The Green Has "Gots to Go."

Remember this campaign furniture post I did a couple years back?  Well, times are a ch-ch-changing, and I didn't like it anymore.  I may have never been super satisfied with the way it looked to be completely honest.  I am guilty of getting so involved with the way other DIY'ers furniture pieces look, that I fail to step back to make my own decision on what would look best in the space I am working with.

Here was my inspiration (Perfect for St. Patrick's Day):

<follow link for more info>

As you can see, it's adorable.  They did a great job picking out a vibrant color for the space, and their accessories are totally on point.

Here is what I came up with:

{Queue the tiny violin}  Even though I would have loved for this to work, it didn't... and after finding a grown-up diaper stuck behind a drawer one day (no bueno), I was ready to Craigslist this pair.  Thank goodness I came to my senses.  After all, I did have a set of legit, vintage campaign dressers on my hands, and for 8 bucks a piece?  Keeping.  Fo sho.  Diaper and all.

I last left the blog with this picture:

I will be honest, I have yet to paint the other one, but I have happily embraced a color for my re-vamped set of drawers.  Bonus?  They work with the space and my decor.

So, this is what I did.  I took the hardware off and steel wool-ed the sh*t outta them.  I grabbed some Tarn-x and took off the rose gold Rub N' Buff I had put on them before.  In hindsight, I wish I would have done this before.  When I purchased the dressers, the hardware was super crappy looking.  Over the course of a year, I have learned to attempt to clean hardware first before covering them up with paint of any kind.  Really happy with the results.  I ended up with some gorgeous brass hardware.  I heart chemicals and their reactions.

Perfectly imperfect is what I like to say--

Next, I pulled off all of the "faux wood" vinyl stickers.  All of  it.  Actually, let us reverse.  Refinishing one of these dressers was a complete and utter nightmare.  Here is what really happened:

First, I bought "Everlasting" Americana Decor chalk paint to paint over the green.  I had great success with my last chalk paint project, and frankly, I hate the whole 8 step priming/painting process.  Well... I kept my paint a bit too close to the heating vent, so it coagulated.  Not one to be deterred, I kept trying to paint with it.  O-M-G.  No.

So... I sanded it.  I had to sand everything off and try again.  I primed it with oil based primer-- just like our kitchen cabinets-- and topped it off with a couple coats of Stone White by BM.  

Then this happened-- I finished it, and was damn happy. That's when I noticed a bubble on one of the drawers.  I picked at it a bit.  Well, the WHOLE STICKER (AKA- all the work I just did) came off the drawer.  The whole f-ing sticker!  Can you believe it?!  All of that work was totally pointless.  If I was going to make these dressers awesome, I had to do it right the first third time.

Stickers gone-- primed for a second time

Pile-o-vinyl

I spent the next however long making sure I took off the remaining vinyl stickers from all sides and ends of the dresser.  I was left with heavy pressed plywood.  A fresh, clean slate.  So, I started again.  I primed and painted the dresser using my trusty mini foam roller, added the hardware, and here is what I came up with--

Color: Stone White by Benjamin Moore

One down, one to go.  I have big plans for these.  Big plans.  I will make sure to stop back again with a final update.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, ya'll.

****UPDATE****

It's coming together folks!  Ah!  Giggle attack!

Hanging Shelf (DIY)

I made this hanging shelf for our bathroom downstairs to cover the dead space above our toilet.

How?

First, I bought a board.

Then I cut it.

Next, I drilled two holes on either side for the rope to go through.

I found the studs in the wall with my stud finder and screwed in the hooks.

I measured and cut four ropes to keep them even.

I placed a level on the shelf to make sure it was nice and straight.

Then I secured the ropes with a large knot, and cut off the excess.

Finally, I put stuff on my shelf.

Cost Breakdown:

Board: $7.00
Rope: $3.00
Pack of Hooks: $2.00
_________________
$12.00 for useful storage?  Yes.  Yes, please.


Then this happened-

Nothing ever changes in this house.  Pssssh.  More to come.