We started working with artist Rich O'Keefe this weekend to transform these junky dressers into modern, desirable furnishings. Rich has been working on furniture for the past several years, and his work was featured in the store already when he brought in this piece:
A couple of artists have come in to take some pieces, but since there are so many, we decided to do a couple ourselves as well. Tyler and Rich did most of the work with mine and Dustin's help on some of the painting. My step-son, Jax, even got involved. :)
Unfortunately, that's the only picture we have of the regeneration process, haha. We're going to be better about taking pictures of the pieces and telling the transformation story.
Here's what we started with:
Yeah, not the best picture, but like I said, we promise to be better. ;)
The dresser was in pretty nasty shape when we got it. Cleaning it was quite a chore... When we got it all cleaned out, we still noticed a musty smell (likely due to it being in a barn for the last 20-30 years...). Rich gave us this awesome tip and told us to use coffee grinds and apple cider vinegar to get the smell out. You line the drawers with coffee grinds and then spritz them with apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 24-48 hrs (depending on how bad the smell is), and the coffee grinds absorb the smell. Then you just vacuum it all out and, voila, no more musty smell!
Even though it was dirty and smelly, the structure of the dresser was actually great. It's very strong and sturdy. We decided to keep the piece pretty simple. We painted the drawers with an undercoat of olive green and then added the ivory topcoat. We knew we wanted to distress it and our goal was for the olive green to show through. It didn't end up showing as much as we would have liked, but we're still very happy with the finished product! (You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.)
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| I LOVE the distressing on the drawers! |
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| Carved, Distressed Inlays |
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| Original Brass Hardware |
I think it's safe to say that everyone had a blast working on this piece! It's exciting to see the vision and dream become a reality. Stay tuned for more Upcycled Showcase pieces from Junk Recyclers and The Regeneration Station! :)
- Kim
Hi,
ReplyDeleteJust a tip for when you want the undercoat or original patina to show through - apply Vaseline on the piece of furniture or on the first coat of paint in areas you want to show through. Then- top it off with the top coat. The top coat will not stick to the Vaseline. Once the top coat is dry wipe off the Vaseline off. Now it is ready to be sealed or waxed.