I hope you all enjoyed post #1 about the doodle's new dresser. I did a 2D and 3D furniture plan and then bought the dresser and this second piece 1 day apart with several furniture placement scenarios in mind. I'm not 100% decided on how I'll lay it all out yet, but I knew from the get-go I wanted a vanity in her room. At the very least, it serves as a place for her hair accessories to live because right now they're scattered around the house. I'm envisioning some of her jewelry displayed on top and I know she'll get a kick out of that.
Whereas the dresser's condition didn't deter me at all, the vanity has clearly lived a tougher life and caused me a brief pause. :) I like the long legs with castors, and I wanted this style with a single-surface vanity top instead of the multi-level style which just begs for spills and knocking things over. I got it for a steal, so I don't mind the extra work to restore it. Specifically, the applique carving at the top was broken and needed to be replaced. The top of the base itself was cracked and peeling. There were several pieces of trim and moulding missing. *sigh
Here's the original condition, with shots of some of the damage.
The first thing I did was lift and peel the already cracked and warped veneer on the top surface. Most of it came up pretty easily just sliding a scraper underneath. At the corners the glue was particularly strong I just heated it up with my iron and a couple layers of fabric in between and those last pesky pieces came right up. Friends, please wear work gloves! I did the same scraping with the broken applique on the mirror's top piece, but it was the very last scraping motion that got me. Instead of taking off the last piece of applique, the scraper went straight into my thumb. I've never seen a blood fountain in real life before - like seriously started to panic when I couldn't get it to stop. I'm pretty tough, but that was a bit scary. The kicker is, I kept actively thinking over and over again "I should really be wearing gloves, I'm going to get a giant veneer splinter under my fingernail bed one of these times." AND, I probably could have reached my work gloves right in the same room without shuffling my feet. They were right there! Luckily I have a talented friend on speed dial for my own personal triage nursing needs. Thanks Nicole!! The recommendation was stitches to avoid scarring, but who has time for that? A couple surgical strips to keep the wound closed after I stopped the bleeding and I was back in the workshop to get that last darn piece of applique that had escaped me.
After removing the veneer, what was left was a fairly smooth plywood, and I decided to roll with that instead of replacing the veneer. I wouldn't be able to stain this, but I figured I'd attempt a faux-stain finish, and if that didn't work then I'd just go completely white with no harm done. I used wood filler on the areas where splinters of plywood got pulled up with the veneer and sanded that smooth.
As soon as I decided on a vanity, I immediately figured it needed to be pale pink. But after photoshopping the heck out of the room, and committing to pink curtains, the vanity ended up white in the design. The question was whether I'd be able to replicate the stained wood finish on the top of the dresser with faux-painting, or if I'd end up having to just paint the whole piece white.
So I went through several steps layering chalk paint and stain working with a light base and then darker layers. That didn't work, so I started over. This time I got my Benjamin Moore paint swatch fan deck and found the closest paint color to the warm wood base tone on the dresser top I was trying to match. I erred on the darker side because adding plaster and water to the paint lightens it up a bit, and for some reason paint on furniture always appears brighter to the eye than the swatch. In this case I went with Greenfield Pumpkin and just got a $3 sample color matched at Lowes and added the plaster/water mix. I could have gone even a couple shades darker in hindsight.
When that dried I used a small brush creating fine lines along the grain and creating faux grain marks with dark walnut stain, and then lightly brushed on special walnut over the whole top and wiped it all down to blend. It's important to let the paint and stain thoroughly dry between each step. (I didn't and I've got spots where it's peeling, which I kind of like, but it wouldn't work if you had a bad color peeking through). After that it was still too light so I created a black chalk paint wash (2 parts water, 1 part plaster). I brushed it on lightly over the whole thing leaving brush marks, and then used a damp sponge to blend and remove some of it creating just a washed effect. That did the trick - it deepened the color just enough. Then some water based poly in satin finish made it even richer like real wood. It's not perfect, but I'm satisfied with it! There are no rules when trying to match another finish - it's trial and error. Practice doesn't even make perfect... it just boosts the trial success and lessens the error rate. :)
Here's the faux grain lines I made with the darkest stain. Looks super cheesy right? Fear not!
I didn't take any pictures of the blended lighter stain and the black wash. Sorry! I also didn't photograph the top before finishing the rest of the base. Oops! You'll see the finished top at the end of the post.
I didn't notice one important piece of missing trim until I started cleaning and sanding the whole base, and at first I planned to just replace that piece.
Sadly, I couldn't find that style trim to match the rest, so I ended up pulling off all the remaining trim (about 2/3 remained) and replaced it all with new trim that's even prettier in my opinion. More work but prettier results. The new trim is chunkier with more feminine details and most importantly, I knew it would work well with the distressed look of white paint with black peeking through. It's been almost 10 years since I made miter cuts, and it was the first time with this new chop saw. I only cut one piece backwards which is quite a feat! But all the cuts, gluing and nail gunning only took about an hour when all was said and done.
