Tuesday, March 22, 2011

My Sister's Bedroom Makeover


I just spent two days visiting my younger sister, Emily, and her family in San Diego.  I did not have as long of a visit as I wanted, but I did leave her with a little dresser makeover during my brief stay.

before
Emily received a set of three vintage dressers from her mother-in-law when she got married.  There are two small dressers that she uses as nightstands and one larger one.  She told me that she was ready for new bedroom furniture, as she just got a new bed and wanted updated nightstands/dresser too.  I do not believe in buying furniture new, especially when you have some that is perfectly functional and only in need of a little re-love. 

Her dressers have a lovely shape and I like the scalloped edge along the bottom. The finish was well-worn and outdated, but that was easy to fix. The first morning I was there, we headed to Home Depot and bought some supplies and got right to work!

After

She also had a little lamp with a garage sale lampshade that I wanted to recover. 


I used some vintage bird and floral fabric that Emily got from our older sister, when she cleaned out her massive fabric collection. 


Below are pictures of the finish before and after.

I used a palm sander to even out the surface and remove the old stain before primering.  Then, I painted two coats of pale gray.


When the paint dried, I distressed all the edges, so that the white, base coat and the original wood showed through in places.

We originally wanted to buy crystal knobs for the dressers, but in an effort to save money, we spray painted the existing knobs silver.


I used things that she had around her house to decorate her dresser.  I love the blues, silvers and grays together.  Emily loves birds, so I paired her ceramic bird with the bird fabric on her new lampshade.  She has several of the beautiful, old, blue mason jars with the original lids from garage sales and she got the l-o-v-e letters as a wedding gift.


This is just a start. Emily is going to finish painting the other two dressers herself.  I think it is a huge improvement already and I can't wait to see her room when it is all done!



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21 comments:

High Street Cottage said...

Amanda, I love the after! You're so talented, I know I've said this before, but I love your lampshades! This one is just beautiful, your Sis can be proud. Your California Neighbor, tami

Vintage Gal said...

Amana ~ what a wonderful job. The dresser looks just lovely. The lampshade is beautiful. Your sister must be thrilled ;-)

Deborah said...

Beautiful transformation Amanda!
Your sis must be thrilled with this...its so soft..love what you've doen!
I have a dresser or two that Ive been wanting to freshen up too!
Have a great week dear friend!

Deborah xoxo

julie - eab designs said...

Adore the lampshade and the color palette as well. Lovely!

Emily said...

Thanks, Sister! I LOVE it! I can't wait until all of the dressers are finished!

Jenn said...

LOVE IT! you did such a great job! love the colors and bird theme too!

All About Vignettes said...

You are very talented. I'll be following.

Kathy

Renee {Shabby, Chic and Charming} said...

Such a lucky girl to have you for a sister! Love the transformation!

Serendipity Chic Design said...

AWESOME! I agree, I never buy new. Your sister must be sooo excited.

Take care,
Lisa

Cassie Bustamante said...

it looks fabulous! i love the soft gray with the pops of blues... so soft and pretty!

Sandy said...

Amanda.... What a great sissy you are! The dresser turned out beautifully, as did the lamp shade, your sister must have been so excited with her "new" look. What a clean fresh look the room has now. Good going!
I stopped by Blessings with my daughter in the past couple weeks... I saw your sweet lamps and other goodies in your booth, plus we looped our way around the rest of the store talking to two of the ladies working that day. Both new people we knew...then did lunch at the Red House..OMGosh do I love love love their food...
PG has a very special place in my heart...so it was so fun hanging out there for the early part of the day.
Hope all is well with you...
xoso Sandy O

Unknown said...

ooo I love it! the lamp especially :)

Hydrangeas and Harmony said...

The ruffles on the lampshade are so cute! Love it!

Jane @ Jane's Junk and Treasures said...

GREAT job!!!
It looks so much better!!
I don't want you sister to be mad but it really does look much better!

jninecostumes said...

This is a great redo. All my dressers in three bedrooms are garage sale buys. Just cooridinate with paint and pulls!

Monica said...

Oh Amanda! You are pure genius! Do you know that! I mean has anyone told you that? You have magic in your hands, you know. This chest of drawers is sooooo nicely done... love the way you saved money on the crystal knobs and frankly, I prefer these. They just seem to match so well. Great lamp as well. Such a nice print.

Thanks for visiting me.

xxx Monica

Anonymous said...

Hi Amanda -- I have a triple dresser that looks just like your before pictures and I am so ready to paint it an antique white. Thanks for the pictures, it does look great; you did a good job -- Inspiration what would we do without each other.

Tammy@Beatrice Banks said...

Such a pretty makeover! You did a fabulous job on the dresser.

Emily said...

I can't stop staring at it! :)

The Rusty Bucket said...

It never ceases to amaze me what a little paint can do for a not so hot piece. You made it so CUTE!
-Bethanie

Sarah, Three Boys said...

Gorgeous!!! I love the detail on the lamp:)

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