Grey Linen Cottage Dresser

I was minding my own business yesterday,

headed back to the store with my lunch

(on foot)

when I wandered into an antique shop along the way

Tarpon Ave is LOADED with antique shops

and this one in particular has been having a

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

sale for about a year 

There, amid all the glassware and smalls,

sat this cutie

Since it was only a few blocks from shop to shop 

(theirs to ours)

I grabbed our dolly and hoped for the best!

Happily, the dresser and I both made it back to our store in one piece!

(the old brick roads and narrow sidewalks are not dresser friendly!)

I hoped to preserve the wood top, but there was veneer damage and some deep stains

so I accepted the fact that it needed paint and got busy,

saving the top for last

(hoping for some sort of inspiration!)

The body is painted in Amy Howard Home's One Step Paint

in Luxe Grey (LOVE) and the details, as well as the two large drawers

are painted in Bauhaus Buff (also AHH)

There seems to be a misconception that One Step paint can't be distressed,

which clearly is NOT the case, as this piece has moderate distressing along the edges

One Step Paint doesn't unintentionally distress

(you know, like when you're buffing and the paint comes off the raised areas 

even though you didn't want it to?)

so you'll have to apply gentle pressure with a medium grit sanding block for this effect

(haven't tried other methods yet, will update as we do)

Instead of wax, I chose to finish this piece off with a glaze

Once dry, I gently sanded the surface for a weathered look

As I was sanding some paint off the lip of the top, I started LOVING

the look of the wood, just that frame around the top

so I taped it off before I painted the top of the dresser

then glazed the whole thing to add richness to the wood without making it look too "new"

(don't you think it looks sort of weird when the body is distressed and the top is all shiny and perfect?)

 (as you can see, the new drawer stops were added AFTER I took pics...OOPS!)

The hardware sort of disappeared against the wood, 

but now, it's showcased so beautifully

The mirror is also original, and has all the patina you'd hope for in a piece of it's age

I highlighted the layers surrounding the mirror for a bit of added detail

I'm head over heels in love with this dresser...it's a perfect fit for my home

if only it actually FIT somewhere in my home...isn't that always the trouble?

Alas, you can find this piece in our Etsy Shop