No Longer a Virgin (of Furniture Refinishing)

I am not crafty. Or creative.  Or a DIY'er by any means.  All of those traits went to my sister.  However, I am not helpless or hopeless.  If you show me how to do something, I am pretty capable of figuring it out.  It just may take me a little longer than the average person.

A few weeks ago, I bought this dresser at an estate sale for $5.  I figured it would be the perfect way for me to dip my toes in the furniture re-finishing foray.  And for five bucks, if I messed it up, then oh well. 

Pretty bad huh?  But it had good bones.  Solid wood and an amazingly smooth surface for it's age.  So after a little lesson in sanding from my husband, off to work I went.  After about 30 minutes of sanding and two coats of paint, here she is

Lessons learned:

1) It's normal to want to reach for the cheaper brand of paint, but better in the long run to go with the more expensive one.  I paid $10.99 for a quart of Caribbean Beaches paint by Royal.  But it went on so smoothly that I probably could have gotten away with one coat.

2) A sander is an absolute necessity.  I would still be working on this dresser and suffering from an extreme case of Carpal Tunnel if I would have tackled this project by hand.

3) Cabinet hardware is EXPENSIVE!  But like the paint, you pay more for quality. 

4) Caribbean Beaches paint does not look good in blond hair.

5) Or on the driveway.

6) Trust yourself.  Once you are no longer a DIY'er virgin, the possibilities are endless.  I am ready to tackle my next project of recovering a few vintage dinette chairs.  Stay tuned!

Hope your week is going well!

Erica