Patina Dresser
March 3, 2010
Every time I go to antique fairs, I am always drawn to those pieces that someone has glazed with a bold color. My entire house is filled with mostly dark wood tones or white painted furniture, so this time, I thought I’d have some fun !
As you know from this week’s sordid tale about stripping paint off furniture, I had my little heart set on giving my previously white Craigslist dresser the look of a French antique. With spring drawing very near, I thought it a good time to add a pop of color to our home. To me, turquoise is a color that is simultaneously vibrant and calming, and a reminder of coastal waters by the sea.
You’ll recall the ‘Before’ with the multiple layers of white chipping paint, and here is the dresser after it was mostly stripped of it’s paint.
Here is the patina dresser, given a romantic new look, and refinished in this fresh new color.
I just love this piece now. It looks like something I’d want to buy from an antique shop! To achieve this look, I invested in new knobs, some appliqués, and some paint. (Sources below)
The first thing I did was stain my appliqués a little darker with an old half pint of honey stain I had leftover from years ago, so they would match the tone of the dresser.
Then I attached them to the drawers with Titebond wood glue. Setting paint cans on top helped them lay flat on the dresser so they would stick !
As the appliqués dried, I watered down my small Pratt & Lambert sample of turquoise paint (called “Always Smooth”) with a few tablespoons of water and applied the base coat of glaze to the dresser. No primer on purpose here – I wanted the wood tones to show through.
When the deep turquoise base was dry, I dry brushed the second paint color on top after I turned it into a glaze with some water. I bought a quart because I loved this color so much – it’s called ‘Rainy Day’ by Pratt & Lambert. I’ll definitely be using this color in the future – it’s gorgeous.
You could easily get away with just buying another sample color because watering it down makes it go far enough to cover a piece like this.
Dry brushing is simply dipping your paint brush in paint, then wiping most of it off before you apply it to your piece to get this deliberate two-tone look by revealing the base underneath.
When it was all dry, I sanded the edges with a sanding pad to reveal some of the wood.
Finally, I added a coat of Polycrylic in Satin to protect my hard work !
I am loving the weathered look and colors of this dresser !
So much can be done with appliqués and new knobs to give a piece a new look ! For today, this dresser is sitting in our foyer, but it will be returned to the mud room shortly. I’m sure I can use this piece in a future guest room someday too.
Sources for materials: dresser from Craigslist; appliqués from Lowes; Pratt & Lambert paint and Minwax Polycrylic from OSH; knobs from Anthropologie.
I am loving this color so much lately. And how wonderful that Pantone named turquoise ‘Color of the Year’ ! To me, turquoise is such a friendly color because it gets along so well with others. It’s so feisty when paired with coral or orange, like a fiesta with reds, like sea glass with greens, a stunning focal point with white, and a cool compliment to warm browns.
What about you, how do you feel about turquoise ?
Linking:
Tags: craigslist, patina dresser
That looks great! I am totally in love with turquoise and all its various shades. And I always appreciate the how-to’s of painting furniture.
Wow, you did an amazing job! I love the transformation.
Amazing transformation! I love how it turned out.
I’m almost tempted to try something like this on one of the several pieces currently awaiting paint/makeovers in my garage. Almost. Except that it looks like it takes a lot of work and more creative skill than I’m blessed with.
And I’m with you on the turquoise – I felt to trendy when I saw that it’s this year’s “color”, as we’ve got turquoise sprinkled throughout our house!
I have been waiting for days to see this! I love, love, love it! Those knobs look like Anthro knobs? I want to paint something turquoise now….Oh! And would you believe I have never stripped(I mean used paint stripper)? Now, since you did the test, I get to start with the citrus-y type – goody!
Love the dresser he appliques were a good call and so is the color. Do tell about that turquoise apple in the vignette. Did you paint it? Or buy it that way?
Your post is quite timely! I am going to paint my sideboard in the dining room turquoise (after I finish redoing my office white with turquoise and orange accents) and have been collecting photos of turquoise painted furniture for inspiration. I’m adding yours to the bunch. Love it.
It turned out so beautiful! I am looking around to see what furniture needs that technique now. It really does look aged. WOW!
Kate, this turned out beautiful! I love the patina on it and turquoise is one of my favorite colors!
Hugs,
Victoria
wow…it looks amazing. I LOVE turquoise! Where do you find the appliques?
That turquoise color is so gorgeous! You are inspiring me to add some turquoise into my gray/navy living room… hmmm :)
LOVE it! I used similar colors to dry brush a wooden serving tray last summer. Something about that color blue and the soft wash of paint is just so refreshing! I’m glad turquoise is “in” right now because it pairs so well with my mostly white furniture and red accents.
PS I am DROOLING over those knobs!
i am loving that blue color! i think i might be paiting something turquoise here soon!
Gorgeous! I love her little legs, they’re so dainty :)
your furnitire makeovers are always so pretty, i like the detail youve added nice
fantastic job! wow. beautifully done.
and the details make is perfection
Long time reader first time commenter. That piece is truly beautiful. It is so stunning I had to keep scrolling up and looking at it while I was reading about it. Bravo! You did a beautiful job!!
I love how it turned out too! It’s very, very similar to a treatment I want to do to our shutters this summer. I LOVE turquoise for all the reasons you listed.
