Dresser Makeover

 I was recently asked if I wanted an old dresser. It was painted a plain beige but I loved the shape of it! I took it home and got to work. The fabulous thing about the dresser is that that paint was in good shape, and there weren't a ton of layers which meant I could prime and paint! My kind of project. I had a can of 'oops' paint I had picked up for a buck or two. It is satin enamel, so it should wear well in the boys' room.

 The knobs on the dresser were very tiny and pretty plain. I found these (!!!) at Hobby Lobby. Seriously, how often does one get to use cow head knobs on something? But they called to me, and I had to answer. It was my moral obligation.

 The other knobs are antiqued wooden knobs that look like they have been sitting in a corner of someone's barn forever. Just the way I like them. I love this dresser and secretly wish I kept it for myself, except that my son LOVES it and promptly arranged all his special treasures on top of it. Now to find the next dresser makeover candidate!

The Old Rocking Chair - Part 1: Wood Filler and Sanding

Oh hello there. 

It's been a looooooong time since I posted anything.  I've been in a DIY dead zone for the last few months since all of my time has been spent trying to pass Algebra and look for a house.  I have a few weeks before school starts up again and before we close so I decided to start refurbishing my beloved rocking chair for my new office.

It's obviously pretty dated but it's the chair I was lovingly rocked in as a little munchkin so it has major sentimental value. It's also solid wood and ridiculously comfortable so I've dragged it all over the country with me in anticipation of one day fixing it up. 

This post isn't terribly exciting but it's the before shot and initial prep work details that start the project off right.   

It's a big chair that's very solid.

80s stenciling...SWEET!

When we adopted our dog he had some separation anxiety during the first few months and took it out on my chair.

First coat of Elmer's Wood filler!

Some minor scratches that only needed a thin layer of filler.

Starting to sand!

So if you've made it this far down the post, here are a few more bits of info about what I'm planning on doing.  I vacillated between painting and restaining but ultimately decided to go with paint. It's less work than stain and I already have a lot of dark wood furniture. Plus, I'm thinking of painting it a fun color like turquoise or orange because why not?

I'm still in the sanding/filler stage but will post more as I go through each phase of the project! 

Nightstand Makeover: Play Kitchen!

When we were first married a little over 11 years ago, I found a pair of nightstands at a thrift store. It was love at first sight and the price was within reach. We have put them to use ever since, but when we moved into our new house we no longer had room to keep them together. Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself that it was OK to give them a makeover. For the stove, I removed the face from the bottom drawer and put a hinge on it for the oven door. The oven rack is two cooling racks trimmed and screwed down. The other nightstand will be a sink when I am done.