the rustic teal dresser.

Published on by Quandie

As promised, today I’m sharing the makeover of one of the dressers I purchased at an estate sale last week.

And be sure to read to the end because there’s a giveaway!

But first, the dresser.

I’m sure that some of you may be looking at that photo and thinking that this dresser didn’t even need a makeover.  But ‘before’ photos can often be misleading.  You can’t see the dings and scratches on the top of the dresser.  And then there’s the fact that I simply don’t like this style of veneer work.  It’s just not ‘me’.  It’s a personal preference thing.

So lets start with prep.  Once again I stripped the top of this dresser using Citristrip.  Next I sanded the entire piece lightly and then wiped it down with a wet cloth.  Then I painted the body of the dresser using two coats of Dixie Belle’s Stormy Seas.

I just happened to have that color on hand and it was an excellent companion for the Rustic Teal transfer from Prima Marketing’s re.design line.

Once the paint was dry, I added the transfer to the areas on the drawer fronts that were ‘framed’ out.

I’m not gonna lie, I struggled a bit with this one.  I simply wasn’t being patient enough.  I think I got a little cocky.  I’ve done so many of these transfers and I was thinking to myself that I could just whip this up in no time so I forgot to make sure my transfer was fully adhered before I pulled the backing away.

Fortunately I think the background color of my dresser was similar enough to the background color of the transfer so that it’s not a glaring issue.  I sanded the transfer lightly all over with some 220 grit sandpaper to give it a more distressed look overall which I think also helped.  I then used Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in Clear over both the transfer and the paint.

I left the hardware alone this time and simply cleaned it up with soap and water and put it back on.  Aren’t these drawer pulls pretty?

After stripping, cleaning and then sanding the top smooth I simply added a coat of Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in Brown and gave it a quick buff.

My handyman/neighbor Ken helped me re-attach the mirror at that point and we both agreed that it’s unlikely that this mirror is original to the dresser.

It just seems too narrow for the piece.  Plus there are extra screw holes on the wooden braces that don’t match up with anything on the back of the dresser.  Nonetheless, I painted it to match and will include it with the dresser.  The future owner will have the option of using it or not.

For my staged photos I balanced out the mirror and dresser by hanging those two adorable vintage kids chairs that I shared on Monday on either side of the mirror.

You know my decorating motto, whenever I have something cool and I don’t know what to do with it I hang it on the wall.

And now for the fun part.  I’m giving away two of the Rustic Teal transfers.

Each one comes with three sheets inside that are 22″ wide x 10″ tall each giving you an overall size of 22″ wide x 30″ tall.  Since I needed two sets to complete this dresser, I thought it would be most appropriate to have one winner who will get both sets.  Just in case whoever wins wants to also use them on a wider dresser like this one.

The basic rules:  to be eligible to win the transfers leave a comment on this blog post.  Your comment must be left on the blog, not on Facebook or Instagram.  You are not required to follow my blog, although it would be awesome if you did!

I will randomly draw the name of a winner from all of the comments left on this post by Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the stroke of midnight (U.S. central time).

The fine print: no purchase necessary, you must be 18 years of age or older to win, void where prohibited by law, the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning, if the prize is not claimed by Friday, November 2, another name will be drawn at random to win, blah, blah, blah.

Good luck!

And P.S., this dresser is for sale locally.  Remember to check my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details if interested.

110 thoughts on “the rustic teal dresser.”

  2. It’s beautiful!! Have been in such a slump doing furniture facelifts…..haven’t had any enthusiasm since April. This piece makes me want to get started again. I’v Never used transfers but they really do make a beautiful transformation. You do lovely work and I am always excited to get your emails.

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  5. The colour and transfer work perfectly on this piece! But I also love the kids vintage chairs on the wall, I wouldn’t have thought of it but I like the effect! Would love to see a blog post with some staging tips, should you ever feel the urge… 😊

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    1. That’s a great idea Sarah! I was just telling Mr. Q that I need to come up with some blog post ideas that don’t involve finishing an actual piece of furniture. With our trip coming up I’m gonna need some filler posts.

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  12. Linda,
    You have done it again! So beautiful! I would like to try these transfers! I have a bed that would look really cool with this particular one! Thank you for this chance to win!

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. Can’t believe how closely the transfer matches the paint color you had. Looking at lots of pictures to see what I might be able to do with a veneered small wardrobe I use for sewing supplies – once I get furniture rearranged for my mixed media supplies. One door has a cracked & bubbled veneer problem, but hope my instructions for repairs will work. Following your blog now so I can learn more!

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  22. I’ve never seen your work before but I can tell from just one post that you’ll be someone I’d like to see more of. I love absolutely everything about this piece.

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  24. I love this dresser!!! Your workmanship (or is it workwomanship) is amazing. Like you, I dislike the veneer on this era furniture. A little too busy for my taste.
    Thank you for sharing your ideas, q-tips and giveaways.
    Vanessa

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  25. I just adore your style, follow you faithfully, admire your hard work, and would love to win one of those or (2) transfers! Thanks for sharing your expertise with us’

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  28. GORGEOUS! What a transformation! Now I know what I want to do with that vintage dresser I have been holding onto for years. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  30. I love this transfer!! It’s on the top of my list to try, I have a couple of old dressers in stock just waiting to be beautiful again, I look forward to your posts in my inbox, it’s like getting pretty in the mail everyday. 🙂

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  31. I’ve followed you for only a short time, but find that I immediately look for your postings as you find the best stuff at sales, and do the neatest makeovers to them! I have loved every transfer you have done, but actually I have loved every single paint over you have done as well, so I’m gonna be (I am) one of your faithful followers….I try to do a little of this too, but nothing like you have done – it would be scarry but fun to try one of these transfers….I too wish I lived closer so I could run my hands over what you have done….loving it~Kris

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  34. This is truly the prettiest piece I’ve seen done with transfers! You are so extremely talented and your eye for color and detail are unbelievable! Thank you for sharing your talent and teaching us too! I tried one transfer so far and can’t wait to try more.

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  35. I have wondered if the tranfer trend that is so Hot right now will last but after I have seen this beautiful dresser I sure hope it will. Your color combinations are always stunning and I always learn so much from your “how to” posts. I haven’t tried a transfer yet but this blog entry has me wanting to try my fist one.

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