First Glimpse: Campaign Dresser Makeover

It's been 10 months since I came across a brand new vintage campaign chest in Value Village and I still can't get over my luck!! When I saw this furniture piece sporting the original hang tag and with brass handles neatly wrapped in brown tissue paper, I ran to find a Village assistant and told them not to let anyone else look at it, touch it, or even attempt to purchase it - that baby was Sold!!!

 

"Fast" forward 9 months to November and it was time to get started on this little makeover. Originally I wanted to spray paint this piece, since I love the smooth, glossy finish that comes easily with the spray, but colours were limited and I wasn't finding anything that would tie in with the living room rug (still to be revealed). That meant that I would have to use regular paint and roll it on, but that reality check came with a huge bonus:  the world was my oyster in terms of colour choices. I opted for Sarah Richardson's Blue Box (SR26) from Para Paints, and it's a shade which I'm absolutely crazy about:

 

The painting process was not so difficult as it was time consuming. It was business as usual: Sand, Tape, Prime, Paint, Paint, Paint. Below are some "in progress" shots from the warehouse space at my office where I do all of my dirty work. Each day I would arrive at work early or stay a bit late to complete a step of the project. Big shout out to my employers for allowing me to use the space for this project!

As often happens in my DIY world, things got a bit tricky on the last step of the process, and I ran into a  bit of a SNAFU. I wanted that smooth glossy finish - for both the look as well as for the protection factor, and so I decided to spray a clear top coat over the Blue Box. Unfortunately, the spray gloss did not turn out well - not well at all. Since the drawer fronts offered a small surface area, they were fine, but the top of the dresser was an uneven mess. Imagine a swamp with alternating pools of gloss and untouched dry patches. Crap. A Twitter friend recommended that I try Minwax Polycrylic Gloss in lieu of the spray gloss, so off I went to Lowe's and picked up a quart to try the next morning. Armed with a small sponge roller, I applied a coat of Minwax to the top of the dresser. It was bad. Apparently a roller is the last thing to use when applying a coat of lacquer - one million bubbles in the finish can't be wrong. Long story short I sanded off the layer of bubbles along with one layer of paint, repainted, and applied the gloss with a sponge brush. (Trust me on this one, folks, always use a brush when applying a clear topcoat). Five coats of gloss later, and the finish was perfect. Finally!! 

The freshly painted campaign dresser now acts as entertainment unit in my living room with plenty of space for electronic components and storage. I love the way it looks!! What do you think?

From this angle you can see the pattern of the wood grain in the drawer fronts. I had briefly considered applying a heavy grain filler but then decided against it, and I'm happy that I opted to leave the wood surface alone. I like the texture it gives to the piece.

This is where the five coats of gloss topcoat really shine (literally). The surface is so smooth that it's reflective:

This shot includes a sneak peek of the living room rug. When I matched the paint swatches to the colours in the corner of the rug, it was easy to make a decision, Blue Box was clearly the winner!

I would like to thank Para Paints for supplying the paint for this project. The colour really makes this piece special, and it's definitely the focal point of the living room in the new condo.

My Week in Photos

Wow!! This week went by so quickly, it's a complete blur. The closing date for the new condo is November 14th and I'll be moving in on the 28th, so there is a lot to do over the next few weeks. Here is a recap of the week that just went by:

Although I almost skipped it due to Monday night's storm, I decided to stop by Indigo Bay & Bloor for an interview and book signing with John Taylor, who is currently promoting his new memoir, In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran. This was a pretty big thrill for me - I've been to several Duran Duran concerts over the years, but I've never been this up close and personal...

 ...

On Wednesday when I got home from work, the mailman had delivered Heather Clawson's gorgeous new book, Creativity at Work. You may recall that I met Heather during a trip to New York a few years ago, and her blog Habitually Chic is one of my favourite daily reads. The book is full of original photos, all taken by Heather herself, and features the work spaces of many creative people such as Bunny Williams, Jenna Lyons and Jonathan Adler, among others.

Heather will also be visiting Toronto for her own book signing, which I will definitely be attending! If you can make it, the event starts at 7 pm on Thursday, November 8th at Indigo Bay & Bloor...

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Last weekend I worked on several projects with my Mom, including a mouse motel and a gold leaf mirror. Now I'm on my own to gold leaf the matching mirror, and I've also taken on a few new DIY's. For one, it's time to get started on the campaign chest I found last February at the Village. I haven't been able to find spray paint in the shade I'm looking for, so I'm going to paint this piece with a roller, but first it has to be sanded and primed...

