Timeless custom grey dresser

Hi guys! I'm excited to kick off the week with a hot-out-the-garage newly refinished dresser. Dressers are my favorite. <3

When I acquired this one I didn't have a specific plan of action in mind. I kicked around a few ideas but it really wasn't until I took an afternoon to spend working on the piece that I finally decided on a look.

Classic. Elegant. Sophisticated. Timeless.

Those were the words that came to mind when I stood there looking at this dresser before even pulling out my paintbrush. It's got beautiful lines with classic details and I really wanted to keep the character intact. I decided on a soft, neutral color, (50/50 Paris Grey + Old White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint), and used the original hardware, which I just think is so lovely. I'm not opposed to changing out hardware and have done so on many pieces, but sometimes these old brassy pulls look so elegant to me, especially when backed by a soft neutral white, grey, cream or khaki.

It's been a while since I've worked my hand over some dentil molding. What a sweet and sophisticated detail!

I used a light touch when distressing this one. I just wanted to highlight the lines of the body and drawers.

SOLD
{50L x 31W x 17H}

Thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

~Before and After~ Antique table

Hi guys! I was so grateful for the opportunity to work on this piece this week so I could show you before the weekend! The transformation is one of my favorites.

This table came from my grandmother, Mamoo. She's had it in her garage for years as a spot to keep all her gardening tools. The first time I saw it I loved it. While simple, it's still a unique piece which could be used several different ways; and I tend to gravitate toward versatile pieces. When Mamoo told me she was cleaning out the garage and generously offered it to me, I couldn't wait to get started!

Here is her table before:

After:

I sanded all the paint off the table top and stained it in Ebony by Minwax Wood Finish, (see the end of the post for a staining tip). Then I painted over the rest of the piece in Old White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. For these legs, steel wool was my distressing tool of choice to reveal some peeks of the original green, which is just so pretty. 

Once removing the layers of paint from the top I noticed tons of imperfections in the wood. The wonderful and horrible thing about using a super dark stain such as this is that any imperfections will make the tone of the wood look uneven. In this case, it was a wonderful thing. I think the table top looks like it was made from salvaged, weathered pieces of wood. Yet, it's smooth as a baby's bottom, making it an ideal spot for some handwritten notes, (people still do that these days, right?)

I've never seen pull-out table leafs like these. They fit perfectly under the table and pull out with ease. One could get pretty creative in how they use those extra 9" per side. 

You can see here how the leaf tucks right back in when not needed.

SOLD

Staining Tip: I don't brush stain on, I wipe it on using paper towels, (so I don't have to spend my whole day running cloths through the laundry to remove the stain, which gets messy). I start by rubbing the stain on in circular motions to really 'sink' it into the wood, then follow that with even back and forth motion.

And as usual on a Friday, here are some highlights from our week :)

Enjoying the Anthropologie "bird house city" window display with my little bird.

3 fountain wishes. Ok, this shot of Mason, (middle), is killing me. What a goof!

Speaking of Mason, he and I had our first ever time out alone with each other. He was born into a chaotic household, (the twins were 16mo), and did a beautiful job jumping right into the thick of it with the rest of us. But I soaked up my time alone with him like a sponge. His gusto and thirst for adventure is contagious and sometimes I need a good dose of that!

Sometimes we all just need to be alone.

And speaking of alone, this is where I found my precious little introvert the other day when he wasn't downstairs playing with his siblings. Chillin in his room making matchbox car traffic, as usual. I am so blessed by his sweet, gentle heart.

Thank you all so much for reading! Have a lovely weekend!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Royal blue parlor chairs

I couldn't help myself. This set of 4 turn-of-the century blue velvet parlor chairs just seemed like an appropriate project for this week as the exciting news of a little prince made its way across the pond. 

These chairs came with the blue velvet loveseat that I posted last week and are upholstered in the same fabric.

Before:

After: 

I painted two thick coats of Paris Grey and dry-brushed a thin coat of Old White, both by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. See my dry-brushing tip at the end of this post.

SOLD

Painters tip: Dry-brushing is a great way to achieve a weathered, layered look with your paint. Make sure your first color goes on thick. Then for your top color, just dip the very tip of the brush in the paint and wipe off the excess across the edge of the paint can. Cover small areas at a time with your brush, moving back and forth swiftly and evenly.

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.