mid mod trash to treasure.

Published on by Quandie

Today’s piece is a true trash to treasure story.

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Q and I were headed out for our daily walk in a nearby park when I spotted some furniture at the curb with a ‘free’ sign.  Most of the pieces were trashed beyond my level of repair, but this dresser had potential.

Now, you might be thinking ‘jeesh Quandie, could you take a straight photo already!’, but FYI, this is a straight photo.  It’s the dresser that’s crooked.  The front leg on the left is about 2″ shorter than the rest.  At some point a portion of it either broke off or just rotted away, I’m not sure which.

You could also possibly be thinking ‘egads, that thing is kinda hideous’, which is a fair assessment I think.  But just wait until you see how it turned out.

Naturally my handyman/neighbor Ken made quick work of that repair.  So quick in fact that I never even got photos for you.  But he basically cut the bad leg off a bit higher than the damage, cut a new bottom half of the leg, and then attached it using a dowel pin to make sure it was stable.  I then used a little Dixie Belle Mud to fill the seams.  Once painted, unless you know it has been repaired, I don’t think you would even notice.

Once the leg was repaired I simply sanded and cleaned the piece and then painted it in Dixie Belle’s Bunker Hill Blue.

This deep, rich blue is really difficult to capture well in photos.  It’s one of those chameleon sort of colors that changes depending on the light, sometimes just looking like navy blue and other times looking more cobalt.  Nonetheless, it’s perfect for a mid-mod piece, don’t you think?

Once the paint was dry I added clear wax over the top and used Buffy (my Black & Decker car buffer) to give it a little sheen.

I thought the drawer pulls on this piece were fairly unique.

There is a cut out piece of veneer-like material behind the pull that was originally black.  I pulled those out when I removed the pulls and painted them all in the same RustOleum Mirror Finish gold spray paint that I used on the lamp in my living room.

I love how the gold pops with the rich cobalt blue.

I’m not usually one for lining drawers, but these were pretty stained and unattractive so they needed to be either lined or painted.  I just happened to have some blue gingham paper on hand, and enough to line all four drawers so I went with it.

By the way, the modern painting I’m using in my photos belongs to nnK and normally hangs in her living room.  But I found it at a garage sale in Minneapolis several years ago and passed it on to her.  It has the perfect colors in it for her house.

Wouldn’t this piece be amazing in a downtown loft?

Or perfect for a boy’s room.  Or an adult’s room for that matter.  In fact, it would be perfect for providing a pop of gorgeous, deep blue to any room!

As always, thank you to Dixie Belle for providing the Bunker Hill Blue paint, the Mud filler, and the clear wax that I used for this project.

If you’re wondering where to buy the Dixie Belle products, you can shop with them directly online or find a retailer near you.

And if you happen to be local (Twin Cities, MN) and in need of a brilliant blue mid mod dresser, check out my ‘available for local sale’ page for more details.

18 thoughts on “mid mod trash to treasure.”

  3. Oh Miss Quandie this is so pretty! You knocked this one out of the park! I’m not a big lover of Mid Mod but because this dresser is smallish and because it’s so beautiful, it could be welcomed as an ornament to anyone’s style……

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  4. This dresser came out Fab!!!…..I have also used this beautiful color on a number of pieces of furniture and a few chairs. It’s a sure winner and I’m pleased to say all those pieces have sold within a short period of time. So happy to see the Beekman 1802 catalog as a prop also….They are good friends and have some amazing products.
    You’re reading is always inspiring. Again thanks and have a great week.

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    1. I used to watch the Beekman Boys show on TV, and I’m shocked after googling it to find that it aired way back in 2010 and 2011. Man, time flies, doesn’t it?

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  6. Ah.maze.ing. A transformation for the books! This would be perfect in an entry hall because it makes a statement. One of my favorite pieces where paint creates the exact right mood. Fabulous job.

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  7. Trash to treasure indeed! Turned out lovely! I am glad you told us about the painting belonging to nnK. My first thought when I saw it was, wondering where it came from! It is pretty but not what I would think you would have in your non-collection of goodies.😉
    Ken did a flawless repair! He is a furniture whisperer! 😉

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    1. LOL, yep, I definitely do not have a non-collection of modern paintings! Although I did originally buy it thinking I would hang on to it for staging mid-mod pieces. But nnK liked it, so now she can hang it in her living room and I can borrow it whenever I want to 😉 And yes, Ken is a furniture whisperer!

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