For the Love of Chevron

Thanks to a magical place called Pinterest (where all things awesome sauce happen), "trendy" is no longer for Bieber fever-afflicted tweens - it's for everyone! In the land of Pinterest, trees are wrapped in burlap & twine, the sun is made from mason jar lanterns, the sky is coral with creamy mint-colored clouds,  and the streets are paved in chevron. But these trends aren't so trendy for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them all, and I would gladly surround myself with them forever - no regrets. That's right! Tattoo me in contrasting colors and symmetrical patterns! This week I dove face-first into a very "pinteresting" project of my very own. It has it all!  DIY, upcycling, trendy color schemes, organization, decor, and if I scarfed down some Nutella while doing jumping jacks and laughing at people in Walmart - It really would have it all, Pinterest style. A buddy gave me a free chest of drawers, and I redressed it - taking it from functional to friggin' phenomenal!  All it took was 4 different paints, two types of brushes, and - of course - the biggest factor: time. The pay off is HUGE, so it was time well spent if you ask me.

before Ewww. That dresser might be free but it sure is ugly! Start by removing the drawers and hardware and prepare a painting area. I'm using a gigantic flattened cardboard box and some newspaper - smack in the middle of my living room. Paint the sides, frame, top and hardware white (Behr Premium Plus Paint & Primer in Ultra Pure White). I used a small roller brush for the larger areas and a small hand brush to get into all the nooks and crannies. It took 3 coats of white paint. I used a chevron pattern on the fronts of the pull out drawers and sides of the dresser.  I printed this chevron template from Vivaciously Vintage onto card stock, then cut it out to create my pattern stencil. Align your stencil onto your piece and trace lightly around the pattern with a pencil. Neatly, using the small brush, paint your color of choice (I'm using Behr Premium Plus Antique Tin mixed with white for this light gray coloring) within the stenciled lines. Take your time and stay within the lines as much as possible. If you slip and mess up then remove the paint while its still wet using a clean damp paper towel. The first coat is the biggest pain in the butt and the most time consuming but it's way better than taping everything. Taping sucks. Paint the sides of the drawers and hardware (I'm using bright yellow craft paint). Wait for everything to dry thoroughly, then apply as many coats as needed until your paint is opaque and to your satisfaction. I did 3 coats of each, gray and yellow, plus a couple of touch-ups here and there. After everything was painted and dry I applied 2 thin coats of polyurethane gloss varnish on all surfaces of the dresser, including the hardware. Let your piece dry (preferably overnight), add your hardware, and voila! All done! The subtle drawer sides and handles are perfect for bold bright accent colors without being too flashy.afterThe possibilities for a dresser like this one are endless. You can paint your furniture to match any color scheme in your home. My bedroom colors are dark purple and cream with white and yellow accents. Now that I've completed this piece I'm starting to look at my other furniture differently.  Ignacio has a short Ikea Malm dresser that's pretty beat up. I'll be painting it all gray with a white chevron design and bright yellow accents to make his and hers dressers! Cheers to free furniture and leftover paints by the gallon!