BEFORE and AFTER: Pink Mod Ombre Dresser
Don’t you hate projects that kick your BUTT!
Like this $20 dresser from the thrift store:
When painting it, all the old reddish-colored stain bled through the chalk paint!
I almost threw in the towel and shouted, “Alright! That’s it! I’m scrapping this!”Â
BEFORE
Thankfully, I took a step back and decided to let its fault be my inspiration!
AFTER
The Big Problem
The dresser was in pretty good condition on the inside, but the outside finish was chipping on top. I didn’t want to apply chalk paint on top of chipping paint, so I knew it would need some sanding to smooth it out.
All sanded out and I thought it was now perfectly ready for a fresh paint job, right???
WRONG!!
All that sanding must have “activated” and exposed even more of the old red stain. There was no stopping it from bleeding through!
I tried shellac in the spray can……no luck……I tried Kilz water-based primer…..no luck.
It bled through all over–the top and the sides! I knew that if I didn’t figure out a solution, I was going to scrap the whole thing. But it was too cute of a dresser to do that.
The Solution
After fooling around with multiple coats of paint and primer with no luck, I decided that if I couldn’t beat it, I’d fool everyone. HA!
Instead of trying to fight the red bleeding stain, I decided I would paint the dresser a shade of pink that would likely hide the bleeding red.
The Right Shade of Pink – Ombre Dresser
I had originally wanted to do a white dresser with turquoise ombre drawers. Scratch that. I needed pink.
Remember that vintage vanity I refinished recently? I used Annie Sloan Scandinavian Pink Chalk Paint on it, straight from the can, with no lightening at all.
It was kind of a “controversial” color but apparently, hardly anyone ever uses Scandinavian Pink right out of the can. It’s too….salmon. But I loved it!
This time around, however, I did what most people do–mixed in some Old White Chalk Paint to soften up the shade of pink. Then I mixed in more Old White to get varying shades for the drawers.
At first, I liked it….then I hated it….and now I like it again. 🙂 These are all the struggles you don’t see, behind the scene of any DIYer. We’re quite indecisive sometimes. 🙂
I really liked the original hardware so I decided to keep it. Even though they were already gold, I spray painted the handles with gold spray paint so they were more uniformly gold and not worn looking.
The layered look at the drawers were just begging for an ombre effect! I’ve never seen cool dresser drawers like this before. Very unique!
I also bought this basket at the thrift store for about $3.00. I absolutely LOVE it! What a great dresser top find!
 I love waxing furniture. As physically arduous as it can be (you’ll have biceps of steel if you wax for long enough!), the results are usually pretty shiny and impressive.
And no more chipped top!
 So what do you think?! Do people love pink furniture as much as I hope they do? 😉 Leave a comment below!
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I believe that it would look luscious in a little Girls room who has Fairytale dreams with maybe a Mural of a Cherry Blossoms floating across the wall with the tree in the corner of the room :o) Maybe a white four post bed with an Ombre Pink ruffled coverlet on the bed with Salmon Pink and Cherry Pink flower blossoms on the Pillows for the bed. Perhaps an antique shawl in white hanging on the wall spread out so you could see the intricate design in the shawl. With a Geometric rug for the side of the bed in a rose color of course, :o)
Good Luck Selling this one hun :o)
OMG, what imagery! I really enjoyed reading your comment!! Thanks so much!
I always wanted a pretty room like that when I was little!
It looks great…and the pink color is in tune with the current “it pastel colors” that are making a comeback!! Check out Lonny Magazine…Recap of Week of 3/24!
OOh, Lonny Magazine looks fresh and clean. Do you have a link to the recap? I can’t seem to find it!
I’m embarrassed to say that I am a total non-techie and can’t link the Lonnie article…but if you google “Lonny’s Top Pins of the Week: Think Pink 28 March 2014” it will pop up.
Wow, I found it! Those pink doors look like this same color pink! Who knew I was in style? HA! That hardly EVER happens! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Love it, you did a great job of working with the bleed.
Marieanne
That ombre look is perfect for those drawers and so brilliant to make the bleed-through work for you. I could see this going into a teen’s room too.
P.S. You must be the neatest furniture artist on the planet. No way can I paint a dresser without a huge dropcloth under it! I am that messy!
Don’t be fooled–there are little flecks on the floor! HA! But sometimes I’m much too impatient to lay that stuff down. I usually paint in the basement area, but I was trying to spend time with hubby and paint at the same time. How’s that for multitasking? LOL
Just a drop-cloth? HA, I have to cover everything within 20 feet of my paint or else everything wears it, along with myself. I also do the “spend-time-with-the-hubby-and-paint-at-the-same-time” multi-tasking. That way when he complains that “we haven’t spent much time together lately,” I remind him that yes we did, we were just busy doing our own thing in the same room. You know, being separate but being together all at once. 😀
Absolutely LOVE it. You did an amazing job. If Imcould, I would buy it.
Thanks, Alma!!
I love how your dresser turned out, and love the pink, too! It would look great in a girl’s room.
Love it! I think it would be awesome in a nursery or even a bathroom!
I think the dresser turn out amazing! I love the ombre effect. Great job!
How may costs of primer did you try? With primer what works best is 2 thin coats and then it should have no problem covering that bleed. The first thin coat it will bleed and lock into that coat. Then let it thoroughly dry and cover that with a second coat. Then you are good to go for painting!
Not a fan of pink but know plenty of girls who are. Love the shape and style of the dresser and $20 is a steal!
I actually put the shellac, and 2 coats of primer and it still bled through. Unbelievably so. I’m not a huge pink fan, but I hope that some parent is for their little girl! Haha
Did you use oil based primer? Thats all I use and works amazing. You can paint with water based over it. 🙂
Anyway, your outcome was great so that’s just a tip for the future. I love plan changes and happy accidents!
Nope, I didn’t use the oil based, but I definitely will next time!! But you’re right, sometimes the mistakes just WORK, you know? LOL Thanks!!
I love it! The pink ombre looks great and way to go with the flow and find a clever solution to the bleed through!
Thanks Brynne!
That is the cutest work of art I have seen in a long time. Keep up the good work, you are an inspiration to us all.