on it and it brought me here! I am glad I did!! I am curious tho, what kind of paint did you use or was it a stain? It seems perfectly thin and not painted looking!!! I am in the middle of a couple of projects and a FREE [we all LOVE that word…FREE!!] OLD table I am going to be refinishing this month…so ..if you could tell me…what paint did you use?! And one of the tables [$10 coffee table..Yahoo!!] has laminate or whatever you call it..on the top..so just peel it off and just sand?!! Thanks for sharing this!!!!!
What you, actually, have there is what they call a Lowboy.
from Encyclopedia Britannica
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/349795/lowboy
antiquarian term for a small dressing table with four or six legs and two or three drawers, resembling in some ways the lower portion of a highboy. Lowboy and highboy were often made to match. In the versions made until about 1750, the legs are joined by stretchers, but after that date they usually assume a cabriole shape.
I do not know, at the moment – sending email to Mom -, which family it came from on her side. I stripped it of 7 layers, PLUS antiquing! What a PAIN! But, loved working on something my other family had, too. I don’t even KNOW what they used before I was born (70) for antiquing. I painted it what I thought was to match cranberry. It’s not quite there. I, also, added new knobs and handles. White porcelain with brass. Yes, it was like ’92. I ended up using it as my son’s changing table! And, now, it’s time to change that nasty color. lol
I’m between Provence or Abusson. Your’s looks like Annie Sloan’s Abusson chalk paint. Or latex of the same color. – does that help, ladies?-
I have the original wooden caster wheels!! 🙂
I am SO SO sorry for another post!! They had painted the GORGEOUS top of the lowboy! WHY? The Shame! lol – just read your post of the dresser in your hall –
Would you please share the color used for this piece? I have tried several sample colors with little luck.
I have been struggling with the idea of painting the old mahogany/cherry pieces. You laid out the issue perfectly. I really appreciate your thoughts on that subject. Yes I guess I’m a “purist”, but if they’re not being used and especially if they’re getting in worse and worse shape, time to revive! I can do it now, I believe. Thank you. You did a truly lovely job on this particular piece.
This is beautiful. I wouldn’t have used the dresser as it was, but would adopt it in a second with the paint!
Saw this on my Pinterest feed and was curious about the color, since I have some dark blue projects coming up. What I love more, though, is what you had to say about painting vintage/antique pieces. I agree — no sense in being a purist if you’re not keeping something for its dollar value. Put it to use! Who cares what something is worth money-wise if it’s not of true value to you!
Hi,
Beautiful piece! And absolutely great colour! The perfect colour I have been looking for. As several others have asked what is the info on the paint: company, name and finish. Someone suggested it might be ASCP.
Thanks for your help,
Cathy
Absolutely love this piece. I have one very similar to it. I am in the process of refinishing and pinned this months ago. It is the perfect shade of blue. Will you please share the color ?