Thrifty Thursday Throwdown {purple dresser edition}

Howdy peeps. Long time, no post.

Things have been a little crazy around the homestead...end of the year programs and assemblies, piano and dance recitals, and unhealthy amounts of Burn Notice watching {Studly and I are totally addicted and trying to get through four seasons of back episodes so we can start season five all caught up} Yes, I totally have my priorities in check. But enough about me.

Fortunately I was able to find a little time in between episodes to give this sweet piece of wooden goodness a fabulous make-over. I found her at the thrift store a week or two ago. I didn't know I needed a new dresser til I saw her, basking in the glow of fluorescent lighting above. It was as if the Gods of artificial light were directing me to her...and it was love at first sight.

I call her Lavendar...for obvious reasons.

She will be taking up residence in the girls' bedroom. I'm in the middle of a little revamp currently. I'll be sure to show you the end result, but I still have a couple of other projects to complete first.

I decided to implement my dry brush technique again. I wanted the dresser to have a deliciously distressed appearance. I think it worked. Because I wanted the natural wood to show through, I didn't sand the dresser as much as I normally would. So, to keep the paint from chipping or rubbing off, I sealed it with a brush on polycrylic.

Mmmm, yummy.

Some of the wood was still in decent condition and I just didn't have it in me to cover it all up with paint. So, I opted to keep the top of the dresser au naturale. I sanded her down and stained her with walnut stain, then sealed the top with a rub on wax. This was my first experience using wax and I was really pleased with the end result. The wood ended up uniform and smooth and really beautiful actually. I think wax might be a new addition to my "favorites" list.

My dry brush technique takes literally minutes and I already had purple paint on hand. So, all I ended up spending on this project {besides the $65 for the dresser} was $6 for a container of wax. Quick, cheap and easy, or what I like to call a {diy triple threat}.

{20} Minute Miracle Paint Job

I got a little bee in my bonnet the other day as I walked past my hideous bathroom for the 30th time.

Studly has been begging me to bring into the 2000's for months, but I've held out hope that he would just give in and let me gut the place...thus allowing me to start from scratch. I have big plans: pedestal tub, travertine tile, granite counters, new fixtures and cabinets...the works. But like always, Studly has to pipe up and ruin the vision by uttering one joy-bumming word - RECESSION.

All right, times are tough. I get it. Besides, the point of this blog is how to decorate on a budget, not how to spend money you don't have to get the sweetest bathroom ever. So, I'll stick my dream of a luxury bathroom in my back pocket for now and work with what I've got...which is a bunch of crap out in the garage and a grotesque bathroom that had it's heyday in the eighties.

First things first, giving the plain, builder's grade, oak cabinets a much needed updating. Because I do loathe the space currently, I didn't want to waste much of my precious time {or money}on the project. So, I grabbed a brush and some paint {pale blue and seafoam green in case you were wondering}I had lying around and got to work.

There was no method to the madness, no rhyme or reason. I attribute that to my irritated state. I think subconciously I wanted to ruin the cabinets so that Studly would HAVE to let me get new ones. But the more I painted the more I started liking it. And twenty minutes later my masterpiece was done. The end result: old, worn and washed out looking cabinets, like something you might find in an old beach house. And you know what? I LOVE them! They have so much charm and character. Truthfully, I am okay putting my dream bathroom on hold, because I am so excited to see how this project turns out.

A reminder of the before: A closer look at the before cabinets: And now for the after: Already the bathroom looks 10x better. And a close up of the cabinets after: I tried to keep the paint light so that some of the existing, brown cabinet could show through. In some places I applied the paint a little thicker so as to add some depth. I also layered the color by first applying a pale blue, followed by a seafoam green. Check back soon for the complete room reveal.