The girls’ room has become such a sweet and magical place, it’s honestly my favourite room in the house, we spend a lot of time playing, reading, and cuddling in here. Although almost everything worked perfectly together, the one thing that needed a change was the dresser. The 3 drawer Ikea chest we’ve had since our move from Edmonton, while functional, didn’t fit the space very well and was too high for Georgia to be able to reach on her own– so I had been waiting for the perfect dresser to come up on the marketplace, patience (and setting alerts) are the key to winning on marketplace. I wanted one with some character; a little wider and less deep. When you’re patient the perfect piece will often come your way.
Enter the Enrique Dresser.
This classic, older-styled dresser with character on the drawer shapes and feet was the perfect project piece. It even came adorned with Enrique stickers on the side, that gave her the name, and also the soundtrack while I was refinishing her (rhythm divine anyone?!) Now it was time for transformation to fit the magical room for the girls.
Now, I am a lazy DIYer so the less trips I have to do the better. Anytime I’m at home depot I scan their oopsie paint bin to see if there are any nice colours that I would like for crafting. One week the bin had a prettiest pink/purple paint so I grabbed it.
Let’s Start with the Prep:
First, it is important to wash and sand the whole surface. This will give the paint a better surface to adhere to and create a stronger and longer lasting paint job. More durable for the kids too! Make sure to check nails in the drawers and if they’re loose to hammer them back in. Next up, one coat of prime over the entire piece. This also helps the pain bond well to the dresser, because we don’t know what kind of paint was used before and it also prevents any discolouration of the final colour due to stains underneath. After the primer has dried we go in with caulking to fill any gaps – you can use a wet cloth over your finger to smooth it out – to prepare the piece for the next steps!
Painting Time:
The color used on the dresser was “Behr Mauvette” mixed with 40/60 pure white high gloss paint.
Once you have chosen your paint color you will need to water it down about ¼; this helps the paint settle on furniture before it dries which helps with the final look.
When you are painting the sides, always use upward strokes to help prevent drips! After paint is fully applied and drips are caught (by gently swiping up over them) LEAVE IT! Brushing over paint after it’s started to dry disturbs the paint and that is how you end up with brush strokes and a rough looking finish. (Tip from my pro painter neighbour *Thanks MDO)
It is so important to let the paint fully dry before doing the 2nd coat! Once it’s ready you can repeat the painting steps again. This is after two coats fully dried:
Adding the Trim:
To create a little more dimension and add character after searching high and low for what I had in my minds eye I found this super cool flexible trim to add to the drawer fronts. Grab it here
The trim is first primed with Spray Kilz. After the primer has dried, use wood glue (not super glue or all purpose as these will bubble and expand) to attach it to the dresser. Use a ruler to ensure the trim is straight and even on each drawer. Be sure to let the glue dry completely and finish it off by painting the trim the same color as the dresser. Voila! Dresser Complete! If you’re a visual person you can check out the highlight I have on my instagram to watch the whole process unfold here
It’s amazing how a little elbow grease can transform a once loved piece into a ‘new’ piece with so much more life to live. The dresser has now settled into the girls room and is exactly what the space needed!
let me know what you think and if you have any questions!
Thanks for being here xoxo
Emily
