Furniture Makeover

Here's a fun fact: when you are the baby of the family, an aunt by the time you're 13, lover of all your friends babies and then go through infertility, you know exactly what you want by the time you have a baby yourself. I had names and nursery plans picked out a while ago and now I seriously can.not.wait. to put everything together!

A few weeks ago (before we were 100% sure that the babe was a girl), we went furniture shopping at local flea markets. For both genders I really wanted a nursery that was some what eclectic and shabby chic, but that still looked nice and put together. For a girl nursery, I wanted something very calm and sweet. We are going with a soft blue color for the walls. Her furniture will be a mix of whites with a few dark wood pieces thrown in. Her walls will have a mixture of gold, white, and soft pink accents. Her bedding and other fabrics will also be a mix of white, gold, and soft pink. Ahhhh…It's going to be my most favorite room. But I digress...

At the flea markets Andrew spotted a potting table. He took one look at it and decided that it was what he wanted to use for the changing table. It is really cool and really unique. It would absolutely look good in a boy or girl's nursery, so we got it! I thought we were going to find a dresser to use as a changing table too, but I love that he picked this piece out. After we found the changing table, we knew we had to find a dresser. We decided to look for a tall chest of drawers instead of a long dresser to change things up a bit. We found a perfect one! The hardware on it was a little girly, but I knew the handles could be changed easily for a boy.

I decided to repaint both furniture pieces with a chalk paint that I found at Joann's fabric store. It was less than half the cost of Annie Sloan paint and I absolutely love how easy it was to use and how great it looks!

It's an off white color, but it doesn't look too creamy. 

I started with the dresser. It was already painted in a really cool way, but it wasn't the color I wanted for Claire's nursery. I forgot to take a pic before I took the drawers out, but all I had to do was remove the drawers and paint 2 coats on the body and drawers and it was done! I used the original hardware and spray painted the handles gold. 

Before

Before

After 1 coat.

After (and in the nursery where it will stay). I plan to hang her coming home dress either in a frame or by itself on a hanger of some sort up above it. 

The changing table was super easy as well. After just 2 coats, it was finished. Love it! 

Before

After. You can see a sample of the paint that we are going to use for the walls and the cross was spray painted in the same gold as the handles on the chest of drawers. I hope to put all of her lotions, wipes, and things on that top shelf. The changing pad on the wide shelf. Tall baskets underneath, and hopefully a 2 tiered shelf of some sort beside it to hold extra diapers and other necessities.  I hope to put a collage of some sort above this. 

When both pieces were finished, I did cover over them with the Annie Sloan wax. Thankfully Leslie had some left over and it didn't take much to cover both pieces. I was also able to paint both pieces out in the garage when we were having our awesome week of 70-80 degree weather…in July…in Arkansas. Yes, please. 

I can't wait to see the whole room complete!