It’s Themed Makeover Day! Whoohoo! One of the best perks of belonging to this crazy talented group of furniture refinishing bloggers is the creative licence I get to take every month when I churn out a new themed makeover. Today’s theme? Distressed. Holy cow was this one fun! I made this white and gold distressed damask dresser and love how my plain dresser took on a vintage washed out look.
Last year I saw a piece of furniture that was distressed to the hilt. It was one of those pieces that stays in your head until the right moment comes along and the idea/want resurfaces. This plain dresser has followed me for over 20 years. I had a bedroom set made for my daughters when they were little. Two dressers, a shelf and bunk beds. My daughter has the mate to my dresser and we redid that a few years ago in a glam style for her in one of my really early posts. The bunk beds and little shelf have moved on, and I still have one of the dressers and it was a perfect candidate for my distressed damask stencil dresser project.
I’ve used it since we moved here and downsized. Mostly in an attempt to justify keeping it. This makeover fits item #2 of my 5 Creative Ways To Deal With Sentimental Clutter post I shared few weeks ago. Now that there’s no guilt in keeping this old dresser, let me share with you how I made this distressed damask dresser.
It was easy. After giving the entire dresser a few coats of an antique white chalky paint, I used my Royal Design Studio Antique Gold Stencil Creme and a flat top stencil brush to sparingly apply my gold around the drawer edges.
Without a plan in mind, I added the brushed gold to the dresser top and base trim of the dresser. My biggest challenge was keeping straight lines across to keep the effect I wanted. Get this effect with a mostly dry brush, just like when you stencil, and work it back and forth in straight lines across your surface. It’s a good finish to help hide nicks and dings in wood.
Using the same gold stencil creme, I used a damask stencil and stenciled just the drawer fronts. I started in the middle of the dresser and used a ruler to help place the stencil pattern evenly on the rest of the drawer. Stencil with an almost dry brush for a crisp edge on your pattern. I used the gold stencil creme on the dresser knobs too.
Then I started distressing the heck out of this baby. I used a wet rag and a lot of elbow grease to wet sand the daylights out of the body. The gold in the stencil will bleed into the surrounding paint if you try to wet sand over the stencil creme. The drawers were hand sanded with 220 and 320 grit sandpaper.
I put a few coats of clear wax on to seal my newly created gold and white distressed damask dresser.
It wasn’t hard to make this finish, just a little labor intensive. Do pay attention to how much distressing each drawer and each side of the dresser you do, so they are similar. Not matchy, matchy, just naturally similar. I decided to keep the knobs simple and made them the same gold as the trim on the drawers and body of my distressed damask piece.
This is perfect for my room where my husband already has a painted dresser. I didn’t want to use a bold patterned or painted dresser that would stick out or make my room too crafty looking. Since I haven’t begun to tackle decorating that room yet, keeping the dresser as neutral as possible was a good strategy.
Can’t go wrong with white and gold right?
It’s unique and I found a good way to use a sentimental piece I’ve been holding onto for years.
Pin this for later!
Love a good furniture makeover? I have over 100 furniture makeovers in my Furniture Makeover category! You can also search by furniture type like table or seating 🙂 and if you’re new to furniture painting, check out How to Paint a Dresser in 7 Steps, it’s a great beginner’s guide!
Oh, but of course on Themed Furniture Day I have more goodness and inspiration for you!
Take a look below at the rest of our groups “Distressed” furniture projects. We have some of the most talented and best known furniture bloggers in the Blogosphere right here in this group, and it’s always a treat to see what everyone creates:)
Mary-In the boondocks says
This is a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing it. Now I can go ahead and shyly try it out on my dresser. Of course, I am not going to attempt those gorgeous stencil designs. One last question, How many coats of wax do you apply at the end?
Wendi says
Mary, You’ll be fine. The best part about this finish is that you don’t need to put a perfect coat of paint on. When your wet distressing the paint off, it will smooth itself out beautifully. I used 3 coats of wax on the top and two on the body. If you’re using Annie Sloane wax, put one coat a day of the wax on. It might be me, but I’ve found it to be gummy if I don’t wait in between coats. I do love the finish and durability of her wax though. Have fun!
