I was recently contacted via Facebook by the daughter of one of my regular blog readers (thanks again for that Wanda!) who had a couple of dressers she wanted to sell. She was conveniently located in Stillwater and the price was right, so I sent Mr. Q to pick them up on his way home from work.
The first one is a pretty french provincial dresser.
I decided to ease back into furniture painting slowly after my trip, and for me that means using Fusion paint. Compared to milk paint, or even chalk paint, Fusion is just so darn easy to use. It requires minimal prep, two quick coats of paint, and bam! You’re done. No need for a top coat.
Fusion recently shared a really great chart for determining how much prep your furniture needs before painting (be sure to pin this for future reference) …
My piece had a fairly glossy varnish on it to begin with so I followed that darker green route. I scuff sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and cleaned it well with TSP substitute. Then I just got out my brush and started painting.
I went with a two tone look starting with Fusion’s Little Speckled Frog, which is a pale minty green, on the body of the dresser and finishing up with Fusion’s Limestone, a warm creamy white, on the drawer fronts.
Fusion sent me a free sample of the Little Speckled Frog when they came out with their Tones for Tots line. It would be the perfect pale green for a nursery, but I think it works equally well on a piece for a ‘grown up’ don’t you? I wanted to go with a ‘pretty’ color on this piece and these two were the perfect combo!
Once the paint was dry, I hit the high spots with some sandpaper to distress the finish. Always remember to do this shortly after Fusion paint dries, if you wait too long the paint will cure and be more difficult to sand off.
I used my Little Billy Goat goat stick in Gold Leaf to brighten up the existing hardware (you can read more about goat sticks and how to use them here).
I didn’t add a solid coat of the gold, but rather just highlighted a bit here and there.
See what I mean about pretty? This is just such a pretty feminine piece with all of those curves.
This was a super easy makeover for a slightly dated piece of furniture. Now that I’ve got my painting mojo back, maybe I’ll tackle another milk paint project next!
This dresser is for sale locally. Please check out my ‘available for local sale’ tab for more info.
q is for quandie 
What is TSP substitute? The dresser is beautiful!
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TSP is trisodium phosphate and works great for cleaning, degreasing and deglossing a surface prior to painting it. But, it’s also a chemical that is toxic, bad for the environment, and bad for you (as I’ve mentioned before, products that require gloves, eye protection, and a mask are a no go for me). So I use TSP Substitute instead. It’s not quite as effective as the real stuff, but I find that it works great for my purposes. Here’s a great article from Bob Vila about using TSP. I buy Sunnyside brand TSP Substitute at Menards (if you’re local).
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Wow, the fusion paint really highlights those curvy drawer fronts much more than when they were au naturale. Great color combo as well, Quandie!
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Awwww, thanks hon!
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Beautiful as always! I love the colors you chose and the lines on this dresser are so pretty and feminine. Another job well done!
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Thank you!
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Stunning. I love fusion paint too! Stunning blues!
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Fusion is so easy to use for projects like this one. It’s always my go-to paint if I don’t want a chippy finish.
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Very nice!
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Thanks sis.
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Did it take 1 or 2 coats of Fusion Mineral paint?
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I did two coats of each color. I’m a stickler for getting good coverage and am rarely happy with just one coat of any paint.
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A huge improvement on this piece. It’s really pretty. I love the extra touch on the hardware too.
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Thanks Becky. I like adding a little extra bling to the hardware on these french provincial pieces!
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Beautiful! We have a new fusion dealer at our antique mall. I bought some several months ago on line and have not used it yet! I have a table I am going to use it on the legs. I have just been too busy to start it! You hit it out of the park with this one!
Blessings
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Thanks Shelly! Have fun with the Fusion paint, hope you like working with it as much as I do.
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As always, another great piece. iLife it!
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Thanks Ivory!
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Guess what
I have a feeling that I like this piece. What have you done to me. All kidding aside this is very lovely.
Betty from Ontario
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I’m not at all surprised that you like this one Betty! Now if I ever can get you to think one of the really chippy ones is lovely, that will be a shocker 😉
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