From Drab to Dapper

Dapper is the first word that came to mind when I finished flipping this dresser found last week:

First - I found this piece the same day that Cate shared her Hairpin Legged Map Chest. I was so inspired by her flip that I snatched this one right up, (although mine is not a map chest; the drawers are deep wannabees)! I really wanted to do this in a rich tone which is not an inclination I typically have, (maybe I was channeling my inner Cate in more ways than one!) But there is something so suave about this hunter green ('Secluded Woods' by Behr), paired with brass; it makes me think of my husband when he's lookin' sharp! (Always) 

But this flip was anything but snappy! By first look I figured it would be easy enough to remove the scalloped piece at the bottom of this thing. And it was:

Okay, so this photo shamefully portrays how horribly out of order I do some things. I did remove the scalloped trim first, but then I painted away and added the hardware before I solved my biggest problem: What next?

I shared this photo with Cate telling her my latest flip and I had some major unfinished business to tackle together. And boy, did we! This shot doesn't show the magnitude of what was underneath but it took me several days and sleepless nights to finally figure out how to deconstruct the underpart of this dresser without ruining it. After solving the puzzle we gave our friend here a new base:

Now I could add the sleek legs I'd imagined when I saw this piece in the thrift store!

Oh - and a chair lying in a heap outside a thrift store found me. But that's a story for another day.

While 'dapper' is how I would describe this piece I wanted to style it with a more feminine presence and contrast that green with something sweet - peach! Hunter green and peach are a favorite combination at any time of the year, but seem especially fresh in the Spring. If a pastel palette doesn't work for you, try mixing deep rich tones with softer colors at the opposite side of the color spectrum. I found just the colors I was looking for during an early excursion to Trader Joes where I had the first pick of the days' stock:

My jolly green pal here is now available for sale to DC area locals!
45.75"L x 32"H x 17.5"D
$350
Please contact me at chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested in this piece or a similar custom order!

Thank you guys for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

A Vvvvery Interesting Piece, Indeed

Hi friends! I posted this stack of pieces the other day that we collected after a particularly lucky weekend on Craigslist a few weeks ago. I've already shared how the mid-century cabinet in the middle turned out, and how Shire flipped those accent tables on top. If you're an Instagram pal you may have seen a teaser of that bottom piece already. Well here it is, done and ready for a new home!

I really wanted this piece to be something unique when it was finished. It didn't need hardware as there is a deep lip underneath each drawer for easy opening and closing, but even before I began painting it just seemed to fall a little flat. As soon as I saw it I wanted to add some visual interest here. I sketched a few things out on paper, and while my drawings are at the artistic skill level of a 1st grader, seeing them side by side made the decision easy!

There was just something about these 'V' pulls that was so unique, but not in a 'what in the world are those' kind of way, (unless I'm missing something). So I measured out some 3/8" wood trim and cut all the pieces I'd need. Each individual pull is made up of two pieces, which you can see below. My '1' marked pieces were 4", and my '2' marked pieces were 3.6". I made 9 pairs in total, one for each drawer.

I used a very small nail to tap the pieces together as shown. It didn't really matter that they be attached well at this point, since I would ultimately attach both pieces to the drawers. At first I thought I would attach the pieces to the drawers facing down, as shown below. I didn't hate it but wanted to see both ways. I really loved the pieces opening upward; I can't explain why, but it just looked better!

Gentle distressing, (with my go-to tool, a medium grit sanding sponge), along all the edges and corners of the piece brings out the shape and lines without being too distracting.

Now available for sale!
66"L x 29.5"H x 18"D
$625
Contact chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested in this piece of a custom order like it!

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Hairpin Legged Map Chest ||2016 Flip List Item No.6||

*OCD Alert!* I warned you I'd once again be tackling my furniture flip bucket list out of order.  If you are prone to severe OCD tendencies, this series may not be for you.  I'll give you a courtesy buffer so you can jump ship before I jump right in...

5...4...3...2... Still with me? 1  

Well ok then!  I'm glad to see you've decided to stick around.

For those of you who don't know, every January I like to informally declare some DIY projects I'd like to tackle for the year.  And I infamously go out of order (or even run out of time - ahem *bakersrack*).

Here's what I set out to do last year (in order of completion):
No.6 - White chippy dresser 
No.5 - Best vintage chart hack
No.7 - Turn a swivel chair into an accent chair 
No.4 - Navy and gold dresser
No.3. - Rivet something
No.2 - Wood shim surface treatment 
No.1 - Build my own baker's rack (still pending ;)

Here's what I've set out to do this year (in order of original post):
No. 1 - DIY a baker's rack (because I didn't last year)
No.2 - Reupholster a chair
No.3 - Build a chandelier
No.4 - Grow-up my abstract art
No.5 - Jewel toned dresser
No.6 - Hairpin Legs
No.7 - Creative hardware

And true to form, this year I started with item No.7, and here I am a week later introducing you to item No.6.

You dazzled?!?!  No?  Well that's probably because this is what it looked like when I found it.  Let me try again: 

This flip list item didn't actually start with the map chest, it began with a weird $5 table painted like a football.  You heard me right - a football.  But I had no purpose for a 10" tall table with a laminate oval top but I did have use of the table's hairpin legs...  Once I had the legs I wanted, it was a matter of finding a suitable new top.  I new I wanted to make a storage piece so I started trolling wooden pieces with a vintage flare.  

I stripped the chest's orangey stain and went with a weathered wood look that would play up the vintage vibes my hairpin legged vision was going for.

Since he's a petite piece, I kept the styling minimal (I know - not usually my "collectionism" style).  I went with two simple vases and a brass seed pod from target encased within a little cloche.  The pant-hanger art is a traced Picasso line-drawing (hope you don't mind Pablo!).

If you are OCD and still reading, your supreme attention-to-detail skills may recognize the original knobs from the fugly twins.  I kept them for a less eyeballesque layout like the two columns on this piece.  They are real porcelain and truly vintage plus I liked the scale for such skinny little drawers.

Thank you again to my type-A personality friends who've been putting up with my crazy scatter-brainedness.  I'd like to think I'll do better next time but who am I kidding...

Please still accept me despite my faults ;)

Map Chest with Hairpin Legs
20"W X 17"D X 39"H
Price: $265 SOLD