I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but A LOT of painted furniture you see online has a definite feminine vibe. While I love a pink french provincial dresser as much as the next gal, sometimes a more masculine design is in order. We picked up these two pieces for next to nothing through an online auction. The chunky design and straight lines inspired us to go for a more manly look.
The before
One of the best ways to make a design more masculine is to choose darker colors and incorporate some wood elements. For these pieces we chose one of my favourite colors, Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. It’s the perfect dark and moody blue with a touch of grey to it, perfect for a masculine design.
“A timeless classic, this deeply saturated shade of navy blue evokes rich maritime traditions and storied exploits at sea.”
Benjamin Moore
www.benjaminmoore.com
In progress
Unfortunately for us, we did not use the best quality paint. We should know better by now not to be tempted by rebates and bogo deals at the local home improvement store. Choosing a good quality paint always saves you time and frustration. We’ll leave it to you to decide if the extra cost is worth it. In the end, these beauties took four coats, plus touch ups, to get a consistent finish we were happy with. You can read about our process for getting a smooth paint finish here.
We contemplated sanding and restaining the drawers, but to be honest, they were in perfect shape and we liked the walnut tone so we decided to keep them as is. Less work is always a bonus – especially when the pieces needed so many coats of paint!
We also thought the hardware suited the pieces well so we didn’t refinish them. We did give them a good cleaning with one of our favourite hardware cleaners – Bar Keepers Friend. If you have stubborn brass to clean, give it a try, the before and after is very satisfying!
The after
We finished the pieces with 3 coats of polycrylic spray. Although it’s more expensive than buying a water-based poly in the can, it is easier to get an even coat and avoid any applicator marks.
These pieces turned out both masculine and elegant. What do you think? We always love it when you share your opinions! These pieces have found a new homes now. The long dresser is in a condo in Toronto overlooking St. James Cathedral. The tallboy now belongs to a young family from Mexico. On to the next one.
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