Antique Painted Dresser with Fusion’s Divine Lavender

Sharing is caring!

I have a fantastic antique painted dresser makeover to share with you today!

It’s bold, but elegant, with a little bit of whimsy thrown in too. And perfect for the coming spring season.

I bought this dresser from a lady on Facebook Marketplace, and was pleasantly surprised with its condition.  It’s nice and sturdy, with deep drawers and some really unique details.

This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

One option would be to sand it down and refinish it, but I was wanting to try something a little different and fresh.

I decided to go a bit out of my comfort zone and try a light purple shade for this piece.  I usually work with Fusion Mineral Paint, and they have a lovely color called Divine Lavender.

*Update, this color has been retired, try the color Chartres from Melange paint instead 🙂  

 

I’m not a huge purple gal, but sometimes you need to try something new, right? 

I also wanted to try accenting the front with a Redesign with Prima transfers, and I think I found the perfect one to pair with this soft lavender color.

Because the front of this dresser is flat, it’s the perfect candidate for a decor transfer. They do best on large, flat surfaces where there isn’t much molding or detail to work around.

RELATED POST: Antique Dresser Painted in Fusion Mineral Paint Oakham

How to Prep for Paint & Materials Needed

I did my usual prep on this piece by wiping it down with Fusion’s TSP Alternative, to help get off any built-up grease and grime.

This really is the most important step in the prep process, and I use this same cleaner for every single piece I paint (no matter what paint I am working with).

RELATED POST: Why You Should Clean your Furniture Before you Paint It

Then I scuff-sanded the entire body, except for the two front legs and top side drawers (more on that later).

In total, it took me maybe 10 minutes to get it ready to paint–not too bad!

Here are all the materials I used:

• Fusion’s TSP Alternative
• 180 grit sandpaper
• 1 pint Divine Lavender
• Hemp Oil
• Ultimate ONE Round Brush Large #16
• Microfiber roller (for the top)
• Redesign with Prima Watercolor Bloom Transfer
• Fusion’s Clear Wax

 

How to Paint an Antique Dresser

Once I was done with the prep work, I got to work painting (which I think we can all agree is the fun part!). 

Lately I have been painting almost exclusively with the Staalmeester Ultimate ONE Round brush, and y’all . . .  I LOVE that brush!

At $79, it is an investment, but if you’re painting a lot it’s totally worth it!

It’s pretty much the only brush I use now, anytime I’m working with Fusion.

I painted on two coats of the Divine Lavender, leaving the front legs and top left and right drawer unpainted.  The drawers had some gorgeous patterned veneer on them that I wanted to keep and I like the look of the natural front legs–it just adds something a little unexpected. 

A day after the last coat was dry, I went back and wet-sanded all the painted areas to lightly distress and have a buttery-smooth finish on the paint.

Want to learn how to wet-sand? Check out this post here!

After the sanding and distressing, that’s when I applied the Watercolor Bloom transfer to the bottom drawer fronts. 

It took me a little bit of time to decide on the arrangement of the flowers, and I ended up going for a cascading effect. I think it turned out awesome though!

I buffed on a light coat of Fusion’s Clear Wax to seal the transfer, and applied a light coat to the dresser top too, just for a bit of added protection.

When all of that was finished, I wiped a bit of Hemp Oil onto the front legs and drawer fronts that I kept stained, just to revive and refresh that wood.

Hemp Oil is a great product to use to moisten old wood.  It will also help buff out any light scratches. I use a clean cloth to wipe on a bit, then after a few minutes I just wipe the excess back off.

RELATED POST: Fixing Scratches in Wood with Hemp Oil

Here is the antique dresser all finished!

Isn’t she classy?!

I love how the transfer really does look like watercolor–just like its name!

People keep asking me if I painted the flowers on, that’s how realistic it looks.

Couldn’t resist throwing in some pretty purple flowers to stage along with this stunning dresser.

So, I think my little color experiment worked out ok!

I know purple may not be the color for everyone, but I think this dresser still is elegant and classy enough that it will have a wide appeal.

 

Thanks for joining me today, and Happy Painting!

You may enjoy these other furniture makeovers:

Yellow Painted Chest of Drawers

Fusion Mineral Paint Bayberry Dresser Makeover

Stunning China Cabinet Makeover BEFORE & AFTER

Light Blue Painted Chest of Drawers | Fusion Mineral Paint French Eggshell