Oh my word. This is just delightful! and I have to say while that dresser is scrumptous – I am so macking on that turquoise apple!!!!!!!!!!!!
Simply Centsational!!! WOW!! What a beauty she turned out to be. You did it again! You’re on fire. Maybe those folks at Pantone have been following your blog. If not they should be! Well done Kate!
I love love love this transformation AND the apple on top. Did I mention how much I love this?!!!
That dresser is absolutely gorgeous. I love the colors, the appliques and the knobs. It is unbelievable how it all looks like it was meant to be together. Great job! I need to learn how to do this myself. Have you done it before or was this the first shot at patina. It turned out so great.
Beautiful piece! I love the whole range of turquoise. I painted my living room a very subtle shade of turquoise & love the way it looks as the light changes throughout the day.
Oh wow, you did such a fantastic job. I really love the color you chose. That color just goes incredibly with a lot of white and dark tones, like you said you have. It looks so amazing. Congratulations on the fabulous turnout!
Just lovely!
ugh! I want it! That turned out amazing!
I LOVE how the dresser turned out! Beautiful! It makes me want to run out and do the same thing.
I use turquoise a lot. I painted my bedroom turquoise and white 3 years ago, and then painted the master bath the same color. I’ve used it as accent colors in two other rooms, and I’m thinking about using a really muted turquoise in the living room.
I love turquoise and white because it reminds me of Tiffany’s or the ocean on a sunny summer’s day.
Does it say that I go to Anthro too much when I saw those knobs and knew exactly where they came from before you told us? I think yes.
I’m lovin’ turquoise! The color of the year for good reason by my book. I just did a chair in turquoise myself and LOVE it to pieces. You did a fantastic job on the dresser! Just perfect.
That is SO gorgeous!!!! I adore the color and have been wanting to add some turquoise to my house too! But I have always been afraid of it because its SO bright. You did a great job toning it down though while still letting it be a focal point. I’m gonna search for a dresser to try this on. Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, how beautiful is that dresser. Gorgeous. Unique. Makes me want to find a dresser & use this for inspiration!
Quite a change! I really like it :D
Your dresser if gorgeous! I love turquoise. Last year, before it was “color of the year” I painted the inside of a server with turquoise, as a secret pleasure just for me! it’s always a lovely surprise to open the white cabinet doors to a pop of turquoise. I am also curious about the turquoise apple – did you paint it?
It turned out SO incredible- great job!!
Love it! What a great color. So glad all your hard work paid off…I enjoyed reading about how you found & stripped the piece. You have breathed new life into it! Thanks for sharing.
This is a beautiful dresser! I love the color and the finish. Thank you for the great directions. I have a dresser that I am going to be brave and paint. I want to paint it a creamy white and put a glaze over it. You are a wonderful inspiration!
Yvonne
I love it!!! The love the knobs and the color. It turned out great!!
Beautiful! So my style. I love turquoise, and always have. I really love the hardware you used!
Love it. I love the color turquoise. I recently blogged about my favorite object and it was a cabinet that my dad built out of reclaimed wood and it’s turquoise. It was the original color on the walls. I absolutely love it.
It turned out really beautifully. I like the addition of the appliques. I love aqua/turquoise. I’m redoing my dining room in an aqua & red theme. :)
Absolutely gorgeous! I am so jealous of this piece. And, thank you for the tutorial! I can’t wait to try it out for myself.
girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!! I too am in love with the turquoise. I finally finished my dining room & did away with the bold red and went for the blue/grey color & LOVE it- I also added a few pops of turquoise in my accessories- but then I went all springy/lingy and added a pop of HOT PINK around the room and girl I love it!!! I’ll go back to the turquoise when summer hits.
You are so good at this! I love it!
this looks fabulous!!! I so love the color turquoise and robin’s egg….but then again, most women do, I wonder why? I am beginning to be called Mrs. Smurfette over here in my house because I have so many blue things….in fact, I just painted my kitchen two tone —- bottom half of the cabinets are a mellow turquoise….pics up soon!
love turquoise…. LOVE the dresser! Great job! I am so doing this next chance I get!
Love the color! My cousin just repainted her first dresser in what she’s calling tiffany bag blue, with the patined/dry brush look… They both look fab! http://theprovencallamb.blogspot.com/
But, did this piece replace that great highboy in your foyer?! I loved that piece- you did an awesome job on it. Hopefully you have something up your sleeve on that one!
I need a bigger house! You’re inspiring me so much, that I don’t have room to put everything I want to do! :)
-Amy
uMMMM it’s my favorite color of course! I LOVE the dresser, it’s seriously gorgeous, I may have to copy! Lovin it girl!
This is GORGEOUS! I hadn’t thought much about adding the appliques, but I think they are a fabulous touch. The color is magnificent.
I am in loves…with the dresser, turquoise, patina look…you!
Now THIS is my kind of blog!!! Not only do you show the before and after with the old chest, but all stops in between, in the most fabulous color. Turquoise has long been one of my favorite colors–to wear and, in particular, to live with. I have two old chests just waiting for an up-grade such as this, one which will have an open shelf unit sitting atop it to be filled with old Ohio pottery in the pale turquoise color of the 20′s and 30′s. Now to read the other items you have posted. I will certainly return again and again.
Oh, she’s beautiful! Absolutely beautiful.