Confessions of a Gilded Dresser

Inspiration is a wonderful thing…Good design is always based on inspiration…    Sometimes you are on a design path and you take a right or left turn…in that case I know that something along the way changed my inspiration…

Painting is like design in that you start with an inspiration and then work in that direction…adjusting as the piece you are working on speaks to you…

The trio of pictures following was my inspiration for a dresser that I am just finishing up painting with products from the PaintCouture – The Collection™.

 

Ok, here is the dresser….BEFORE…it was a nice old dresser painted blue and the drawers were whitewashed.  It was dirty from sitting around so I cleaned it with TSP really well.

Before I started painting the dresser I painted up a sample using the paints and glazes that I decided were going to achieve the look I wanted based on my inspiration…I chose the below Paint Couture™ products: Vintage Moss, Brilliant White, Lite Brown Sugar Glaze, and Pale Gold Metallic Paint and here is how they looked on the sample I painted.

So loving the way this frame turned out!  I love finishes that have depth and look “vintage” – with a little of the dirt of age on them…ha!   I couldn’t wait to start work on the dresser.  It’s funny but this is one case where I never deviated from my inspiration…it was soooo clear where it was going!

First I painted everything with the Vintage Moss.  After 24 hours I dry brushed the piece with Brilliant White.  I then used the Paint Couture Embossing Medium and stenciled on some designs.  This always takes some time because you have to plan your stencil layout.  I used parts of two different stencils.  After drying the PC Embossing Medium I laid my stencil back over it and applied PALE GOLD – Paint Couture’s beautiful metallic paint! (one of their many metallics)

The combination of the BRILLIANT WHITE and the PALE GOLD gives this dresser a metallic gleam…it sparkles!

Next I glazed everything with Paint Couture’s Lite Brown Sugar.  It’s such a pleasure to work with – very creamy.  I happen to be a light glazer…I would rather put it on and take it off and then glaze it again.  I feel very much in control when I work this way.  You can always go darker!

You can see the French Polynesian Pink PC peaking out on the sides of the drawers…I love the pink with the Vintage Moss…I decided not to the glaze the pink – it is less subtle and I love the contrast it creates of the Bright against the Aged!

After thoroughly letting my piece dry I applied a 2nd coat of Lite Brown Sugar Glaze.  This really deepened the finish on the dresser.  It’s very rich!

The Brilliant White reminds me of fairy dust and the Embossing Medium painted with Pale Gold makes this very ordinary dresser a piece of art.

Because I am impatient…I didn’t want to wait for new hardware. I didn’t really love the hardware that was on the piece originally but I decided to play with it to see it I could get to like it.  So I planned my embossed stencil to enhance the hardware.  I painted the hardware with Brilliant White, then Pale Gold, then glazed it and applied little crystals.  I then hung it upside down to change the look of the design.  I love it!  It’s so not typical!

When I have paint on my brush I often look around for something else to paint since I have a paint can open and a dirty brush.  The PALE GOLD was open and I had a little pedestal.  It almost became my problem child.  I knew the pedestal had wax on it so I had cleaned it earlier with mineral spirits and then TSP’d it.   Woe is me.  It wasn’t enough!

After I painted it with the Pale Gold it just didn’t feel right – I knew it was going to peel.  So I sanded it down and of course there was still wax on it…sigh…curse…

I had some Mylands Sanding Sealer so on Mike’s advice (The Father of Paint Couture) I brushed on the Mylands.  WOW.  It.Worked.Great.  I put it on over the remnants of the Pale Gold and after it dried you could just feel that the paint was going to be o.k.

I actually liked the way the pedestal looked all chippy and messy and now that it felt right too…it almost had me making one of those left design turns…humph…should I leave it that way????  But in my heart I knew that the really messed up look would not appeal to most customers.  Here it is in all its chippy glory…

I ended up having to clean that brush and put away the paint while the Mylands dried and I considered what to do.  This must be my week for not deviating from plan…I ended up brushing on more Pale Gold, Embossed a stencil on top, Brilliant White went on the stencil only….then finished with BLACK WALNUT GLAZE all over…(my favorite Paint Couture™ glaze).  Pale Gold with Black Walnut gives a very beautiful, deep and rich metallic finish.

I made the right decision.  Its very beautiful and elegant and all it needs is a glass of wine sitting on it next to a comfy chair.

Come learn to create your own masterpieces at one of our Paint Workshops at The Whistling Elk.  You will learn all the techniques described in this post and you will have fun!