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Reality Daydream

The Dream is Free, The Hustle Sold Separately

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Raven’s Custom Dresser!

September 17, 2012 by Bethany Sy

So remember awhile back I mentioned that our girl Gina gave us an entire bedroom set that she wanted out of her basement? Well we just finished the last piece! BUT, to refresh your memory on the matter… HERE’S the post on the night stand, and HERE’S the post on the upright dresser!

And nowwwww, for this long/low dresser to finish things off! (Don’t mind all the power tools adorning it’s surface… we used it as a workbench for quite some time)

long low dresser

As you can see, there’s nothing really special about it. But it has good bones. And our faithful client, Brenda, was on the hunt for a dresser for her girl Raven’s bedroom. After sending her pictures, and corresponding back and forth about a design, Brenda decided she wanted the dresser white with a gray design… using this photo as inspiration for the design:

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via

Loving this idea, and excited to get right to work, we started by removing all the hardware and patching the holes with wood putty (this stuff is our fave).

patching hardware holes

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Brenda is wanting to put her own hardware on, and is willing to drill new holes, so we just sanded ‘er smooth and blasted ‘er with Kilz oil-base.

IMG_0717

Between priming and painting, we always lightly sand (with 220 grit) to knock down any crustiness left by the primer. We’ve found that this makes a big difference and makes our finished product ultra smooth and, well… awesome.

We painted the whole thing white using RustOleum White spray paint and let it dry overnight. Then we hauled this bad boy into our dining room for it’s detailed facelift!

P9112055

While studying our ‘inspiration photo’ Nick realized that the designs on the front are (waitforit) the letters ‘c and d’  of our Wingdings 2 font.

ORIGINAL

Ha! Don’t you love knowing that? I do.

We resized this image in Picnic so that it fit with the ratios of each drawer (3 ratios for 3 different size drawers), blew them up and printed them onto a transparency, and blasted the image onto each drawer with our overhead projector.

NOTE: I don’t know if every library still offers this service, but I called our local library in Marshalltown, IA out of curiosity, and they have an old-school overhead projector that they loan out FOR FREE. So check your library, it can’t hurt! Or if you just want to buy one, this one is an awesome value!!)

P9112064

I traced the design on with a pencil, and didn’t take a single photo of this process OR the painting of the design. Because Nick was away on business so I couldn’t sucker him into playing photographer. So you’re just going to have to picture it. Sorry? Yep, sorry.

P9152120

It took 3 coats in all, and we I just used the leftover gray paint from Marcy’s Dining Set.

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And then we sealed everything with water-based Polycrylic. (the oil base [polyurethane] is slightly more durable, but it leaves a yellowish tint, so on white furniture we always use the water base)

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I love how crisp and clean it is all dressed in white, and the custom the gray details provide. This baby is gonna look awesome with any color scheme!

raven's dresser1

Guess Nick is going to have to find another workbench to keep all his power tools… HA! He’ll live I think.

~Bethany

 

*this post contains affiliate links

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About Bethany Sy

Nick and Bethany Sy are the creative free-spirits behind DIY/Lifestyle blog, Reality Daydream. They recently purchased a historic mansion and have been documenting the ups and downs of renovation and making this home their own... all while sharing tips and tutorials along the way! When they found themselves in the trenches of infertility, they started a journey that would prove to be their most important DIY project ever, and have 3 beautiful girls to show for it. <3

« Welcome SHABBY APPLE!
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Comments

  1. 6

    Rebecca says

    September 25, 2012 at 1:07 am

    gorgeous dresser!

    Reply
  2. 7

    Lindz says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:47 pm

    This turned out incredibly beautiful. I LOVE IT.

    Reply
  3. 8

    Michelle@Somedaycrafts says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    Very cute. I am featuring your ombre dresser at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com and I am linking to your blog. You are very talented.

    Reply
  4. 9

    Cynthia says

    September 17, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    The scrolls remind me of a Christian fish
    super cute

    Reply
  5. 10

    Gina says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    Looks great! Nicely done once again!

    Reply
  6. 11

    Junkin Revival says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Absolutely love this technique! Awesome work!

    Reply

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We are Nick and Bethany! Welcome to our blog, Reality Daydream where we share our DIY adventures!
Click here for lots of art projects using only wood stain on furniture!!
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Attention: Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. Reality Daydream has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions of the plans on this website. Reality Daydream will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.

 

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