Before and After : Layered Blue Farmhouse Style Dresser - with Tutorial

I realized I have a TON of Before and Afters ahead of me, so I will keep these next few posts a little more brief! For this layered look shabby chic or modern farmhouse style dresser, I knew that I wanted to try out blending, layering, and distressing several different colors, especially ones I hadn't used in a while! I ended up selecting Annie Sloan Chalk Paints in Olive, Country Grey, Cream, Old Ochre, and Provence. I knew that I wanted to have an overall impact of a fairly solid overall color, so Provence was the main body color.

Read on to see how we got this look!

Before and After : Ornate Vintage Jacobean Style Chest of Drawers

Full disclosure : I realize I am *super* far behind on sharing my projects! But, here's a Before and After of an absolutely fabulous piece that I can't wait to share with y'all! This set was so beautiful in the original oak, but just check out how the chest of drawers looks in Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint!!It gave an utterly fabulous shabby chic / distressed look!

The details are rich and vibrant, and a little distressing adds the perfect amount of character to the beautiful texture of the oak. The ornate hardware is oh-so-stunning, and paired gorgeously with the carvings! More eye candy with close ups after the jump!

Before and After : Depression Era Chest of Drawers in General Finishes Milk Paint

This is one of the biggest furniture transformations (and they're all big to me!) so far! This sweet chest of drawers was an estate sale leftover with broken trim and handles, but the son saved it and knew it would find just the right home with a refinisher. I'm so blown away by the Before and After on this piece, and so grateful to be able to help it find a second life!  We did some patching and sanding, with an allover sand to follow to help the Milk Paint adhere.

For this dresser, I used General Finishes Milk Paint in Basil, a soft sage green with some gray tones. I put on two coats of paint, then distressed along high points and edges, and almost left it with the more uniform paint, but I'm glad I didn't! A friend had given me some Winter White glaze to try, so I painted it on and wiped it off for a color wash, let it dry a bit, and then came back to dry brush on a bit more of the glaze for a chic and antique look. We replaced the trim with a resin flower, which I painted in a blend of Basil and Snow White, and found some chic crystal style knobs to replace the hardware.

What a huge facelift! This highboy had a great structure, but was definitely a diamond in the rough. I can't wait to see it find a new home and be loved by another family!

 Here's one more - look at those legs!! Do you have a piece that's in need of some love? If you're in the Austin area, I'd be honored to see if there's some magic we can work with it!