Ugly Dresser

I got this ugly dresser from Craigslist.  The listing said it was an antique so I was really disappointed when I saw that it was not only not an antique, but it was not very well made.  The seller started loading it into my van as soon as I pulled up and since I'd already made the trip there, I took it for $20.  It was mostly real wood but the sides were MDF and had some water damage.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but it needed paint so I started out by priming it.

I had to sand down the bottoms of both sides to get it smooth since it was all bumpy from the water damage.  I also added a piece of an extra decking board to each side to cover some of the damage and add support.  I cut the ends with a jigsaw to match the curve of the trim.

I decided to use a grey paint I'd found in the mistint section of Home Depot and brushed it on without getting too much in the carved design.  I had to go over the design with white again though, and then sanded the whole thing down so the white was only in the carving.  The top picture is before sanding, the bottom is after sanding. 

I painted the pulls white, but then decided to try them with an Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.  I'm still not sure which I like better but I went back to white.  I went over the whole thing with a dark stain and it made the grey look much nicer. 

Here's a close up of the added board on the side and my not so great job of matching the trim.

I may redo the pulls, but I'm not sure what to do with them.

I did a lot of distressing.  Or as my husband calls it "stressing it out". 

I never feel like my distressing looks very realistic.  Luckily I had a two year old that was very happy to help.

Here is it in our bedroom. 

 

Linking to:Primitive and Proper
Miss Mustard Seed