Look What Paint Did To A Recycled Furniture Project! Before & After

UPDATE 2023: Since writing this (my first blog post), I have continued to save, rescue, paint, refurbish, strip, stain, bleach, decoupage, stencil, antique, distress, etc., etc. neglected and discarded furniture. Take this as a warning! You can’t save just one! The addiction is real, and I would do it all over again.

The Missing Drawers Recycled Furniture Project

We had heard about this guy selling furniture project pieces cheaply, and we were all about that. I was pretty sure he bought most of these pieces from auctions. All we had was an address to go on. Neither one of us had been to his place. Quickly we typed in the address into the GPS thingy, and off we went to find our treasures down a long winding road where we came to a dead end. This had to be the place. Scary!

The Find

The yard was overgrown, and you could see furniture peeking its head above the grass… as if it were crying. PICK ME! In the distance, I could see this bright PINK THING (chest of drawers) minus a few drawers in the corner of an ocean of sad, broken, and forgotten furniture.

If you know me, I was drawn to it like glitter! Just like most of the pieces I find. *insert eye roll

I headed straight to the little chest and then passed it by. There were other fish in the sea, and it was clearly my duty to check them all out. I was on a mission!

Then I made a second round. This time a little slower, but I still wasn’t convinced.

Finally, the third time, let’s just say the nurse in me wasn’t going to let this piece die in this environment. It was a done deal. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. It’s so ugly it’s cute! That’s what my Momma would have said.

Was it the crazy color, or was it speaking to me? Who knows!

So, guess what made it into the back of the truck that day? Along with a few other pieces, of course. But, this one was my FAV!

Product List:

• Vintage Chest (with missing drawers)
• Orbital Sander
• Chalky Paint Turquoise
• Walnut Stain (for the new wood shelf)
• Rub On Polyurethane (to seal the stain)

A Happy Accident!

The dresser had been painted multiple times, and it turned out to be to my benefit. I’m calling that a happy accident!

I chose a beautiful teal chalk paint that complemented the green. After painting over the whole piece with the teal color, I distressed the paint with my orbital sander and 220 grit paper just enough to allow the green and hints of purple/pink (whatever that color was) to peek through.

I would have never put this color combination together, but it worked. New shelving was constructed where the drawers once were, and the new wood was finished with a dark walnut stain. It’s so cute!

Learn how to add a shelf to an old dresser by CLICKING HERE.

The End Results Of Recycled Furniture Makeover

Thanks for stopping by! Hey, if you love a good recycled furniture makeover, check out more of my furniture flips… before and afters, in the related post section below. This is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to share more with you.

Until the next project… xo, Do