Green Antique Highboy

I decided about a month ago that I wasn't going to take any more painted furniture as it is just too time consuming, but I had already committed to finish a few pieces for a very nice girl. :)  So, I thought I would take you through my thought process on one of these pieces and give you some insight into why I am not doing it anymore! (Please know this is all in good fun, so no one feel badly!)

I have never had a painted piece of furniture come into my shop that had a "good" paint job.  This piece is typical of what I see. 

The Drop Off:  What I am thinking...

"Oh, this is so cute!  It has so much potential!" (Remember at this point the client is usually standing there and they are so excited to have their piece of furniture done.  This excitement is contagious and thus inhibits my ability to think clearly.)

 Before

2 Minutes After the Client Leaves:  What I am thinking...

"Oh.  Uh, this is rough.  Well, I'll just start sanding and see how it goes...it can't be that bad."

First Step--Sanding Off the Drawers:  What I am thinking.....

First Drawer--"This really isn't that bad.  I'm ok."

Second Drawer--"Alright, I'm only 15 minutes into this and I've gone through 4 pieces of sand paper.  I'm ok."

Third Drawer--6 pieces of sand paper later--"I only have two drawers after this one.  I can do this."

Fourth Drawer--8 pieces later--"Ummm, this kind of sucks, but I only have 1 more drawer after this one."

Fifth Drawer--10 pieces of sandpaper and an hour later--"Oh my h@ll!  This is the easy part!  When I'm done with this drawer I still have the whole freaking dresser to do!"

Second Step--Sanding Down the Dresser:  What I am thinking...

First hour:  "Why the crap did I tell her I would take this thing?!"

Second Hour:  "I will NEVER take another piece of painted furniture no matter what!!"

Second DAY--half a roll of 80 grit paper later:  "I am out of my freaking mind!  Why didn't I just strip the d@#n thing!  Because I hate stripping, that's why.  What's worse--this or stripping??  I would rather have my toenails ripped out one by one!!"

After It's Sanded:  What I am thinking...

"It's done.  I can't believe I didn't smash it into a billion pieces!  It looks like crap--all that work and it looks like crap.  But I don't really care because it's done!"  (This would be where I do my internal happy dance--mainly because I am in my husband's shop and don't want his employees to think I'm out  of mind.)

Then I get to do the part I like and it eases the pain a little (kind of like forgetting about how awful child birth is...).

So, here she is after all that sanding!

 After

 It's really not this bright. :)   It was snowing out today when I took these and there was a lot of bright light in the room AND my FANTASTIC hubby bought me a new camera that I have no idea how to use! :)  So, I didn't know how to adjust the exposure and the color turned out kind of neonish.

This is the color swatch.  I know--it doesn't look anything like it.  Go figure.

 Love the curve.

 I ended up staining over the whole thing with Early American by Minwax to tone it down a little. :)

The front part of the top was broken off, so Craig cut a new top out of an old top I had at the shop (I told you he was fantastic!).  It actually had a nice curve on the front of it already so he cut the sides down to leave the curve in the middle.  

There is a teal dresser and a plum cedar chest that are going in the same room as this dresser (her room is black and gray--what a fun way to add some color!), so stay tuned!  

Sarah @ Alderberry Hill featured this fun dresser.  Thank you so much Sarah!!

Jacqueline @ My Simple Home Life featured it as well.  Thank you!! :)

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