Episode 5 if here! YAYYY! If you missed it, see Episode 4: See You at the Altar and watch all of the OMG We Bought A House episodes here!
The in-laws are a-comin', so of course we needed to prep the guest room for their arrival. A plain room with an old dresser and bed just aren't going to cut it to impress our guests so Joey and I got to decorating and DIYing! Watch the video above to see the entire transformation including how we spruced up a thrift store dresser (that we got for $60) in a matter of hours using a two-tone design, textured spray paint and rope handles.
Please comment and let us know what you think? Is it in-law ready? We still have a lot to do... including getting some actual curtains in the guest room. What do you want to see us do next?
We painted over the orange paint with a dusty blue color and the tray ceiling in pure white - see the old orange paint here and put in our old queen size bed and a dresser we got at the thrift store.
Ta da! I love how the dresser looks - the two tone is a perfect mix of masculine and feminine and the sand textured spray paint really covered the imperfections on the drawers. The canopy bed is a Campaign Canopy Bed - similar one here. Now all we need is some blindes and a rug... always a work in progress but I think for now, it's cozy and welcoming for guests.
DIY Two Tone Textured Dresser with Rope Handles
This dresser had been DIY'ed a couple times already before we bought it from the thrift store, some of the handles were broken and it despretely needed a fresh coat of paint. I came up with the two-tone design to bring in the masculine/feminine juxtaposition I have going on throughout the rest of the house - see my vibe tray here - and the textured spray paint is a unique solution to conceal the imperfections on the drawers (don't use it on surfaces you touch because it's a bit rough). I also love how the rope handles look... kind of nautical!
Prep It:
- an old dresser (we found ours at a thrift store)
- a drop cloth
- sand paper
- natural rope - we used 3/8" diameter
- paintbrushes
- spray paint primer in white if you're going light or grey if you're going darker
- x-acto knife or scissors to cut rope
- contact cement (optional, to secure the rope knots)
- gray paint (we used Valspar's Man Cave)
- white textured spray paint
- wood putty - optional if you need to fill in any holes from the previous drawer pulls
- drill with a 1/2" drill bit
Mr. Kate Conjure Feather Ring
DO IT!:
- Remove old hardware and plug up any unneeded holes with wood putty, let dry and sand smooth.
- Drill holes for rope handles - either drill the existing holes larger or create new ones. We used 3/8" rope and drilled 1/2" holes.
- Sand down any super rough areas on surfaces you're not painting with the textured spray paint and white clean with a damp rag
- Spray the body of the dresser with the gray primer, and the drawers with white primer.
- Paint the body the color of your choice, and use the textured spray paint for the drawers. Let dry.
- Cut lengths of rope for the handles - make sure to give yourself enough slack to tie two knots. Tie a knot on one end and feed the rope through the two holes, creating a loop in the front of the drawer and tie a second knot on the inside of the drawer. Trim the rope and you can use contact cement to secure the knot if needed.
Decor supplies!
That painting I did in high school using watercolors, the chair is from the thrift store (which I want to reupholster soon) and the straw bags are from the flea market. A tray of rolled white towels is a fun touch of spa luxury for your guests.
More decor items I've collected from around - I like to browse stores like World Market and Home Goods in addition to thrift shops.
Yay! I kept the bedding white with accent pillows and throw blankets to bring in color and texture.
What do you think? I hope you and our future guests love it! xx
