Project #3: Antique Bureau

About 2 years ago, I got this bureau through Freecycle along with a few cans of paint. The bureau was originally white, but I used one of the cans of weird green paint to give it a new color. I thought it looked great, it kind of went with the ceramic knobs that came with it. Jacob has always hated this bureau, but I'm not really sure why. It could be because of the color, or maybe because it really doesn't fit a whole lot, but I love it. It is quirky and ancient and a pretty decent piece of free furniture. 

However, as with many of our old gems, it was time for a face lift. On my inspiration board for the master bedroom, there was this gorgeous navy blue bureau. I knew that with enough patience I could transform my beautiful old gal into that navy bureau. 

I bought 1 pint of Olympic paint and some new brushes and went to town. The color was perfect, it was exactly what I had envisioned. We began to move it upstairs, but the more I began bumping around the drawers, the more we noticed how easy it was for the paint to peel away. My hope is to touch up the scraped areas once we get it in its final place, but I am not sure how well the paint will stand up over time. I did want it to maintain its antique look, but there is a big difference between "antique" and "beat up" although sometimes that may not seem like the case.

The ceramic knobs broke off as I tried to remove them, which is just as well because I had intended to replace them anyway. Lowe's didn't have the selection I had hoped for, and I couldn't find any interesting vintage knobs on Etsy that came in sets of 6. Yesterday, however, I wandered into the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It was wonderful! They had everything you could imagine: hardware, paint, tools, old doors, furniture, bathtubs, and KNOBS. I picked out these gorgeous gold knobs with floral painted ceramic center for $1 each! I couldn't believe what a deal I got! The cashier asked me to come back with a photo of them in action and said that they always love to see how customers use their items. I fully intend to bring photos next time I visit!