Aubusson Blue, Dresser Re-Do

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Aubusson Blue is THE prettiest blue color ever! Get all the details on how I used this gorgeous chalk paint on my $35 thrift store score!

Aubusson Blue Dresser Redo BEFORE artsychicksrule.com

And it is painted in the most fabulous shade of blue! Aubusson Blue.

Yummy!

Aubusson Blue Dresser decorated on top

It went from a dirty, scratched & beat-up thrift store find, to its newfound greatness right here in my own home.
A treasure in the rough for sure! Now a very much loved piece of furniture.
And one that gets the most “oohs and ahhs” every time someone sees it.

Look at the details and the curves.
Goodness just waiting to be revealed.

And yes, quite beat up. The picture is a bit forgiving! (AND missing just ONE handle…bummer!)
The top was in really bad shape. It was scratched, gouged, and stained with something black, all over.

But I had a vision for it.

I wanted to keep the top natural, in a nice deep, rich shade like walnut, and paint the rest.
And knew exactly where I was going to put it.

So home with me, it came!

You can read the post about the “Missing Hardware” dilemma here.

(ok, quick question…do you spell dilemna ….<—-like that or like this —-> dilemma?? I’ve always spelled it dilemna..but apparently, I am wrong. So I changed it to the spell-checked-corrected “dilemma”. Things that make you crazy and that really don’t matter either way!)

And now it looks like this: (Question: I made one of those handles…from scratch..can you tell which one it is?)

blue dresser with bronze hardware

Want to find out which one and how I did it?? You can, >>> here.

And here it is in the middle of the painting process.

blue dresser with drawers out

For this project, I used one of my favorite paints. (I have several)
ASCP (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) in Aubusson Blue.

My FAVORITE color in her chalk paint. Love it…. a whole lot.
Provence is my second favorite and that has nothing to do with this dresser. But it is.

MATERIALS LIST FOR AUBUSSON BLUE DRESSER:

Chalk Paint – Aubusson Blue
Clear Wax
Dark Wax
Wax Brush
Paint Brush (for Chalk Paint)
Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray
Gold Paint
Stripper
Stain
Minwax Polyurethane
Purdy Brush (for stain and finish)

I very lightly distressed this one. (I sand the edges before I wax)
I know Annie Sloan recommends doing it after waxing but I personally like doing it before.

Next, I mixed a bit of her dark wax in with some clear wax.
Just a very tiny bit.
I waxed the entire piece and hand-buffed to create that gorgeous sheen.

one side of blue dresser

Isn’t that color just fabulous???? Love in a can.
Really, it is.

I don’t have any pictures of the stripping and sanding part.
Sorry, bad blogger I know.
But I used my absolutely favorite stripper and my handy dandy little best friend—>my sander.

(Gloves, safety glasses, and dust masks are a must! Safety first. Always.)

I sanded the top down to reveal a nice, smooth, beautiful wood under all the junk. Then I used this stain for the top.
After that, I put several coats of Satin poly on top. I don’t like things too shiny.

Look at that gorgeous wood…….and that pretty Aubusson blue paint. Oh my.

Want to read about 26 other chalk paint style paints available??
I’ve got the low down for you right here! >>> 26 Types of Chalk Style Paint For Furniture

blue dresser with stained top

I love color…and I LOVE paint. But I do love wood peaking through here and there.
Will usually try to keep a bit in some of my re-dos.

Sometimes.

My husband always tells (warns?) everyone….”don’t sit too still, she might paint ya!”

That’s right, I just might! He’s a funny one.

blue dresser bronze hardware

The hardware all got a quick spray with Oil Rubbed Bronze and a touch of gold.

blue dresser with bronze hardware

Here she is, all finished and ready to be re.loved! (*edited with an updated photo below on 01/02/14–notice new wall color? — you can see more on this post here)

PIN it to save it!

Chalk Paint Re-do!! LOVE This color!! artsychicksrule.com #chalkpaint #aubussonblue #dressermakeover #paintedfurniture #bluefurniture #bluedresser

So…… is it dilemna or dilemma? And do you love this shade of blue as much as I do?

You might also like this similar makeover (but with Annie Sloan’s new color, GIVERNY!)…

wood stained dresser before

See it here >>> Giverny Chalk Paint Chest Makeover With White Wax
This one had missing wood flourishes, as you can see, which I also made to match! :)

UPDATE 10/18!! Did you love this Aubusson Blue Dresser? Well, I’ve since given it ANOTHER makeover!
See it here >>> Chalk Paint Dresser Makeover…Again! 

 Happy painting! 


40 Comments

  1. Since I haven’t done this process (yet), is it the paint or do you sand to have the wood peaking through? BTW, I am now following your posts via email since I hope to learn more from you.

