Ombre Ole! + The Story of my 2 Dad’s

This project is episode 8 of my house makeover video series!

I needed a dresser for my bedroom because my closet, (even though it’s the biggest and best closet I have ever had) was overflowing with clothes.

I’ve had the idea to paint a dresser to look like a serape but I wasn’t sure I could pull it off…

So I  filed the idea into the “maybe someday” folder.

Then I found this on Craigslist…

I knew that this was the perfect dresser to execute the big idea on.

I called the owner and headed down to a cute beach cottage in La Jolla to make the purchase.

The seller also had this, 

It’s an antique traveling armoire. It was made to come apart and be put back together again.

A very unique piece that he purchased at an auction in the mid-west.

I’ve been looking for an armoire too…

Well I don’t need an armoire because I have the big closet but I do need a headboard.

I’ve been looking for an armoire to cannibalize into a headboard.

My bedroom needs a lot of help…

(actually the carpet is gone now and replaced with dark planks!)

Some might get upset if I give the armoire a complete over haul. Painting vintage furniture is controversial to some. I would think that painting & it cutting it with a saw might be too much for the antique purist.

I’m the antithesis of a purist when it comes to design… I’ll just say that the traveling Armoire is in the “to be continued” folder for now 🙂

Back to the dresser, heres the video tutorial and story about my two dads.

 

 

What I didn’t show in the video,

Before I started painting I had no idea if this  would work. I’m very hesitant to use painters tape and usually have a lot of trouble with straight lines.

I created a Mexican Blanket Pinterest board and studied the colors and patterns of the blankets I liked. I also found this hand woven wool rug at a yard sale and wanted to bring some of this pattern into my project.

I practiced on a little piano bench I found at a yard sale for $5

 Ugh, it wasn’t what I had pictured in my mind… I decided to sleep on it and try again the next day.

The next try gave me the confidence to turn on the camera and start on the dresser.

I found a way to blend the colors by reactivating the paint with water, this softened the lines and made the imperfections part of the design. My tape didn’t need to be perfect just a guide. ( I explain all this and show how to blend colors in the video)

I wasn’t totally happy with the way I laid out the colors,  & I knew I wanted this color to be the stand out color…

I love fuchsia and navy together.

Also Aqua and yellow.

Oh! orange and turquoise are really good too!

 

In my world of furniture paint and DIY, white, tan, cream and grey are the favorites.

This color is one of our best sellers!

 it’s a fine color everybody loves it…

If I paint a piece of furniture in my shop with Vintage Linen it sells right away.

heavy sigh…

I hardly ever dip my brush in white.

I just get so bored…

I’m not throwing shade on my own paint, just telling it like it is.

I’m always looking for a way to get people excited about  bright and vibrant color.

Some of my customers actually seem afraid of color but I keep bringing it!.

I think it’s possible to use color in you home and keep the grown up vibe &  I have a few tips on how to do this.

I like to make the color pop by surrounding it with a neutral

Like the dark and decrepit stain I applied to the sides and top of this piece,

  This is a water based product that dries super fast and is very concentrated. I used 1/3 of this 8 oz jar for the entire dresser.

I also think the dark stained floors and plain white walls  in my house will really make this piece pop.

My entire house needs a fresh crisp coat of white paint, I probably won’t film that because you know, it’s not very exciting.

As much as I’m tempted to paint my walls with all of my favorite shades, I’m going to try to hold myself back. I really love the Swedish style thats full of beautiful color against plain white walls.

Yes white is good for something 🙂

If you happen to love whites and grays, I get it, my mom LOVED white, I decorated her house with shades of cream, tan, beige and it was beautiful!

My mom picked this color and I named it after her...

I miss her a lot.

No matter what your style is we have 36 beautiful colors to choose from.  Even four beautiful whites and five grays.

and many wonderful retailers selling DIY Paint across the US.

Click here to find a retailer near you!

What color do you surround yourself with?

I used Old 57′, Faded Burlap, Kissing Booth, Mint Chip, Cowgirl Coral, Queen Bee, Hey Sailor and Mermaid Tale for this dresser.

If you decide to paint this Serape pattern please send me a photo i would love to see what you do with this idea!

Thanks so much for watching!

Debi