Beautiful Beth!

These chairs are from the same era; check out that upholstery! I didn’t paint them , I’m silver leafed them and then had them reupholstered. They are very comfortable and just a bit quirky, just what the client wanted!

Beth: That piece is gorgeous! Love the emerald. Thanks for showing OP and all of us the possibilities. Definitely NOT "lipstick on a pig" or whatever clichéd phrase was used up thread.

lindac92: Read the title of the thread again, "How Do I Fix This?" The OP was asking for guidance on how to paint a piece they were contemplating purchasing. It's not an opportunity to express your disdain for painting wood or "wood like" pieces. Irrelevant and off topic.

lynartist: Chairs look beautiful! Love the traditional/glam vibe.

Love the campaign desk Beth! I’ve been contemplating that color or Navy and for a brief moment even pink. I mean after all pink peony LOL!

I’m cracking up. Who can tell if something is good quality wood or plastic from that picture? Regardless if it were the finest Walnut it’s the owners decision if they want it painted or not. Heck they can glue feathers all over the thing if that’s what floats their boat .

thx lshack17,,,the linda person is in her own world and obviously didn't read or comprehend what I wrote. apparently she thinks any dresser used with any amount of wood, no matter how hideous, should be left as is. whatever. Some of the solid wood pieces I've come across have to be painted. All her mineral spirits jibber gave me a headache. solvent use is bad for the brain cells!

lynartist,,,those chairs came out beautiful. much better!

It sure is a MONDAY!

OP : Check out page 74 of this month's HGTV magazine for more inspiration. The versions they show are already painted but they recommend "jazzing up an old chest " with high gloss paint for the lacquered look.

You can repaint this with dark colors like dark blue, etc and add accent to the handles. :)

OP, do you know if the "carvings" are wood or plastic? That seems to be a big debate here. My first thought was that it looks very much like the hand carved, mahogany furniture that my inlaws brought back from overseas in the 70s. I've seen similar pieces at thrift stores, decent wood, that were selling for very little. The style is a little ornate for my simple tastes, so the real issue here is whether or not YOU like the look and style.

What's the big deal? Buy it, have a fun project, and see what happens. If you hate it, maybe you can resell it at a yard sale for a few bucks later on :) The nice thing about that piece is that no one is going to come into your house and say "Oh, nice piece. Shop at Ikea often?"

If the piece is in sturdy condition, you’ll find the storage useful. This was the style when I got married...a bit overwrought, but definitely what was called Mediterranean style. It looks good as is, or as Beth shows, painted with lively colors, but I think you’d have a difficult time finding another well constructed piece for $75. At least it doesn’t look like it comes straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog like so many others.

I think that those of us who don't care for these pieces had to witness them as a deliberate design choice the first time...When the Mediterranean look was all over the place replete with faux tankards and plastic galleons on the walls.

So from that point of view, I might pay 25 for it and invest in a can of spray paint, but that's all.

I think it's interesting that some of you find them desirable now :)

I do remember that era so well! But here’s the thing, unlike those dreaded rooms of the 70’s were every piece was overwrought with pseudo Mediterranean ornamentation. Top that all off with dark paneled fend, gold and burgundy velvet upholstery and green shag carpet! But painting one of these pieces a solid color immediately changes its character; gone is the ugly woodtone and you are left with something entirely different. It may not be high art but more whimsical ; even tongue in cheek if you will! Using one piece redone and placed in a current environment can look wonderful and in no way reminiscent of the 70’s!

So eloquent lynartist, I agree. Posting the most hideous rooms from that era has nothing to do with what has been shown up thread, beautiful transformations that require creativity and talent. The OP asked specifically how to fix the piece, showing those rooms offers no help at all and is completely irrelevant.

Ishack, perhaps you misunderstood...I posted those rooms as an explanation of why some of us don't care for, or understand wanting, them.

Nothing to do with the personal taste of the op or whatever furniture pieces anyone else wants to put in their homes.

