Waterfall Dresser Makeover with Pastel Paint Colors
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Waterfall Dresser Makeover with Pastel Paint Colors

I hope you’re having a great Monday! This week I did a waterfall dresser makeover with pastel paint colors and some blending. Before I get started with the tutorial today, I just wanted to comment on the waterfall dresser. Usually when I paint this type of furniture that is also known as “newlywed furniture”, I get a lot of comments from people wanting to know why I’m painted such valuable furniture or painting an antique. To be honest, the value is in the nostalgia. This furniture is part of the Art deco movement and is actually made from plywood. It gained popularity because it was affordable because of how it was produced and the materials used! You could buy a whole bedroom set for $20 to $40 and generations of family members would keep the furniture because it had meaning or it was nostalgic. But this type of furniture was not made to last and if you find it, it’s really common to see chipped veneer and other issues. It doesn’t have much monetary value at all, so to me, why not fix it up and create something beautiful? My point is that I’m not ruining an antique piece of furniture. Now that we’ve cleared that up, keep reading for the actual makeover.

Supply List for the Waterfall Dresser Makeover with Pastel Paint Colors

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from one of these links, I could make a commission at no charge to you.

  1. Surf Prep Sanding Kit (Use coupon code BELLARENOVARE10 )

Step 1: Cleaning and Removing Hardware

This piece needed a good cleaning and I also removed all the hardware since I wasn’t keeping that and had purchased something different for the drawers.

Step 2: Making a Custom Scented Big Mama’s Butta

I’m a big fan of Big Mama’s Butta to revive wood, but this week I decided to make my own custom gingerbread scent and I’m going to show you how to do it yourself.

Here’s all you need to do: Boil some water in a saucepan and put the tin Big Mama’s Butta in the water and wait for it to start melting. Keep stirring as it melts. NOTE: Do not microwave this tin because it’s metal!

You can use any of your favorite oils and if you’d like it strong you can add some extra drops. If you prefer a lighter smell, start with just a couple of drops first. After it has completely melted and you’ve stirred in the oil, set it on a cooling rack and allow it to solidify. It’s now ready to use!

When using Big Mama’s Butta, after applying make sure you wipe off all the excess because it will never fully soak in and will sit on top.

If you have drawers that stick a little bit, Big Mama’s Butta can also be used on the drawer slides so that the drawers don’t stick.

Step 3: How to Fill the Holes in the Drawers

Since I was changing up the hardware on this dresser, I needed to fill in the holes where the old hardware was. My friend Amy from AJs Vintage Designs showed me this trick to keep the mud from getting too messy. When filling holes, put your mud into a little bag and then cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner so that it becomes a piping bag. When filling holes I like to tape the back of the hole so that the mud has a place to stop. Squeeze the mud into the hole, and wait for it to dry. Come back and do another layer because it will shrink a little bit.

Take a piece of sandpaper and sand it off and then do another layer.

Step 4: Painting the Base Coat

After the sanding, I painted the entire piece using B.O.S.S. in Grey which is a blocking primer. This step is important because I wanted to make sure that no tannins come through since I’ll be using pastel colors. My rule of thumb is if I’m using light colors that could show tannins, I use a blocking primer.

I did two coats and allowed it to dry for 24 hours before I started the blending.

Step 5: Adding the Pastel Colors to the Dresser with some Blending

Do you know Leah of Leah Noell Design? My client sent me a photo of a piece that she loved and it was her inspiration for this dresser. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMlIigGgQSF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Beautiful right? I picked a similar pastel color palette for this dresser.

Here’s how the blending process worked: I dabbed the colors that would be complimentary to each other like the yellow next to the pink which would make orange. The blue next to the yellow to make green when combined. And the blue next to the pink to make purple.

I used the Best Dang Brushes for this waterfall dresser makeover. Those brushes are a mix of natural and synthetic bristles. I used a mister bottle and the brush and went in a circular motion. Also, ensure that you use a light hand when blending. In the YouTube video you’ll see the blending process demonstrated.

After that, I used a 10mm sanding pad to smooth it all out and add some distressing.

Step 6: Adding Damask Stencils to the Dresser

Leah from Leah Noell also had a damask pattern on her piece and I applied the Damask stencil with Sandbar so that it would be very light in some area and slightly heavier in others. I moved around the piece and applied the stencil.

Step 7: Adding a Stain Over the Pastel Paint

The piece was looking a little too pastel for me so I mixed some Voodoo Gel Stain in Tobacoo Road and with water to make a glaze. This deepened the color a little bit and made it look less childlike in my opinion. Once that was dry I sealed the dresser with Easy Peasy Spray Wax and it was done!

You Tube Video for Waterfall Dresser Makeover with Pastel Paint Colors



A Look at the Finished Dresser

Want some more Bella Renovare? Here’s a post you may like: https://bellarenovare.com/2019/06/remove-the-old-musty-smell-from-your-furniture/

See you next week and happy creating!

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