Chinoiserie Inspired Dresser Makeover

When I spotted this dresser at a secondhand store a couple of weeks ago my eyes lit up. I was actually looking for a dining table to turn into a large desk for our future office but then I spotted this!

Why this piece? The lines! It's so hard to find unusual pieces in North Queensland, and upon closer inspection...look at that beautiful brass hardware as well! After my foray into decorating with brass with that little tray, I decided I could squeeze a little more into my house. But I didn't want more timber. I have lots of timber in the house already (apart from the floors) and wanted to bring some brighter colours into the space. So, paint it was! I settled on blue, a grey-blue I pulled from some of my art around the house, and this is what I ended up with...
  

The first step was to remove the handles. I found each was attached with two small screws, but was also nailed in with tiny brass nails on each corner. After removing the screws, I used a very thin screwdriver and a hammer to gently lift each corner...

...and lift each corner up, working my way around the plaque.

I thought I would try and clean the brass before I resorted to spraypaint so I threw all the screws, nails and hardware into the sink with my old vinegar and salt trick. After much soaking and scrubbing, the handles only improved slightly. Ironically, the brass ring around my plug is now spotless and sparkling!

In the meantime, I gave the whole cabinet a light sand with my detail sander with a fine grit paper. I was lucky as this piece didn't have a high gloss varnish so it probably didn't even really need to be sanded.

I washed down the whole cabinet with warm water to remove the dust and grime. Then it was time to prime! I bought a new, good quality brush for this job because I knew I wanted a very smooth gloss finish. For the primer, I used a three in one primer-sealer-undercoat and applied it sparingly and slowly to create as smooth a base as I could. I used painters tape around the edges of the drawers because I always find if you paint the sides the drawers are more likely to stick.

With the constant rain we've had here I let it dry overnight before applying my first top coat. I chose to use a Dulux Oil-based Enamel for this project. As anyone who has painted anything with me would know, I tend to get covered in paint from head to foot, so generally prefer water-based products. However, I wanted a very durable finish and a smooth glossy look so an oil based enamel will last longer, and it is always easier to create a good finish.

After the first coat I had this, and started to get very excited about the colour!

I actually decided to leave the base unpainted. Because I wanted a smooth finish I didn't think a brush would work well around all those edges and curves. I decided to try a brass coloured spraypaint instead.

While the top coat was drying, I spraypainted the handles and screws gold since my experiment with polishing didn't work!

I left the oil paint a full 24 hours to dry, before sanding it very lightly and applying a second coat. Although it didn't really need a second coat for coverage, it does give it far more durability.

I then taped the edges so I could spraypaint the legs. Rather than wrapping the whole dresser in drop sheets to spraypaint, I just held a piece of card along the top of the tape as I sprayed to prevent any overspray getting on the freshly painted surface.

The next step was to re-attach the handles. I had to be gentle with the screws and nails so I didn't scratch the paint. I actually used a small piece of folded fabric between the nail head and hammer to stop it scratching as I hammered them in.

A second coat of spray paint on the base and i was all finished! Although I did consider leaving it in the entry...

I think I'm actually going to turn it into a sideboard for the TV in the living room. For that to happen I'll be adding a shelf to the top so stay tuned!

What do you think? I'm still tossing up whether to distress the edges to make it look more like the Chinoiserie style lacquered furniture but I'm pretty happy so far!

I'm sharing my dresser with 'Polly wants a crafter', 'Positively Splendid' and...

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