1950’s Gray Ombre Dresser

This past weekend was spent painting a 1950’s dresser.   When I picked it up, my husband saw a dresser he’s sure came from his grandmothers house.  I, on the other hand, looked past the dust, cobwebs, chipped veneer, and the drawers that were swollen shut to see a solid wood dresser with modern lines that, once refinished, would resemble those seen in today’s modern furniture stores.    Here’s the before…

 

My original plan was to paint this dresser a high gloss, off-white.  The low profile and four-foot length would make it perfect for use as an entryway table or as a TV table in a living room.

The shape of this dresser resembled those you’d see at West Elm.  Like their

Mid-Century Six Drawer Dresser for $999

or

Narrow Leg 6-Drawer Dresser for $799

A few hours of sanding and patching with wood putty left me with a mostly smooth surface.

Since the drawers were swollen and could barely open and close, I also had to sand down the size of the drawer boxes so that they moved easily.

This dresser has six drawers.  What looks like three small drawers in the center is actually part of the white drawers on the right side;  but those left-side drawers have a section that’s bumped out, making a natural area to highlight with color.  I used a dark gray satin latex paint on the top, sides, and legs and mixed lighter shades of gray to create an ombre look up the front.

The stainless & wood handles received a fresh coat of metallic spray paint.

Since so much patch work was required, there were just enough imperfections in the wood, that this dresser would never have a glass-like finish.

Instead of fighting it, I went with it.  The white chalk paint used on the drawer fronts was left to look like the chalky finish it was meant to be —

— a nice contrast to the satin finish of the gray trim and ombre drawers.

I love the final result.

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Thank you & Enjoy!