The White Dresser

One of the biggest questions people have when choosing white furniture is they often do not know what direction to turn towards when decorating because a because the whole spectrum of colors are available to them.  Everything goes with white~ Are you a person that leans towards to bright colors, or are you a person who enjoys color, but just the softer side of it?  Or are you a person who has more formal taste and enjoys the spectrum of whites? There are three main groups of shabby decorating.  First there are fun bright colors that are often associated with beach and cottage decorating.  Ralph Lauren has a collection called Island Brights that captures the colors found in summer flowers.  The Second groups of shabby style is the colors Martha Stewart often uses which are the pastels, teals, light muted colors that flow together.  Third are the spectrum of whites, such as the swedish greys and formal side of shabby.  Check out some of the paint colors you could dare to pair with your white furniture.  (Read More.....)

Apothecary Chests were originally used by medical professionals who dispensed medicine to physicians, surgeons and patients. We now call them pharmacists. These chests are made up of small drawers to accomodate medicine. Today it would be ideal for the collector at heart.  Check out some of the vintage finds............. (Read More.....)

The style fits into the neoclassical periods of style (1795-99), and is known for is distinct use of neoclassical architectural forms, and clean lines.  The furniture styles often feature minimal carving compared to previous french styles.  Wood grained veneers were carried over, and painted or waxed wood became popular as well as decorative painting.  Furniture became more angular and severe compared to the previous curved styles.  Elongated and simple clear lines became the style.  Directoire also had very sparse detail compared to Louis XV furniture.  Ornamentation that was present was often based on ancient Roman objects recovered from Pompeii volcano excavations.  Directoire furniture was the last phase of the Louis XVI style. (Read More.....)

Pickling or white washing finishes are a popular alternative to a solid white dresser.   You can white wash your dresser a number of ways.  The first way is staining your dresser white.  Minwax makes two beautiful white stains that are water based which makes it quite easy to produce the white washed dresser.  You may need to apply several coats after each coat is dry to achieve the look you are after.  The stain is already mixed, and it is just a matter of painting on the stain.  Another way of pickling your dresser is by creating your own stain.  The easiest way is to add glaze, which allows you better control of your paint than simply adding water to your latex paint which is like painting with liquid milk (which I wouldn't suggest).  Both will give you the white washed look you are after.  If you do decide to mix the glaze yourself with the white paint, be sure to add more glaze than paint.  The best thing about working with latex paint and glaze, is if you you added too much paint, you can simply wipe it off.     (Read More.....)

This is a rare 18th century French painted "trompe l'oeile" commode.  What is trompe l'oeil you may ask? Trompe l'oeil is French for 'trick the eye". It is an an art technique involving very realistic painting or imagery that serves a purpose to create an optical illusion of something three dimensional, instead of actually being a two-dimensional painting. In the 18th century, faux painting was extremely popular. Faux marble walls were in demand, and they didn't stop at the walls, furniture was painted as well.  You can get these stunning designs from wallpaper books at your local paint store.   (Read More.....)

This stunning dresser is an 18th century commode.  According to Dixon Lane Antiques, (who is selling this stunning piece) the commode was painted in the early 20th century. They do not know the origins of this dresser, but they do know that the dresser is dated approximately around 1800.  The commode does have some restorations done as most dressers do at this age.  The commode has neoclassical hardware, and is painted beautifully.  Obviously it has a naturally aged patina, and the charm of wear and tear.  If you were to attempt to paint a similar design, be sure to add a touch of brown glaze to your dresser after it is painted white to simulate the aged look of this dresser.  Be sure to add extra glaze and less brown paint, as you do not want it looking dirty.  If you wanted to add the floral details, you can attempt this  several ways.  First, if you are good at free hand painting, this would be the ideal way of painting a dresser that would have the finish of Dixon Lanes 18th century commode.  If you are not good at free had, consider hiring an artist to come in and finish the details.  There are plenty of artists at local colleges who are willing to be paid a fair amount for their time and talent for some pictures to put into their portfolio.  The second way you can add details, without having much artistic talent is to rent an overhead projector, and trace the pattern you wish to transfer.  Then, it would be a matter of filling in the design with water or oil based paints.   Third, you can rent art books from your local library, pick out the design you wish to feature on your dresser, and color photocopy the designs and later cut and paste them on to your dresser.  If you do decide to go this route, be sure to use a glue stick not liquid glue and also seal the dresser with water based sealant such as Minwax's water based polycrylic, not polyurethane.  (Read More.....)