My heart and eye are always drawn to the cast-offs. I think I even do the same people. I was always befriending the kids in school that no one wanted to play with. Yes, I was made fun of and assumptions were made, but I didn't care. That's how I felt about this worn out Mid Century Modern dresser I found online. At first, it needs some attention, but that's easy-peasy. Check out how I'm going to turn this into an Ikat Mid Century Modern dresser. Let's have some fun!
What's Ikat you say? Ikat is a fabric made from an Indonesian decorative technique where the threads are tie-dyed before weaving. Some say ee-kat, while others say eye-kat. I go with the latter for today, but say it both ways. You can see an antique rocking chair I rebuilt and upholstered in that kind of fabric
in this post HERE.
POTENTIAL
From the front, you wouldn't see to many issues with it. There are some obvious scribbles and chipped veneer. In addition, if you ran your hand across the drawers, the finish would flake right off.
The top, however, was a a little more complicated.
Loads of wear, staining, and plenty of chipped veneer. The entire thing was so dry and brittle. Boy, it makes you wonder what people do to their furniture that makes it end up like this. Sad.
DIY TIME
First, to get this looking like the Ikat Mid Century Modern dresser I'm after, I filled the holes with wood filler.
See Lily eyeing the skylight above? She was watching a large moth that got trapped in the window. I'm assuming it rode in on our firewood. No worries though. She couldn't reach it, but I did with a ladder and my kids butterfly net and took it outside. haha.
Okay, so my leopard looking dresser is ready for the next steps of sanding with my sander.
I was kinda hoping that the staining would come out of the top and I might be able to get away with staining, but that was no use. However, the stains were too bad, so we are on to painting. As a result, I did have to use a bit of Kilz primer to block the stains on top.
PAINT TIME
Next, it's time to add a pretty soft peach color paint to get the job started. You can see how I've used this color before on this Mid Century piece
HERE.
After two coats and letting cure in between, I move on to the faces of the drawer fronts. Notice I used the Apricot on the drawer pulls, but on the face I'm going for a fun color contrast of blue.
Since I will be adding a stencil to this to create the Ikat Mid Century Modern dresser I'm after, this blue is the perfect backdrop. Again, I applied two coats of the blue letting it cure in between coats.
STENCIL FUN
Here is the Ikat stencil I'll be using. Are you ready for some more color fun? I am!
Stenciling is fun, and so easy to do with practice. I chose to use 4 different colors to create my pattern: Apricot, Vintage Duck Egg, Bleached Linen, and a Blue (yet to be named by me). A stencil brush or blunt stiff brush is key to getting it right, and the "less is more" mentality as well.
Place your stencil into position and use painter's tape to hold it in place. Dip a bit of paint on your brush and tamp it off on a piece of scrap newspaper. Then, working in circular motions, fill the spaces. I used smaller brushes for the smaller designs.
Notice I'm working the pattern across the top and then down the fronts. Also, you could work down and then across as well. Either way is fine, just be sure to make your patterns line up.
Next, it's time for the topcoat. In order to create a bit more dimension, I decided to use my gray wax.
THE REVEAL
Last, I buffed the wax with a soft cloth, and left to cure. Done! {{happy dance}} Take a peek at my video tutorial below. In it I share more tips & tricks used in my decision to paint.
Aren't those colors so pretty? I just love the way the blush color softened this piece right up. The blue made for the perfect backdrop for my stencil and showcases that beautiful bow front on this dresser.
Now those stains and damage on the top are gone. Yahoo!! It feels so good to see a piece made new. It makes what I do worth doing. I'm sure you know what I mean.
VINTAGE VIGNETTE
I created my entire vignette for staging with thrifted finds. Staging is supremely fun in my line of work. Incidentally, I shopped my home and had a blast bringing it all together.
This Ikat Mid Century Modern dresser is now available in
my online store if you'd like to make it your own. In addition, some of the staging pieces are available too. Stop by to see.
And...just for fun...
Also, pin and share this Ikat Mid Century Modern dresser makeover. So many potential furniture projects just waiting for some fun!
Up next, my six kids are taking center stage to show you what they do with these cupboard doors. Also, you can see where they came from
HERE. Take a peek at what they all became
in this post. Woot!
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