My grandma’s name is Ruth and she is 95 years old. I rescued this dresser out of her basement 20 years or so ago. It was part of my grandparent’s original bedroom set and I also have the matching hope chest. My grandparents were married in 1947 in New York.

My grandparents and I were tight. I grew up 10 minutes from their house spending holidays and birthdays together and sharing all major milestones with them. They attended countless dance recitals and school functions, graduations and my wedding. It brought me great joy to update the dresser, especially considering I worked on it while in social isolation during the 2020 global pandemic.

I started by removing the hardware and giving the dresser a thorough cleaning. I removed all the drawers and used my hand vacuum to remove dust and lint. Since the dresser had been in my possession and I don’t use furniture polish or oils, really all I needed to do was give the dresser a wipe down to remove dust. I began the makeover by painting the dresser with a coat of Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint in Sandy Blonde. I used irregular brush strokes to create texture. DIY paint is clay based and does not self level making it easy to create texture.

After letting the Sandy Blonde dry, I then used a my wood block tool to apply a coat of French Millinery. I bought my wood block tool at Joann Fabrics years ago. You can find it here. It creates more texture and a somewhat chippy appearance.

Next, I used my misting water bottle and a color shaper (you can find that here) to apply a thin coat of Petticoat Pink. I used the rubber color shaper to move the paint around, misting with water to keep the paint moving and thinning it out. I used the same process to add the color Cherry Picked to the bottom 1/3 of the dresser. I then used water and a piece of cheesecloth to blend together the Petticoat Pink and Cherry Picked. Because DIY Paint can be reactivated with water, blending colors is super easy.

I then used Liquid Sunshine, Cowgirl Coral and Summer Crush to add touches of soft color over the Petticoat Pink. I used my Debi’s Design Diary #12 brush for this step. The key is to use just the tiniest bit of paint and your misting water bottle to keep the paint relatively translucent while using light feathery strokes with your brush blending the colors into one another.

Once all the paint is dry, I sanded with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth everything ensuring my furniture feels good to the touch. I then applied a quick coat of DIY Big Top to the drawer fronts only. It is important to have a dust free and very dry surface on which to apply a decor transfer.

I chose the Japonica decor transfer from Iron Orchid Designs for the drawer fronts. It’s a beautiful transfer and large measuring 24” by 33”. After unrolling the transfer and doing a dry fit (meaning I left the backing on) to make sure I knew exactly where the transfer needed to be placed, I then removed the backing and secured the transfer in place with a couple pieces of painter’s tape. Decor transfers are easy to use but they do require some patience. It’s important to take your time making sure the transfer is adhering to your piece of furniture before you remove the top sheet.

Once the transfer is applied, I burnished it with my hand inside of an old, clean sock. This is a step that a lot of people skip. I burnish to make sure there are no air bubbles or loose pieces of transfer and that there are no “halos”. Halos are the clear outline around the transfer that show up sometimes, especially on darker paint colors. You can get most of them to disappear by burnishing, especially around the edges of the transfer.

To finish, I applied clear wax over the entire dresser including over the transfer. I left the wax to dry overnight and then buffed with a soft, lint free cloth.

You can find a full tutorial for this makeover on my YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you’ll be notified when new videos are posted!

Thanks… until next time,

BJ