Just before I started attaching all the pieces, mom came over and gave it the hairy eyeball and said it didn't match the rest of the piece and the other mouldings. At the time, the base was still mustard and avocado colors and the new trim was bright white, but still. I think I won her over once the whole thing was primed white, but what a fair weather fan! I deliberately attached it upside down as you can see because it was too chunky right side up. :)
From there it was the same process as the dresser. BIN primer, black paint, shellac to seal the black, 2 coats of soft white chalky paint, and a power sanding to distress. I decided to upgrade the awful wooden 'shroom knobs, and found some antique replicas on ebay that were a similar style to the dresser in a size that works for the more petite vanity. That means I had to patch the single/center holes and drill 2 new holes for each pull. Can I tell you how much I hate installing new hardware that requires 2 holes? So nervewracking! I also had to spray paint the new hardware black to match the dresser (and the hardware in the rest of the house actually).
Here's the hardware photo from the ebay listing:
I worked on the mirror once the base was done. The mirror steps followed the same basics, but it too, needed a bunch of repair. I had to replace the applique I nearly lost a thumb on. And after cleaning the mirror about 10 times I realized it wasn't dirty - the silver backing that makes the mirror reflective had worn down in spots creating a streaky mercury glass type finish. I researched how to re-silver it but it's expensive and the process is chock full of chemicals I didn't really want to bring into the house. So I called around for quotes and ended up just having the glass replaced at a local mirror and glass shop. The person who quoted it over the phone made a mistake, so I got it for $50! At the $50 pricetag, I got the glass store father-in-law who putters in the shop, rather than the pro, and ended up having to bring it back because it didn't fit the frame. Doh! He grinded it down to fit the same day I let them know, and I was only out the 40 minute round trip x2 (dropoff plus pickup). The new mirror is polished on the ends so it's easier to handle and there are no chips along the edges that could materialize into something worse, so I'm glad I replaced it. I just used clear silicon to adhere the mirror along the edge of the frame, and I re-attached the backer piece of plywood that was nailed in around the outside for extra security.
Other than that, I followed the same painting steps as the base, and then I got to attach the mirror back onto the base for the first time in our house.
Here she is! Much better right? Fit for my doodle's room I think! :)
This vanity is BEGGING to be accessorized, but she'll have to wait. :) It only occurred to me while taking photos that she'll need a cute lil chair too!
I'm scrambling to finish writing this post so that I can start cutting into the 27 yards of fabric awaiting me. Her anthropologie-inspired curtains are going to be project and post #3! That's not a typo, by the way. Her 2 windows will need a total 27 yards of fabric! That's insanity! I don't even think the aisle runner I hand-painted for our wedding was that much fabric! Stay tuned.
Whereas the dresser's condition didn't deter me at all, the vanity has clearly lived a tougher life and caused me a brief pause. :) I like the long legs with castors, and I wanted this style with a single-surface vanity top instead of the multi-level style which just begs for spills and knocking things over. I got it for a steal, so I don't mind the extra work to restore it. Specifically, the applique carving at the top was broken and needed to be replaced. The top of the base itself was cracked and peeling. There were several pieces of trim and moulding missing. *sigh
Here's the original condition, with shots of some of the damage.
The first thing I did was lift and peel the already cracked and warped veneer on the top surface. Most of it came up pretty easily just sliding a scraper underneath. At the corners the glue was particularly strong I just heated it up with my iron and a couple layers of fabric in between and those last pesky pieces came right up. Friends, please wear work gloves! I did the same scraping with the broken applique on the mirror's top piece, but it was the very last scraping motion that got me. Instead of taking off the last piece of applique, the scraper went straight into my thumb. I've never seen a blood fountain in real life before - like seriously started to panic when I couldn't get it to stop. I'm pretty tough, but that was a bit scary. The kicker is, I kept actively thinking over and over again "I should really be wearing gloves, I'm going to get a giant veneer splinter under my fingernail bed one of these times." AND, I probably could have reached my work gloves right in the same room without shuffling my feet. They were right there! Luckily I have a talented friend on speed dial for my own personal triage nursing needs. Thanks Nicole!! The recommendation was stitches to avoid scarring, but who has time for that? A couple surgical strips to keep the wound closed after I stopped the bleeding and I was back in the workshop to get that last darn piece of applique that had escaped me.
 |
| it was deeper and gnarlier than it looks here! ps: don't judge my lack of cuticle care - i was in the middle of a project! |
 |
| the weapon of choice |
After removing the veneer, what was left was a fairly smooth plywood, and I decided to roll with that instead of replacing the veneer. I wouldn't be able to stain this, but I figured I'd attempt a faux-stain finish, and if that didn't work then I'd just go completely white with no harm done. I used wood filler on the areas where splinters of plywood got pulled up with the veneer and sanded that smooth.
As soon as I decided on a vanity, I immediately figured it needed to be pale pink. But after photoshopping the heck out of the room, and committing to pink curtains, the vanity ended up white in the design. The question was whether I'd be able to replicate the stained wood finish on the top of the dresser with faux-painting, or if I'd end up having to just paint the whole piece white.
