Please Pass the Grey Poupon!

As promised, here are the before and after pictures and details of this awesomely heavy 7 drawer dresser!


Not long ago, I saw this desk listed on Craigslist.  I thought it was priced a little higher than I normally like to pay but, it looked solid and was a great size.  I called and set an appointment with a nice older lady and went to check it out.  I had every intention of asking her to go down a little on the price if it was even worth getting at all.


"Nona" was blind in one eye, walked with a cane and explained how "Papa" had recently retired with plans of finally spending time in his workshop.  As we walked towards through the yard, she explained that they were selling some of the furniture because after having a sudden heart attack in Wal-Mart (while getting canning jars for her to put-up the last of the okra) they just didn't think he'd be able to work in the shop after all.  Done deal...the desk was going home regardless of what it looked!


The desk was in pretty good shape and has to be one of the heaviest desks I've ever had to lift!  It is solid and well built.  There were a few places where the vaneer was lifting off but it wasn't chipped or missing so, that was an easy fix.  I sanded, primed, and then painted with one of my new Ooops! paints that I'm calling Dijon!  It just seemed like the perfect color to help bring Spring on and capture all the details of the desk.  I outlined the drawers in black to add a little pop.

After painting, I very slightly distressed it around the drawers and on a few places that would obviously get rubbed on like the knee hole, the front corners of the top, and the outside corners.  The yellow still looked a little too bright for my taste so I glazed it all over with a glaze/stain combination and then finished it off with paste wax.

Now it was time to accessorize!  Although I liked the look of the big round knobs, I really wanted to use some leftover fabric for the drawers and thought some ceramic black knobs I had in my stock pile would help pull it all together.  Done!

Probably not the finish "Papa" had in mind but, I'm sure glad to have met them.  As a side note, he is walking, talking very well, and working hard at a full recovery!  

Have a great Sunday!

Lisa