If you ask my friends or family what my favorite hobby is (second to painting of course!) they will tell you that I am an avid reader. I started my love affair with books in the fifth grade and never looked back. The first place I went to when I got my drivers license was my local library. I spent many, many hours there as a teenager trying to read anything and everything that I could get my hands on. Card catalogs to me invoke that amazing feeling you get when you crack the spine of a great story. Most of my reading now is done via tablet or audiobook (gasp!) so to work on this piece was a real dream come true.
With that being said, I’ve been waiting around for the perfect piece to turn into a card catalog and I found it just a few months ago and couldn’t wait to get started. It was a standard, run of the mill dresser – really well made actually. I knew in my heart of hearts it would be the perfect candidate! I happily drew out my dream plans and called my Father in law, Jeff Sr., over to my shop to see if he could help me with the buildout. After we came up with the drawer strategy it was up to Senior to “wrap” the dresser in new wood. Each piece of wood is drilled into the existing wood via the inside so there are no visible screws from the outside. Each drawer front was fitted with one solid sheet of wood that was sliced with a special saw. I ended up having Senior go back and add another slice along the center of the drawer fronts to break it up a bit – I’m really happy I made that decision – I feel that it takes the piece to the next level.
Next, I hit the piece with an old rusty chain to give it some "age" and carved some slices along the front (ahh!) for the chalk to deposit into. Next I covered the entire peice with 2 coats of General Finishes Slate Gray which is the perfect shade of charcoal - not too grey but not too black. Next I smeared the whole piece with old school style white chalk!
After a fun morning browsing the aisles at Home Depot I added on some corner details and brand new wheels. I LOVE the extra details, I think it helps make the piece pop. To see more pictures or ask me any questions about the process please visit my blog here: www.LindseyVogelDesign.com
