Living Room Dresser

I've had this dresser for about 15 years or so.  I bought it during my "I'm gonna' change a dresser into a bathroom vanity" phase (that I still want to do), but it was too tall.

After seeing all of the inspirational postings using chalk paint out there, I decided this would be my first project.

This is ASCP in Graphite.  It goes on a lighter shade of black than I anticipated, at first. Almost a dark grey/black.  But once it's waxed (I used dark on this to deepen the color a little more), it looks amazing.

I left the top alone and just gave it a coat of clear wax and a good buffing.  After staring at it a while, I decided to add a graphic from here to the top using this:

Just a note.... I got this carbon paper the last time we went to Mass. to visit my man's family.  I liked the box itself, not thinking I'd actually use what was in it.  After this project, I'm very happy to have a all three boxes!

By the way... try explaining the concept of Carbon Paper to a 15 year old (who's most likely never SEEN a typewriter, much less used one.)  It's that "I don't gettit..." look!

I took the graphic and increased the size & resolution in Photoshop.  Then cut the larger image into 4 equal parts, pasted those on 4 individual sheets of 8 1/2 x11 paper and printed them out.

Then I trimmed each sheet so it would line up in the middle and taped it all together as one piece.  Then I taped that one piece, centered on the top of the dresser, with painter's tape on the left side (so I could lift the image as I needed without moving it out of place.

Then it was just a matter of placing a sheet of carbon paper between the image and the dresser top and tracing the image.  Some Graphite paint, wax & buffing, and this is what I wound up with:

Because of the height of the dresser (not to mention the glare from the windows and the skylight above) it was difficult to get a really good shot, or even one that shows the entire piece.  But it turned out beautifully and I couldn't be happier with the result.  Eventually this will be moved to the big vacant wall on the other side... it's a start!

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