Michele says
I love all the detailing! You did an awesome job! Hard work usually pays off. 😉
Thank you for linking up with Project Challenge!!
Wendi says
Thank you Michele 🙂 The distressed damask completely changed the look of my old dresser!
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
What a beauty Wendi!!! The stencils (and gold!) are perfect…so unique! 🙂
Nancy
Wendi says
Thanks Nancy! I love gold & white, you just can’t go wrong with the two. ..Yes you know I like the unique projects too! Thanks for your visit!
Karen says
That is a really GREAT finish… BRILLIANT idea, that I shall steal for a repro chest-on chest that is all banged up and I keep ignoring it… . HA! My blog has one post… I need to get off my duff! You and so many of the people hangin” with Miss Mustard seed on Fridays inspire me! Thank you!
Wendi says
Karen… You’ve made my day & I thank you! Yes..this is a fabulous way to hide blemishes on a piece…in fact, it lends to the “character” .. and we love character! Thank you so much for visiting and your super comment!
Breanna says
Oh that gold is just perfect! I love the perfectly distressed look you gave it, it’s gorgeous!
Wendi says
Thanks so much Breanna! I’ve wanted to high distress something for the longest time. I love our group for that, it gives me the opportunity to “play” with new ideas and techniques. Thanks for stopping by!
Serena @ Thrift Diving says
What a cute beachy dresser! Great job.
Wendi says
Thank you Serena! I held onto that thing for years and finally couldn’t take the plain boring appearance anymore:)
Christy@Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer says
Oh my goodness, Wendi! You never disappoint, my friend! I LOVE this so much. Your daughter will be begging for it back. 🙂
Wendi says
LOL.. You might be right, she’s already left a comment below:) This was the dresser no one wanted anymore, and I was too emotionally attached to let it go! Thanks so much for your awesome cheering and super sweet words on my project:)
Jeanette says
Wendi, I love faded washed out damask fabric and this dresser reminds me of faded fabric. Fabulous job! Jeanette
Wendi says
Thanks Jeanette! You pegged it, with the washed out fabric…that’s the look I wanted, subtle and soft…at least until I get the itch to paint it again!
Vanessa says
This piece turned out great, Wendi. I love the stencil you picked out too.
Wendi says
Thank you Vanessa!! This stencil was in the back of a drawer and I’ve had it forever, just never used it. I found it and thought why not try?? Geez, if I’d known it would look this good, I would have used it a year ago!
Paula@SweetPea says
You gave this a totally different look! The stencil and gold paint along with distressing make this a glam piece that I know you will enjoy using for many more years.
Wendi says
Thanks Paula. I love the gold all ditressed out. It’s unique and still feminine.
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
From boring to bling!! Great job and your distressing is perfect. 🙂
Wendi says
Thanks Larissa.. I love the gold and white combination, especially with the distressing around the drawers. I agonized over how much to distress the rest and how to blend the drawers and the base. I like it though, it came out unusual..kind of like me! LOL
Morgan says
Love this!! You did a great job and it’s so hard to believe we got that bedroom set 20 years ago! Oh memories lol
Wendi says
Yes Honey…That little dresser has seen a lot! That thought was running through my head as I worked on it. Why don’t I keep it for another 20 years and send it back to you? OX!
Tami @ Curb Alert! says
Oh Wendi, you better hold on to that dresser tight because I bet your daughter will be begging for it back. I love the new look, especially the softness of it!
~Tami
Wendi says
Thank you Tami! My daughter already left a comment below:) This piece is even sweeter with the memories this dresser holds:)
Marie@The Interior Frugalista says
Love the white and gold distressed finish on this sentimental dresser. Has so much character now!
Wendi says
Thanks Marie! I don’t think anyone can go wrong with white and gold!
Marie@The Interior Frugalista says
…unless it’s on a dress then perhaps it might be blue and brown! lol
Wendi says
Hi Marie… or, should I say Grandma B! True..but just think how sparkly a gold and white stenciled dress could be! Ooolala 😉