I painted a vintage (not antique) solid wood dresser... sue me!

Ok! Ok! Hear me out....

I don't love it either but its better than a poorly made, overpriced dresser from Ikea that will fall apart in a couple years. With a very specific size and look in mind, I found the perfect one for my project after scrolling Facebook Marketplace for a couple days. It had already been resanded and flipped for a great price.

The dirty work was already done for me and the leg details were an added bonus. All I had to do was make it my own.

Before you see the pictures of me starting to paint this dresser, you need to understand I have the utmost respect for antiques, especially when it comes to solid wood furniture. I grew up with it and know a good piece when I see one. I was constantly in antique malls and understood the repercussions if I left cold drink on the night stand without a coaster at grandma's.

My mom's most prized possession is my great grandmother's solid oak secretary that traveled from Pennsylvania to Illinois in a covered wagon, as legend has it, and is still in pristine condition.

I'm not one of these people out here painting perfectly aged mahogany, ok?

So... back to my little po-dunk dresser from FBMP.

I'm currently working on our guest bedroom which is also functioning as my closet.

Our three bed, two bath 1950's home is tight on space and storage, and I need a dang spot for my underwear and socks.

I already have a massive oak wardrobe and a standard size pine dresser. Both stained dark to my liking. A third stained piece would have been too much. I needed something to stand out.

With the decision made I was going to paint something, it better be a good concept.

I'm going for an Americana Feminine design in the room. It's true to who I am.

So ballet pink and stripes is what I executed on:

I found a pack of painters tape in varying sizes on Amazon and used Behr paint available at Home Depot.

I mixed the two pinks with the white to get the perfect ballet pink.

The stripes for Americana and ballet pink for the feminine touch. All to often we see the Americana design get played up with boyish finishes. I wanted to take it in a female direction.

Here's how my concept for the dresser came together:

You can check out more of my process on Instagram: @hannah_harrelson_

What do you think? Was painting the solid wood the rest choice? Its not exactly how imagined it but I'm still very happy with how it came together.

Stick around to see how the rest my feminine Americana design comes together!

In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of my labor of love:

Hannah Harrelson is an artist, home design enthusiast, fan of approachable DIY, and creator on Instagram. Loves a thrift find, eclectic americana decor, and cheese. Not afraid of a little cultural conversation.

You can find more on Instagram at @hannah_harrelson_