PDA

View Full Version : Swanky dresser paint-o-rama!


LSPoorEeyorick
05-09-2008, 10:34 AM
I'm posting this in Hepcat because it's important to accessorize one's home, too!

We were on the hunt for a swanky looking retro sideboard for months, and last February, we came across one in an unlikely place, an odd little independent store in Burbank mostly populated with cheaply-made clothes and odd accessories. We'd wandered in because a lovely tiffany-lamp-styled umbrella caught my eye, but tucked in the back was an incredible (and extremely reasonably-priced) antique art deco dresser. You can't even get cardboardy IKEA furniture for that price. We fell in love, and we brought it home. (Sadly, I have no picture of this, some of you have seen it and some more will see it soon at the Indy screening or the reading party.)

Last weekend, we were strolling by the area again, and this little number stopped us in our tracks. We couldn't resist it, and again it was being sold for waaay less than crap furniture costs!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/powerswaterworks/dresserpost.jpg

But the colors aren't working with our bedroom. Then again, our bedroom has been feeling kind of bland to me. White walls are becoming oppressive. I love our red bedspread (you can see a corner of it; it's not quite as bright as it seems) and we have a couple awesome black wall fixtures, a sconce and a shelving unit. But I can't figure out what to do about the walls and accents.

I had been thinking about aqua and red as a cool combination. But Tom (who is colorblind) does not like the combination. Red and yellowy gold were our wedding colors, but that doesn't go with the great silver hardware on the dresser. What to do!

I'm going to play with photoshop... see what I can come up with (and make sure Tom really hates the aqua/red.) But so many of you are so creative with a good visual eye, so I figure you might have cool ideas I'm not thinking of. Any thoughts?

LSPoorEeyorick
05-09-2008, 11:58 AM
Crude paintshop job, but here's my first combination...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/powerswaterworks/dresser_red_aqua.jpg

LSPoorEeyorick
05-09-2008, 12:07 PM
And another...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/powerswaterworks/dresser_red_yellow.jpg

Deebs
05-09-2008, 12:09 PM
The aqua and red really does work with the style of the piece.

*runs and hides from Tom*

How about just aqua and black? Or if Tom really can't stomach the aqua, how about royal blue and black? Your red bedspread would look great with it, either way.

Snowflake
05-09-2008, 12:26 PM
What a fabulous F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S piece of furniture LSPE.

I vote for aqua.....:)

JWBear
05-09-2008, 12:30 PM
I like em both (and I'm usually not a fan of yellow).

Capt Jack
05-09-2008, 12:33 PM
not a fan of natural wood? I was thinking strip it, re-stain it

innerSpaceman
05-09-2008, 12:49 PM
Definitely strip and restain instead of paint. You can stain in many colors, so it doesn't have to be a wood tone or black. But the piece is marvelous, and if possible, would look way better stained instead of painted.


Heheh, usually it's the hardware that you replace to make an insignificant piece look snazzy. In this case, the hardware is the keeper. Strip the rest down.

LSPoorEeyorick
05-09-2008, 12:58 PM
Ehh - I'm not actuallly that fond of stained wood. Tom and I only like really dark stain, and if I'm correct, that only works on particular types of wood. I am looking to bring more color to the party, I think.

Snowflake
05-09-2008, 01:13 PM
Well, echoing iSm, there are good colored stains available (might be Sherwin Williams, I can't remember) but mage color choices.

I agree, the hardware on this is awesome, and I do like the drawer layout. Wish I'd found it!

Gemini Cricket
05-09-2008, 01:27 PM
That's cool. How'd you do that? Do you have a Wacom Pad or something. I want to get one of those.
:)

Kevy Baby
05-09-2008, 02:56 PM
How about the best of both worlds: stain it AND have colors. There are colored stains (http://www.vandykes.com/product/02238362/) that you can get colors besides wood tones.

http://www.vandykes.com/images/products/02238072-lg.jpg

http://www.vandykes.com/images/products/02238217-lg.jpg

http://www.vandykes.com/images/products/02238362-lg.jpg

Cadaverous Pallor
05-09-2008, 03:32 PM
Aqua. I'd try a different pattern though. How about painting the top and bottom row one color, and the middle row the other?

Morrigoon
05-09-2008, 03:41 PM
I like the aqua, but if Tom doesn't, then you could do red & light grey

JWBear
05-09-2008, 03:46 PM
I like the aqua, but if Tom doesn't, then you could do red & light grey

Oooo... That would be sweet! :snap:

innerSpaceman
05-09-2008, 04:30 PM
oooh, yeah, alternating rows might look cool, perhaps even better than the neat checkerboard look.


No one will shun you if you go for paint. It's certainly gobs less work, and would end up "brighter" than even colored stain.


I still recommend you spend countless man hours stripping and re-staining it. It's a cool piece worth tons of (your, not my) effort. Heheh!

Capt Jack
05-09-2008, 04:38 PM
another option is veneers. I know you said youre not looking to do natural or stains, but there are indeed other options beyond paint

http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/

be sure and check out 'purpleheart'

Gemini Cricket
05-09-2008, 04:41 PM
I say go for LoT colors: blue, blue and blue.

Cadaverous Pallor
05-09-2008, 04:58 PM
.

Kevy Baby
05-09-2008, 04:58 PM
be sure and check out 'purpleheart'Purpleheart gets pretty dark - close to black - after a while.

Cadaverous Pallor
05-09-2008, 05:01 PM
Can't stop now!

GusGus
05-09-2008, 05:22 PM
me like

JWBear
05-09-2008, 06:30 PM
Too busy. Stick with two colors.

innerSpaceman
05-09-2008, 06:32 PM
Hey would someone playing photoshop please fix the hardware handle on the top, left cabinet? Thanks.


Also, if the O.P. was concerned about this getting confused with fashion if posted in the Hep Cat forum, perhaps "swanky dresser" was not the best title choice.

:p

Not Afraid
05-09-2008, 06:37 PM
If your going to go all segmented with it, maybe a Mondiran influence would be the way to go.

http://alberto.zin.googlepages.com/Mondrian_preview.jpg/Mondrian_preview-full.jpg

However, if you are looking for a 1050's look that aqua and black would be my pick with black and titty pink coming in a close second influenced by this:

http://www.verdugomonthly.com/media/14/shop01-02.jpg

Also, maybe try a pattern on the lighter color:

http://www.pastense.com/gifs/Form_Boom_a2-small.JPG

Kevy Baby
05-09-2008, 06:44 PM
Hey would someone playing photoshop please fix the hardware handle on the top, left cabinet? Thanks.How's this:

GusGus
05-09-2008, 06:46 PM
well, that explains a few things in our house!;)

Kevy Baby
05-09-2008, 06:59 PM
It isn't perfect, but it should at least be workable:

JWBear
05-09-2008, 07:12 PM
I like NA's Mondrian idea.

Kevy Baby
05-09-2008, 07:19 PM
I like NA's Mondrian idea.No, it's a Mondiran idea



(See her post)

Morrigoon
05-10-2008, 12:03 AM
Okay, so here are a couple.

My original suggestion:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/morrigoon/random/dresser2.jpg

A combo I came across accidentally while screwing around with the colors:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/morrigoon/random/dresser.jpg