A Thoughtful Place

A Thoughtful Place is a California based lifestyle blog about design, fashion, gatherings and the occasional from the heart post.

Before and After: Map Dresser

by 24 Comments

So if you have been following for a while, you may remember the red dresser I had big plans for. It looked like this. IMG_6670 It’s a table that has been in our family for three generations and is very special to me. I knew I wanted to keep it in my son’s room as I transformed it into a big boy room. When I stumble upon Kristine’s cabinet makeover at The Painted Hive I knew I wanted to do something similar. Here is a look at her gorgeous cabinet. You may also remember that I found these knobs at Anthropologie and fell in love. Only problem is that they are 2 1/2 inches wide and way too large for the scale of my little dresser. So they will pop  up in the room somewhere else. anthro nob I ended up finding these at World Market and was really happy with their aged look. The decorative part reminded me a bit of a compass rose as well. Perfect. IMG_8137 At first I painted the dresser brown . . . and it was AWFUL. I found the second paint color and fell in love. When I take my two year old to Home Depot the only thing that really buys me some time is giving him one of the Mickey Mouse ear paint chips. That’s when I discovered “Galaxy Black”. I had them match the color and fill a sample jar for me. That’s all it took for two coats on the dresser. It’s actually a black that has a great deal of blue and green in it, so it appears to be a dark navy/black color.  I used a map of Italy {actually a piece of wrapping paper!} which holds special meaning to me. Thanks to a little bit of mod podge the dresser is now finished! IMG_8149 IMG_8138IMG_8139IMG_8140IMG_8146IMG_8148 I think I might take advantage of the brown layer underneath and sand some of the edges. As of now, it’s the only element of our little man’s big boy room. I will  tackle the rest of it after the holidays. Here is a an idea of where we are going with it. 2010-11-24 The ABC print is from couture prints and I am loving it. Just not ready to admit my baby is ready for a big boy bed! Linking it Up: Monday:   Keeping it Simple Tuesday:   House of Grace                   My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Friday:     The Shabby Nest                       Remodelaholic                       Chic on a Shoestring Decorating                        Miss Mustard Seed Saturday: A Little Lovely Sunday:     Under the Table and Dreaming

Comments

  1. Raine and Sage says

    10/10 Courtney! This is an excellent transformation, and it looks so sophisticated and stylish. Love that you've repurposed a piece of furniture that has sentimental value, it makes it even more special. Absolutely gorgeous!!

    Reply

  7. Megan {Honey We're Home} says

    You'd never know that the dresser was red and then brown- it looks great black. I think a little distressing would be a nice touch if you decide to do that. What a fun idea to add that map paper to the top! I like your idea board for the room too. I'm making an alphabet board for James' room, but I like your print better! They grow up too fast . . .

    Reply

  9. Michaela says

    You did such a great job, girl! I agree with Megan, it's great black! And the knob choice was great, too. The ABC print is adorable, can't wait to see it all come together (:

    Reply

  15. Kelsey says

    I love the transformation. I receieved a blue night stand which looks similiar to this, and I am going to use your finished product as inspiration! It is going in my son's train themed room 🙂

    Reply

  23. Charlotte says

    Hi, The nightstand looks amazing! I absolutely love the galaxy black color (and the name just sounds cool)! Could you tell me the brand name so I can find it a bit easier at Home Depot, please? And I had no idea Home Depot would do a sample jar. I hope they do that at mine. My husband is going to kill me if I buy another 30 dollar gallon of paint! 😉 Thanks so much!

    Reply

  24. Charlotte says

    Also, I nearly chocked on my soda with excitement over your foyer table that you put the map on top. I have been checking Craig's List free section for something similar ever since, but no go…people have smartened up and are beginning to sell what others consider junk nowadays, and for a pretty hefty price, too! Maybe I'll get lucky, but until then I have found this miniature beauty below for just some chump change! She calls it an end table but says it's quite large. My husband needs this badly for his man cave, and I plan on doing the map thing using the Galaxy Black 😉 Only problem is the lady was a bit flaky when I called and asked to come and get it – she practically hung up on me telling me she'd call me later after she checked her "schedule." Maybe her boss was coming or something, not sure, but she was definitely strange. lol At any rate, I got my fingers crossed that I can get this! Check it out:

    http://daytona.craigslist.org/fuo/4139027539.html

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *