Antique Dresser in Seaside from Fusion Mineral Paint

I found this dresser (from a tip from a fellow painter, thank you Whitney!) at our local Habitat for Humanity.  I usually don't shop there as their prices are high (it's for a good cause, I know).  But, this dresser had some kind of hideous reddish brown stain/paint on it so it was a little cheaper. 

It's a good thing I don't ever judge a book by it's cover! :)  It had a cute little shape and great detailing on the mirror. 

When I got it home I realized all the keyhole cover s were missing and the keyholes were ginormously huge!  You'll have to scroll through the pics to see my solution. ;)

 BEFORE

 AFTER

Ah, much better!

The color is Seaside from the Michael Penney line at Fusion Mineral Paint.  The more I work with this paint the more I'm liking it.  It has a great  consistency, but it is a little thinner than other acrylics I've worked with which had me wondering how good the coverage would be.  I'm a two coat kinda gal, but I could have gotten away with one coat in this color.  And, the adhesion is incredible (which is why they suggest you don't wait very long to distress it).  This paint's not going anywhere! :)  

I absolutely adore these knobs and they've been hanging around in my stash for a few months.  I don't do blue very often so I've been waiting for just the right opportunity to use them.  They look so sweet on this petite dresser. 

I wanted that beautiful scroll work to stand out so I painted it a soft white and then gave it a light coat of dark wax (which you totally cannot tell in these pics).

I mentioned the keyhole covers were missing and the holes were very large.  They looked funny and I didn't want to leave them.  But, I also am so impatient I didn't want to order any and have to wait for them to come in the mail.  So, I found these cute covers in the jewelry section at Hobby Lobby.  How perfect are they?! I attached them with old, rusty tack nails I had from another dresser (see it pays to keep junk!).  Loooove them!

I debated on leaving the top natural.  It's a pretty piece of oak and was in good condition, but I think that's why it just wasn't sitting well with me.  It was too nice.  And, the rest of the piece felt just a little more formal than the light top, so dark it went....one coat of Java Gel from General Finishes.

I also found this sweet fabric.  If the drawers have stains I can't sand out I always line them.