Pinterest Challenge
Posted by Brittney | Filed under Before & After
Our readers are a savvy bunch so I’m sure you all are on Pinterest and loving it as much as I do. If not, get your booty over there and get pinning. Pinterest is essentially a virtual pinboard. Instead of keeping all of you recipes, gift ideas, DIY projects as bookmarks on your computer (or printed out in a binder) you pin what you love on Pinterest. It keeps everything tidy in your designated categories (boards) with photos and hyperlinks back to the original source. Genius people, genius! You can follow my boards here. Anyhoo, some of my favorite bloggers issued a Pinterest Challenge.
In everyone’s zeal to pin everything and anything they realized that maybe we all were doing more pinning than projects. Hand raised, guilty as charged. So here I am, taking the Pinterest Challenge. One of my very first pins was a campaign dresser from Emily A. Clark.
Gorgeous, right? Here’s another brightly colored dresser by the Little Green Notebook that had my wheels turning.
As fate would have it, I stopped into the Salvation Army on my walk home from work last week and found my own little campaign dresser for $20. I was beyond thrilled. I think I squealed a little bit on my way home. After Matt graciously helped me load that beast into the back of the Elantra. Y’all, that thing has some serious hauling power.
So, here she is:
Grody, right? I took off all of the brass hardware and started scrubbing it down with Brasso. This method was working fairly well but I was getting kind of light headed from all of the fumes. These handles were really tarnished so I was kind of stuck in the kitchen with the fumes scrubbing away.
Then I had a light bulb moment. Doesn’t vinegar and salt do the same thing without the stank? I remember cleaning pennies in high school to prove this chemical reaction. Well, wouldn’t you know, it worked like a charm and was a lot less abrasive.
While the hardware was removed I wiped the entire dresser down and primed it with my handy Zinsser Stain Blocking Primer. I also filled a few minor cosmetic scratches with wood filler and gave the whole thing a light sanding before priming.
After slapping on the primer I really thought about keeping the dresser white (or black). As we all know, I do love a good neutral. I put my big girl pants on and said go big or go home. Matt and I were looking at the dressers above as well as Centsational Girl’s recent project for color inspiration.
We decided we wanted to stay in the blue/green realm of things this time so we picked up a quart of Sherwin Williams Oceanside and I was ready to slap some paint on this baby.
This picture was taken after the first coat. I almost had a nervous breakdown. Oh em gee. Have I painted my glorious campaign dresser an eye searing shade of turquoise? Luckily, once the second (third and fourth!) coats were added the color became much more muted and what we were going for. A collective sigh of relief from everyone!
I added two coats of wipe on polyurethane and added the hardware back to the dresser. I especially fell in love with the color when I added the newly spruced up drawer pulls. It’s like jewelry for the furniture! What do you think?
We’re still contemplating where this little guy should live. It’s a little short for a bedside table but I’m wondering if it works 100% in the living room.
Either way, we love our first foray in to the wonderful world of color. So tell me, are you Pinterest addicts too? Have you tackled a project that you’ve had on your to-do list forever?
Tags: Campaign Dresser, DIY project, Salvation Army purchase, Sherwin Williams paint, thrifting
August 2nd, 2011 at 7:00 am
Hot diggity! I didn’t even know what a campaign dresser was before reading this and now I’m all pea-green with envy over your find. I gotta hunt one down!
PS Welcome to Colorville!
August 2nd, 2011 at 7:15 am
Looks awesome! I recently painted a table/chair set for my son, and even used chalkboard paint (so much fun!)
August 2nd, 2011 at 7:27 am
It looks great!! I love it!
August 2nd, 2011 at 9:21 am
I LOVE it! Vibrant color.
August 2nd, 2011 at 1:02 pm
great job! i had been pining over campaign dressers too, and finally got one of my own. i’ve been debating painting it a peacock blue color, and i just might now!
August 2nd, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Way to step out and be daring, of course I love the blue. Now if only you didn’t live over 2500 miles away I’d be right over to help try him out in all sort of places around your sweet abode.
August 2nd, 2011 at 5:14 pm
It looks great! I bought my daughter a campaign dresser and bookshelf for her room, but the hardware doesn’t come off. Was wondering how you painted around the hardware on the top that had a decorative edge? I had a very hard time with mine (so much so that I haven’t tackled the bookshelf yet). I tried taping it, but the paint was a) running under the tape or b) not getting painted close enough to the hardware.
Thanks for any help.
Jane
August 2nd, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Wowzers!! That looks fantastic. I think I need to hunt one of those down and get to painting. Thanks for sharing!
August 2nd, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Awesome job! I did my own version a few months ago and I love ‘em! I also had a similar freak out after the first coat of paint…
http://thenestinggame.com/2011/05/31/campaign-nightstands-done/
Bar Keepers Friend works wonders on the brass and if you want replacement hardware, here’s a good source.
http://www.paxtonhardware.com/Campaign-Furniture-Trim/departments/1522/
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:17 am
That blue is to die for. I love it against your white sofa. I’ve been drooling over campaign dressers ever since I saw that same on from Little Green Notebook. I’m truly inspired now!
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:19 am
This is beautiful! I LOVE the color you chose. And yes, the cleaned up hardware totally pulls it all together and gives it a little bling
.
August 5th, 2011 at 12:11 am
What a transformation! Thanks so much for sharing. I have no room, but I want a dresser like that!
August 9th, 2011 at 7:40 am
Girl, you totally inspired me with this post! Honestly, I am trying to decide what to paint this desk my in-laws are giving me. It’s VERY white. I was thinking grey or maybe even a crazy turquoise.
Want to come and help when I’m ready? hahaha
Great blogging!
August 9th, 2011 at 7:40 am
Girl, you totally inspired me with this post! Honestly, I am trying to decide what to paint this desk my in-laws are giving me. It’s VERY white. I was thinking grey or maybe even a crazy turquoise.
Want to come and help when I’m ready? hahaha
Great blogging!
August 13th, 2011 at 6:47 am
AWESOME!! Love the dresser. looks great and I love the color. Another good job done!
April 4th, 2013 at 3:13 am
Did you sand the dresser first?
Did you put on a primer first?
How long did it take you?
What was the drying time?
Did you paint the inside too?
Did you paint the bottom of the dresser and the drawers
Sorry but I like a lot of details before I start a project which looks easy but might be work – not sure if I should hire someone or do it myself.
April 4th, 2013 at 3:16 am
Was the dresser real wood?
I believe that makes a big different when painting – yes?
I have two dressers I need to paint.
They are both compressed “wood” .
Thank You for your time!
April 4th, 2013 at 10:16 am
Hi Patty-
The dresser was real wood. You are right, it makes a huge difference! If it’s pressed wood you can’t really sand it much. I think younghouselove.com has a decent tutorial on refinishing veneered furniture.
- I did sand the dresser and used Zinsser primer (I let it dry overnight)
- I didn’t paint the inside of the drawers, they’re black and are in good shape.
- I let the paint dry 3 hours between coats (just follow the instructions on whatever paint you choose).
- This was a weekend project, I worked on it for a few hours each day and let it dry for another day or two before bringing it inside.
Good luck with your project!
April 4th, 2013 at 11:56 am
Thanks for answering my questions ! You are a doll!
I will let you know how my painting projects turn out!
Have a Fab!
Patty