D.I.Y. Antiqued Dresser

     
       I needed a long dresser to double as a changing table for the nursery so I started my hunt on craigslist for an old one, with the intention of painting it a color to bring it back to life. I found several candidates, but the price wasn't worth the work I would put in. Then I found a dresser & nightstand set that was already painted grey and was a great price. Score for the tired, pregnant woman with swollen feet, who did not feel like painting anymore!

Don't you love the random objects placed on the dresser!?

       The problem was I had already painted his walls a grey-blue so the dresser blended in too much. Luckily, I had some extra black glaze left over from our kitchen cabinet makeover {tutorial coming soon}. It only took a couple hours and made it look a little darker and rustic.... just perfect for the little boy's room!

       P.S. If I had painted it, I would have followed the same steps in this tutorial to ensure it would be durable. If you would want to paint and antique, just don't put on the polyurethane sealant until AFTER you antique. Oh and the handles are spray painted which is simple as long as you do several, thin coats. If you hold the can too close and get the paint clumpy, you will need to strip the handles and start over.

       Oh and there are several ways to create different antiqued looks, this is just one way that I have found to be pretty easy.

Supplies:
- furniture of your choice
- Paint colors of your choice to mix with the glaze
- Clear Glaze

- Paint brush 
- Paint rag {damp and dry} to wipe
- Clear Polyurethane 
- Gloves

- Mask to protect from fumes
- Plastic to protect surrounding areas

Step 1:
        I bought one container of clear glaze and mixed the amount directed with a sample size of the Valspar color I chose. The color I used was almost black because I wanted the glazed color to darken the dresser considerably.  
TIP: The more glaze you mix with the paint, the thinner it will be when applied...the less glaze you use with the paint, the thicker it will go on and less it will wipe off.

Step 2:         Apply the glaze mixture evenly to one face at a time with the paint brush. Make sure to wipe any mistakes off with a damp cloth right away. 

Step 3:
       After a couple minutes begin wiping the glazed area with a dry cloth until you get the look you want. You can add multiple layers to darken the glaze if needed.

TIP: Experiment with a small section (maybe hidden) to see what affect you want...keep a damp cloth with you to wipe off immediately if you don't like it. The longer you wait to wipe the glaze, the more the glaze stays on.

Step 4:
       To make sure everything stays in place, I did a final coat of Polyurethane clear coat, in Satin finish...always put a clear coat on furniture and cabinets. 

TIP: Make sure the clear coat you choose does not yellow over time, especially if you are using white/light paint.

• Glaze from Lowes mixed with a sample of customized black valspar paint
• Polyurethane water-based clear coat in Satin (because I wanted to reduce the shine of my paint)