So I went through several steps layering chalk paint and stain working with a light base and then darker layers. That didn't work, so I started over. This time I got my Benjamin Moore paint swatch fan deck and found the closest paint color to the warm wood base tone on the dresser top I was trying to match. I erred on the darker side because adding plaster and water to the paint lightens it up a bit, and for some reason paint on furniture always appears brighter to the eye than the swatch. In this case I went with Greenfield Pumpkin and just got a $3 sample color matched at Lowes and added the plaster/water mix. I could have gone even a couple shades darker in hindsight.
When that dried I used a small brush creating fine lines along the grain and creating faux grain marks with dark walnut stain, and then lightly brushed on special walnut over the whole top and wiped it all down to blend. It's important to let the paint and stain thoroughly dry between each step. (I didn't and I've got spots where it's peeling, which I kind of like, but it wouldn't work if you had a bad color peeking through). After that it was still too light so I created a black chalk paint wash (2 parts water, 1 part plaster). I brushed it on lightly over the whole thing leaving brush marks, and then used a damp sponge to blend and remove some of it creating just a washed effect. That did the trick - it deepened the color just enough. Then some water based poly in satin finish made it even richer like real wood. It's not perfect, but I'm satisfied with it! There are no rules when trying to match another finish - it's trial and error. Practice doesn't even make perfect... it just boosts the trial success and lessens the error rate. :)
Here's the faux grain lines I made with the darkest stain. Looks super cheesy right? Fear not!
I didn't take any pictures of the blended lighter stain and the black wash. Sorry! I also didn't photograph the top before finishing the rest of the base. Oops! You'll see the finished top at the end of the post.
I didn't notice one important piece of missing trim until I started cleaning and sanding the whole base, and at first I planned to just replace that piece.
Sadly, I couldn't find that style trim to match the rest, so I ended up pulling off all the remaining trim (about 2/3 remained) and replaced it all with new trim that's even prettier in my opinion. More work but prettier results. The new trim is chunkier with more feminine details and most importantly, I knew it would work well with the distressed look of white paint with black peeking through. It's been almost 10 years since I made miter cuts, and it was the first time with this new chop saw. I only cut one piece backwards which is quite a feat! But all the cuts, gluing and nail gunning only took about an hour when all was said and done.
Just before I started attaching all the pieces, mom came over and gave it the hairy eyeball and said it didn't match the rest of the piece and the other mouldings. At the time, the base was still mustard and avocado colors and the new trim was bright white, but still. I think I won her over once the whole thing was primed white, but what a fair weather fan! I deliberately attached it upside down as you can see because it was too chunky right side up. :)
 |
| Here the trim is removed... |
 |
| and the new trim is attached! |
From there it was the same process as the dresser. BIN primer, black paint, shellac to seal the black, 2 coats of soft white chalky paint, and a power sanding to distress. I decided to upgrade the awful wooden 'shroom knobs, and found some antique replicas on ebay that were a similar style to the dresser in a size that works for the more petite vanity. That means I had to patch the single/center holes and drill 2 new holes for each pull. Can I tell you how much I hate installing new hardware that requires 2 holes? So nervewracking! I also had to spray paint the new hardware black to match the dresser (and the hardware in the rest of the house actually).
Here's the hardware photo from the ebay listing:
I worked on the mirror once the base was done. The mirror steps followed the same basics, but it too, needed a bunch of repair. I had to replace the applique I nearly lost a thumb on. And after cleaning the mirror about 10 times I realized it wasn't dirty - the silver backing that makes the mirror reflective had worn down in spots creating a streaky mercury glass type finish. I researched how to re-silver it but it's expensive and the process is chock full of chemicals I didn't really want to bring into the house. So I called around for quotes and ended up just having the glass replaced at a local mirror and glass shop. The person who quoted it over the phone made a mistake, so I got it for $50! At the $50 pricetag, I got the glass store father-in-law who putters in the shop, rather than the pro, and ended up having to bring it back because it didn't fit the frame. Doh! He grinded it down to fit the same day I let them know, and I was only out the 40 minute round trip x2 (dropoff plus pickup). The new mirror is polished on the ends so it's easier to handle and there are no chips along the edges that could materialize into something worse, so I'm glad I replaced it. I just used clear silicon to adhere the mirror along the edge of the frame, and I re-attached the backer piece of plywood that was nailed in around the outside for extra security.
Other than that, I followed the same painting steps as the base, and then I got to attach the mirror back onto the base for the first time in our house.
Here she is! Much better right? Fit for my doodle's room I think! :)
This vanity is BEGGING to be accessorized, but she'll have to wait. :) It only occurred to me while taking photos that she'll need a cute lil chair too!
I'm scrambling to finish writing this post so that I can start cutting into the 27 yards of fabric awaiting me. Her anthropologie-inspired curtains are going to be project and post #3! That's not a typo, by the way. Her 2 windows will need a total 27 yards of fabric! That's insanity! I don't even think the aisle runner I hand-painted for our wedding was that much fabric! Stay tuned.
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