Back to School

By Back to School, Proprietor/Owner at UNika Custom Creations

Flea Market Find!

On a very hot June day, I convinced my husband to pull over at a local flea market, not really on the hunt for anything in particular this time around, I just happen to spot a dresser that was screaming to me to take it home. After a quick once over, I bargained with the gentlemen on the price, I thought, no big deal if I walked away, but he bit at my offer; now I just had to convince my husband to help me carry it to wherever it was he parked! We carried this heavy little beast back to my car, weaving thru the crowd, having to stop to take a break, but we kept moving along the gravel path, getting few strange looks along the way. But it's one of those things, that when a piece speaks to you, you'll do anything to get it. It was a solid rock maple, with dove tail drawers which were in reasonable shape. The outside however, definately was in need of some TLC. 

The entire project was inspired by a poster I had purchased sometime ago just waiting for the right piece to come along.  The poster was more masculine and I loved that as I have done so many pieces for little girls rooms, it was nice to find something that can be used for a boys room, from nursery stage to teen years, but there's no doubt a girl could enjoy this piece just as much!  I sanded down the entire dresser and found such a beauty in the wood, I decided to leave the top in its natural form and used GF High Performance Gloss Topcoat for durability. Not wanting high gloss on the sides, I used GF Flat topcoat that deepened the color of the chalk paint I used (from american paint company). Now the trick was to decoupage this poster onto the front of the drawers. It was a task that challenged me because one mistake would ruin the entire poster. With much thought, measurements and a steady xacto blade in hand, I cut the poster and aligned onto the drawers using modge podge for application.  Once dried, I sanded the poster to distress and aged the finish with antiquing glaze; and resealed the entire dresser, over the poster with GF Matt Topcoat. I reused the existing wooden drawer knobs, pulling colors from the poster, as I did for the sides, which finished the entire project off. I kinda love how the knobs kind of disappear somewhat into the background. #livetocreate #lovetopaint #shopsmall #oneofakind

Products Used

  • GF High Performance Topcoat