The dresser that almost wasn't!

Its been a few days since I've posted anything, we took a much needed break to Vegas!! Just the hubby and I and it was so great to relax and be in some hot weather.

 Before we left I had scored this great dresser! I will call this dresser "The dresser of fate". It was posted on a great facebook page here in my town and someone scooped it up and took it home... no big deal you cant get them all...or so I thought. I didn't even really pay attention to it when it was first posted because I was working on a few projects at the time. Well low and behold the dresser didn't work for what the owner wanted and they re posted it. I still didn't know this as I hadn't checked the page for a while. Someone tagged my name in it and claimed it for me! I was very grateful because stuff goes pretty quick on that site. I jumped in my SUV and headed out to pick up the dresser I didn't know I wanted! When I got there we realized that the dresser was too big for my SUV, I was just about to tell the owner I would pass it on to the next person in line for it but he spoke first and said "That's OK I'll deliver it to you!" Well this blew my socks off!!!! It was meant to be...had to be right? So he delivered it like the kind man he is and my husband and I pushed it into the entrance. 

And this is where it had to stay..it weighed a TON! 

The drawers had this inlay of leather and some pretty streamline handles. This piece screamed RETRO to me! 

Out came the drawers and...in went the toddler! Re purposing furniture with a toddler near by is always a great 'fun' experience! We found 2 odd socks and 31 cents in the back!

 I started by tapping off all the drawers and sides to protect the leather. 

 Then the entire piece got a coat of primer and was left to sit for 4 days while I soaked up the sun in Vegas! (Doesn't everyone let their paint set by going to Vegas?) 

 The same night we got home I got right back at it! Giving it all a fresh coat of red. I needed to get this piece done as soon as possible....it was in my living room!  

After a few coats of red I rubbed the entire piece with a dark stain to give it some depth. You can see just the plain red on the left and the red with the stain on the right. 

When everything was dry I decided to pull off the tape to reveal the glorious masterpiece....disappointed!!! 

Because I couldn't secure the tape on the inside of the leather the paint bled through!!!!! AHHHHH what now??? I tried everything google told me to do...nail polish remover, oil, vinegar...nothing worked! Then I got a bucket of hot water and put in a scoop of resolve oxy action powder. I took a nail cuticle stick and a cloth and thank goodness it worked! But I will not butter this up and say it came off with a breeze...No, no, no it took A LOT of work! 

After a night of scrubbing paint off leather (not my kind of fun) I left it and went to bed hoping to wake up with fresh perspective and a little less hate for this dresser! I had to get an artist brush out and touch up all the drawers and sides because all the scrubbing was starting to rub some paint off of the drawers again under the lip. It was a PROCESS let me tell you! Never again will I tackle a dresser with leather faced drawers. But looking at the final product I am very happy with it! 

One more shot of the before and after:

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Let me know what you think of the transformation!