Monday, December 9, 2013

When Your DIY Fails


I've put off blogging about this painted dresser because, truth be told, the project was a disaster. It started out as a basic blonde wood dresser with no hardware, and I really thought it would be a simple project--just add paint and pretty pulls to the drawer fronts. But from start to finish there wasn't a single thing that didn't go wrong. (I'm not exaggerating! Ask my husband!)  Major DIY failure, it was, and my plans to use it as a guest room dresser have been ditched. It's just not up to snuff. (Instead, I'm thinking I'll put it in the garage and use it to store my craft supplies.)

So I'm really not proud of this piece. I know it looks decent in these photos but there are so many problems with how it turned out (you don't want to look inside the drawers). I made silly mistakes, the dresser had issues to begin with--cheap wood, mainly--the paint was extremely tempermental, and I had to go to Lowe's at least three times to find the right screws. Needless to say, I learned a lot about what not to do.

But I wanted to blog about it because the one thing I do like about it is the color scheme I picked. I absolutely love this inky blue against the brassy/gold hardware. It's a color combination I plan to use again in the future. It's certainly bold so I'm imagining it in smaller doses--a dainty, deep blue nightstand with modern gold pulls against a bed piled high with fluffy white pillows and a bright white comforter? Sounds so elegant and romantic to me.


So when your DIY fails--try to learn from your mistakes. Search for something redeeming about the project. Finish it, even if you feel like quitting halfway. And give your husband a kiss when he brings you a glass of wine to sip between coats of paint. He knows you need it.




9 comments:

  1. Ohhh I love that color for a nightstand! Do it! And temperamental paint is SUCH a pain. Been there. It's no fun. But, yeah, in these pics it looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. She isn't exaggerating! haha
    I love it anways.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holy crows, you read my mind about the nightstand bit! I'm actually working (like, right now) on a bedroom design very similar to the one you described above, so... thanks for the support ;) And you're right, the dresser does look better than how you are describing it (as having turned out bad)! Is it the paint job (quality of application) worrying you or the dose of colour? But I really, really bet your next attempt will be spectacular!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad you agree! I think I will do it! Just have to find the right piece to transform :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh how cool! There are a lot of things worrying me--hehe. The paint just didn't apply well so it doesn't look as polished as I would like. But thanks for the support and hopefully you're right that the next project will be better!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aw! What a beautiful idea it was! It's not worth sanding down & trying again (maybe with some primer first)? Or is the wood just too cheap to really salvage? You had such a beautiful plan (and you're right, the gold is stunning on the blue)! It actually reminds me of this blog that I follow pretty regularly: www.domesticimperfection.com You should see some of the massive re-do's she's undertaken and she almost always experiences major difficulties along the way. I love the honesty (of your post, too)! Sometimes DIY isn't as easy as it seems!

    Anyway, I love the nightstand idea, too! Sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The wood really isn't great quality. Also, the drawers can't be taken out, so that made things difficult. Ugh! Definitely not worth starting over, but it will do as a craft supplies dresser in the garage :) I'll check out that other blog, thanks for the link, Stacey!

    ReplyDelete
  8. he's a good one, isn't he Kate :)

    ReplyDelete

Your comments bring me joy! I do my best to respond to each one either on the blog or via email (if your email is linked to your comment). Thank you for visiting Something Ivory.

Designed by Jackie's Design Studio