Furniture Rehab: Henredon 70's Vintage Dresser goes Contemporary

I am officially 5 days away from having my second child, and I did the unthinkable...

I brought home a 1970's Henredon Vintage Modern Dresser...and took on a new transformation:

             

What was I thinking?  Oh, so many things.  Possibilities.  Rehabbing. 

And here's how we did it.

Supplies:

Rustoleum Painter's Touch paint in Black Semigloss
2 small foam rollers
2 Fine Grit Sandpaper sponges
1 package Extra Fine Grit Sandpaper sheets
1 small angled synthetic bristle brush
1 small foam angled brush

Cost:

I found this gem at Luckett's Store for $375.00.  This may seem steep, but the quality, size, contemporary transitional quality of it, and just the overall presence of the piece drew me in.  You could not come NEAR a piece this nice for under $800 - $1,000 in any retail store... 

All supplies listed above set me back a total of $29.00 at Home Depot, and I'm pretty sure that included a bag of M+M's and a small American Flag (for Sydney).

Steps:

First we sanded down the entire piece, focusing especially on the top, where there were some water rings and other damage.  We used Fine Grit sanding sponges first, and then Extra Fine Grit sanding sheets to finish it off...  We went back over any spots or scratches in the original varnish that would show up through the paint.  Most of the sanding was just to rough up the varnish to hold the paint, but the final work was to get a really smooth finish.

Then we took a medium-sized mixing bowl and filled it with a little bit of dawn soap and water, and then wiped the whole piece clean, inside and out.  Making sure we got rid of all the dust and grime before moving it into the sun to dry.

Next we started applying paint with the foam rollers, using very light coats.  We coated the top and sides with several layers, and then moved to the front.  Much more ornate, we used the small rollers in the squares, and then the brush around all the corners, being careful not to have any drips.

We continued to add layers of paint, lightly and carefully.  Then we laid it on its back, and checked all angles for coverage in all corners, and around all nailheads and hinges.  This is where the small foam brush came in handy, it allowed us to really get in around the nailheads and trimwork for good solid coverage.

This is where we broke on Day 1.  It was getting dark in the garage, and we needed a fresh set of eyes to check coverage.

Day 2 brought new eyes (my Husband and Father in Law), and renewed energy (well, sort of.  I AM 39 weeks pregnant).

My Dad and I removed the central hardware and cleaned it up with a little gasoline and paper towels (to remove a little paint that had gotten under painters tape).  We painted where the hardware had been, and finalized all touch ups.  Finally, we replaced the hardware, and relocated all the pieces upstairs to the master bedroom.

As you can see, the side doors open from the outside with pocket handles that are hidden from front view.  They have removable/adjustable shelves which we might use for baskets of loose items, or the cable/DVD/DVR boxes that now reside on top.  The center doors have 3 large drawers on wooden runners, beautiful dovetail construction.

I didn't bother to paint the inside of the dresser/cabinet, and I'm glad.  I like the 2-tone quality of it and it doesn't feel unfinished to me at all.

Here it is with just the center doors open.

And here is the final product.  I couldn't be more pleased.

Dropcloth Drapes: Designer looks on a Budget!

We have lived in our house for nearly 4 years, and our master bedroom has always had bare windows.  Every time I would browse the usual suspects: Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Restoration Hardware - I got a knot in my stomach.  To do window treatments for all 5 large windows, would be a small fortune!  So there they sat, lonely and undressed.

Recently I ordered 10 panels of a nice modern grommeted drape from Overstock, along with a pewter colored rod and tiebacks.  Once they came, I realized that the choice I made would not fit the room...so I returned all but the rods. 

I continued to search sites, and came across several inspirational dropcloth window dressings.  I was Inspired! 

Here's why they're so great:

1.  CHEAP.  6x9 foot panels are under 10 dollars each
2.  HEMMED.  All edges are finished
3.  CHARACTER.  Oatmeal colored, but flecks of other threads make each panel slightly unique
4.  EASY.  No sewing required.  I used Stitch Witch and an iron for all modifications
5.  BIG.  Designer looks of puddled draperies for big effect

Here's what I bought:

I bought 12 6x9 foot Canvas Drop Cloths.  2 panels per window, and 4 panels for the large 3-casing window at the far end of the room.  You can find them here.  They also have similar dropcloths at Lowe's and Walmart, from what I have read.  I spent about 120.00 on dropcloths.

I also bought 12 yards of a coarse black linen, which had a similar grainy texture to the dropcloths.  I was able to come upon sales at Hancock Fabrics and Jo-Ann fabrics.  I got 12 yards (for 72" x 16" black stripes at the bottom of each drape).  At an average of 4.00 a yard, that was 48.00

I purchased 4 rolls of 13 yard Extra Stengh Stitch Witch, at 4.00 a roll, for a total of 16.00

I got 2" wide drapery rings with clips at Target on clearance for 6.00 each (7 rings per pack).  The total for the rings was 72.00.

My total for materials (less rods) was 256.00.  (The items I returned to Overstock totalled over 400.00).

I already had an iron, and the rods.  That's all you need!

Here's what I did:

First I washed all the panels in hot water.  I had to do this in two batches of 6 panels.  Then I dried them for just about 10-15 minutes, and then laid them all flat to decrease the wrinkles.

Next came the tedious task of ironing/steaming each panel until they were as flat and pressed as possible.  I added a 4" fold to the top of each drape, where the clip rings would attach, and to add some interest to the top portion of each panel.  And then attached the panels to the clip rings on the rods. 

I then divided the black linen into 3 yard sections, and cut each 3 yard block into three equal rectangles at about 3 yard x 18".  These would become my black color blocks at the bottom of each panel.

Using my Stitch Witch, I finished off one long side of each black linen strip, folding over about 1/3 to 1/2".  Then, while the panels were ALREADY hanging, I moved my ironing board under each panel, and using the Stitch Witch again, steamed/ironed each panel so that the finished edge of each black linen strip was 16" from the bottom (allowing about a 2" or more at the bottom and sides, to cleanly fold and adhere them behind the panel.

I have only finished 6 panels at the time of this posting.  But here is what they currently look like, to give you an idea.  I have not finished the bottom seam yet, I will do that at the end, so that I get the exact same break at the bottom of all the panels.

I love how they've turned out!!