    1. This particular paint does make it easier to “distress” but yes, you do have to sand lightly on the edges to have the wood peek through. With the chalk paint you can even use a damp rag to lightly remove some of the paint in areas.
      So glad you are following me! :) I love to DIY and I have so much more to share yet!
      Nancy

  2. I love your dresser transformation! Thank you so much for sharing it at my Twirl & Take a Bow party! Stop by tomorrow to see it featured! Feel free to grab a “featured” button too! Have a great week.
    Leslie
    House on the Way

    1. Thank you. :) I am using it in my study. It is getting ready to get a decorating makeover though! Not the dresser but the items on top and the wall behind it. :) I will take pictures once that is complete!
      (things are always changing around here ;) )
      Thanks for stopping by!!
      xo
      Nancy

  3. I absolutely love your dresser!! It’s my inspiration for a dresser I am going to be painting for my boys’ room!!!

    1. Hi Abby! Thanks so much! :) It’s one of my most favorite pieces in my home…and one that gets a lot of attention too! Nancy

    2. Hi there – I see this chest of drawers was done a while back from the comments, well a few years! However I just wanted to query that the colour you used was actually Aubusson blue as it looks more like ASCP Greek Blue or even Giverny! Aubusson is so much darker. The transformation is brilliant and I love the colour chosen – have been following you for a few months only …. it was this colour that caught my eye for a project and I use mainly ASCP on all my upcycling projects and so checked tjecolour chart – did you mix it with Provence perhaps??!
      Anyway I think your work is fab!

      1. Hi Siobhan!

        Oh no, this is 100% Aubusson Blue. Giverny wasn’t even around back then! ;) But no, I didn’t mix it with anything. It could be the computer monitor that may be making it look different. If you do a search of my furniture makeovers for “aubusson” on my blog, you’ll see they are all the same. Another thing it could be, if you happen to reside outside of the US, the formulation could be a bit different. Other than that, I have no idea! I’ve bought many cans since I painted the dresser and they are all the same here. :) Also, thank you for the nice words, I appreciate it much! xoxo Nancy

  4. I’m new to your blog, found you thru Get your DIY on (I think). Love to see how great bloggers do their pieces. I’m yet to do anything important, just some of my own older pieces I’ve had for ages. Thought that would be a good start, no problem if they don’t come out the way I’ve hoped they will. Good practice.
    Love how you did the dresser, so nice, the top is gorgeous with the pretty blue. I’m not able to buy Annie Sloan so if I use chalk paint it has be made by me.
    The hardware on your dresser is so nice, looks like you cleaned it up but looks great with blue paint/walnut top. Love the wood top much better than if it was painted. I’ve noticed many bloggers redo wood tops, so glad.
    Happy week

    1. Hi,
      Thanks so much! I love to leave some wood on some of the pieces I do. I love the mix of the color & wood combo. Thanks so much for stopping by!
      :)
      Nancy

  5. Real quick question… Do you paint the inside of the drawers? I’m getting ready to do my first dresser and I’m excited but I’m not sure about the inside of the piece.

    1. Hi,
      It depends on the piece. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I’ll even line them with paper. Just depends really. If it is in bad shape then I definitely do one of the 2!!
      Nancy

  6. So you stripped the piece before painting it the beautiful blue? If so, was that to keep the blue color at it purest? Looks like I’m going to attempt making a handle, thanks for that info!! ~Cynthia

    1. Hi Cynthia,
      Nope, I didn’t strip anything except the top that I sanded and re-stained/poly’d. The rest of the dresser got washed and painted. No other prep but the washing. That’s the beauty of the Chalk Paint. The color you see is what resulted from about 2 coats directly over the old finish.
      You are so welcome…let me know how it turns out if you do the handle. You can add wire for stability and I know there are other clay products that will work too.
      Good luck!
      Nancy

    1. Okay! ;) I swear I learned it as “dilemna” growing up! lol I’ve actually searched Google and apparently this might have been a regional learning thing (lots of info on this discussion there). I’ve read of others who said they learned it that way too. I’ve given up on the “n” and am all in on the spelling “dilemma” now though! :) And thank you so much, it’s a favorite of mine! xo

  7. Hi Nancy!

    Thank you for taking the time to reply to me about my query of the ASCP colour. I have a feeling it is a combination of the light in the photographs and perhaps the US paint supply being slightly different. Perhaps can see why I was confused from the screen shots below!

    Anyway, I’m pleased to find your work and I’m enjoying following your projects.

    My very best
    Siobhan
    The Tiger Bunny Shop
    image1.jpeg
    image2.jpeg

    1. You are very welcome Siobhan! I do believe it might be the formulation differences. Sorry, I can’t see the images you added here but you can send them to me at nancy (at) artsychicksrule (dot) com. :)

  8. Hi Nancy,

    I ‘ve been working on a desk following the instructions for your beautiful Aubusson Blue dresser. It’s looking good, however I feel it’s too dark after applying the dark wax. Is there any way I can brighten the desk up?

    my best,
    Darlene

    1. Hi Darlene! You can try using some clear wax over the top of it, sort of applying it all over, and rubbing back to help remove some of the dark. If that doesn’t remove enough, you could try using some mineral spirits to remove the dark wax and begin again. (or just remove it where it’s too much and reapply) For any re-dos just be sure to mix only a bit of the dark in with clear wax so it won’t be too dark. I hope that helps! :)

      1. It worked! I applied a 3rd coat of wax. I used the Annie Sloan clear wax and buffed it out. I can’t believe how great this project is turning out. Thank you so much Nancy. :)

  9. Oh my goodness! The color is divine! It’s so beautiful on that dresser. Thanks for sharing how you made the replacement handle. I can’t tell the difference between the two. Good job!

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