 ...

I managed to squeeze in a quick sewing project this afternoon - a quick and easy pair of envelope pillow shams (luckily the pieces had already been cut and prepped with Mom's help last weekend). I adore this printed linen which picks up on the chartreuse and grey colour scheme happening in the new guest bedroom...

...

And since my condo was feeling a bit chilly tonight, I thought it was the perfect time to turn on the oven and bake a raspberry pie. Yum. Break time!!

Four Leaf Clover or Horseshoe?

I've been having really good luck so far this year, at least as far as finding fabulous vintage furniture goes. I am seriously considering trying my luck at the lottery this week :-)

First I found an amazing pair of faux bamboo
bedside tables listed on Kijiji and picked them up
on New Year's Eve. Now that's a party!!

Then just last week I almost stumbled over this vintage
campaign dresser at the Village. The brass handles
are still wrapped in the original tissue paper.

When I spotted this Lexington chest while thrifting last
night, although I didn't need it, I knew someone else might.
Tweet!! Tweet!! Anyone wanna get lucky?

Fingers crossed it's still there when my friend Jasmine
swings by the Village today to scoop it up!!

Break Out The Campaign!!

Imagine walking into your local thrift store and finding the exact piece of furniture you've had rolling around in the back of your mind for months. This, my friends, is a true story.

The sagging Ikea entertainment console in my living room needs to be replaced with something sturdier, and I already had a particular piece in mind: a campaign dresser. After searching for nearly 6 months to find the perfect pair of bamboo bedside tables, I could hardly bear the thought of another long furniture quest. So you can imagine my over-the-moon excitement when I popped into the Village on Friday and spied a brand new 7 drawer Dixie Campaigner dresser. When I say brand new, I mean it - the 1971 hangtag is still attached and the handles are wrapped in the original tissue paper. Can you believe my luck? Somebody pinch me!!

OMG

Brass Beauties

I will soon have to decide what colour I'm going to paint the dresser - the choices are endless!! Take a look at these gorgeous examples I've gathered from around the interweb. By the way, mine is exactly like the 7 drawer dressers in the last two photos.

Dave & Joi's Natural Finish Campaign Dresser
via Nuestra Vida Dolce

Vanessa De Vargas' Kelly Green Campaign Dresser
via Lonny Mag

Michelle's Royal Blue Campaign Dresser
via Innovative Interior

Cindy Espinoza's Palmetto Green Campaign Dresser
via Viva Cindy

Dina's Bird's Egg Campaign Dresser
via Honey & Fitz

White Campaign Dresser

via Clementine + Olive

Claire's Peacock Blue Campaign Dresser
via Traci Zeller Designs

Lakeitha's Pistachio Green Campaign Dresser
via Home To Three Duncan Boys

Cassie's Swan Lake Campaign Dresser
via Cassie & Co.

Jessie's Red Campaign Dresser
via The Long and Short of It

My Top Picks: Of Things Past

There were a few pieces I spied while browsing at Of Things Past which I would've bought had I (a) needed them and/or (b) been able to afford them. I don't want to make the expensive mistake of purchasing items that won't work when I move into my new condominium at the end of next year. Although it IS rather tempting nonetheless!! Here are a few of those temptations:

This low three legged table with marble top was just so dainty, and at $157.50, it was affordable, but I wasn't sure where I would use it. Come to think of it, this would fit perfectly between the two slipper chairs in my living room, and would be ideal to set down a drink or a bowl of snacks. Hmm...I may have to go back for this one.


This table was Gorgeous with a capital 'G'. I am totally feeling brass right now, but it has to be brushed or burnished brass, and the base on this table was absolutely perfect. The travertine marble top made it even more irresistible! I am planning to use warm brass in my future master bedroom, and unfortunately the size and shape of this table won't work in the new space. I really had to talk myself out of buying this one!


This next piece is absolute perfection. It's a solid mahogany campaign chest of 8 drawers by Gibbard and it's in brand new condition. There is also a set of matching bedside tables in equally good shape. To be honest, I may have considered purchasing the two tables if they weren't so perfect, but I'm looking for more of a DIY project where I can paint them and not feel guilty about "ruining" a perfectly good piece of furniture.


There were so many fabulous pieces at Of Things Past that I walked around the entire floor twice to make sure that I didn't miss a thing! According to sources, the inventory changes rapidly, and I'm already looking forward to what I might find on my next visit!!