It does help some, in design, to try to gain some understanding and education. :)

It does Pennydesign, and brings back memories too! I think it may be hard for most who do see these in that context to reimagine them out of that context though. That’s what makes it all the more fun. I don’t think anyone wants to go back to the design era of the 1970’s:)))!!! Yikes! I can’t imagine what they were thinking! But then again you can pick just about any decade and come up with some pretty awful design ideas! When I first moved to Florida in the 80’s every model home was decked out in turquoise & peach!

pennydesign: I didn't misunderstand, I just don't agree. Showing the piece it in it's original outdated environment is comparing apples to oranges, in my opinion. Let's move on from how bad that design was ,why dwell on it in a setting that no longer exists? Move forward and try to help educate the OP how to make it work present day. That's what Beth and others have shown which is what the OP asked for. Not a history lesson.

Ishack I'm NOT offering a "history lesson"...If you choose to read and, maybe, comprehend what i wrote, it was an offering as to why many of us don't see these as the best choice for the money. That's all.

I'm not engaging with you any more...I have zero argument with you as I feel that I've explained myself well enough for everyone else to understand, if they choose, as Lynartist did.

You have a good day, now...

I can comprehend the title of the thread "How Do I Fix This?" Not, "Is This Piece a Good Value?" No argument on my end, just trying to stay on point.

Have a lovely day as well!

wow. all this over a dresser? lmao. you guys, c'mon. i think we can all agree the 70's had some horrible design options. yes, I lived through them too. the clothes,,,omg. as for the money these cost,,,,i think 50-100 is what the going price is for them out here. the solid wood pieces get more. would these work in an elegantly designed living room? prob not. would it work in a kids room, a college students apt, an eclectic bohemian room, glam-chic, etc,? yes.

you guys that think they are ugly should look at Phoenix Restoration and The Resplendent Crow. see the transformations they give some of these pieces from the 60's and 70s and tell me you don't like them.

http://www.theresplendentcrow.com

She sprays her pieces w/Fine Paints of Europe Hollandlac. one of these most expensive paints on the market. her pieces are beautiful.

let me just show one of hers before and after of a 70's ornate nightmare

I've seen brand new pieces, very similar to this after, go for thousands, in todays markets. So why do you all think these are so hideous??

I guess it boils down to what you want your room to look like. I'd have one of these in my room (painted) before I would consider any Chippendale furniture or stuffy, ornate French decor. it's all a personal choice, no?

I almost hesitate to say this, assuming I'll be lambasted for my lack of taste, but I actually kinda dig those mirrors! (but separate from the dresser, together it's too much). Reminds me of a kind of Bali/rococo style.

Thanks for the link Beth! So fun and very lovely work! I have always loved Dorothy Draper for her colorful , exuberant interiors ( check out the Greenbrier:). So many of these looks can be reimagined in a Hollywood glam look. We are only limited by our own imaginations!

For those who want to venture to the wilder side of repurposing look at the work of the late designer and artist Tony Duquette. He was a master at taking ordinary items and turning them into fantasy!

yes,,she does really nice work. and very inexpensive too. I've told her repeatedly that she needs to up her prices! the paint she uses is over $100 a gallon.

Tony's designs are something. way more than I can handle (and I like color!)

HeeHee! Yes, but I love seeing the work of someone whose mind has no boundaries! Exhilarating!

You can look at drawers' edges and easily tell if piece is wood or plastic.

Update! The dresser sold, so I missed out. But I ended up finding a complete bedroom set for a steal price.

My question is - it's real hardwood, so do I dare paint it? We have an "antique style" taste and have pieces that have been kept in original colour. I'm always hesitant to paint furniture. This piece is from the 1960's - when the owner purchased it and has remained untouched. I find it a little much for all of the pieces to be in the bedroom (for my taste...it's a bit TOO MUCH). But wondering if I should leave as is, or paint a piece or two... thoughts? Thanks!!

**note this is definitely ALL real wood. It was super heavy to move from the moving truck lol. I should also add there is a gentleman's chest, dresser, two night stands and a headboard (no photo). Not planning on using headboard in master bedroom, and maybe not the dresser. Open to ideas.

I'd definitely paint the night stands. After seeing how that turned out,I'd likely paint the chest,too. Not all the same colour. Colour(s) would depend on the room and the headboard. (I might also change out some of the hardware) That said,do you like them enough "as is"? A good paint job takes effort,time and some skill.

I do like them as is, I prefer the natural look, however for a bedroom set I feel it's a bit too much. I don't think I'll use them all in the bedroom, which is why I thought painting them may be a good option. I think if anything we would keep the night stands and chest in the bedroom. The big dresser may go somewhere else, guest room maybe. And then headboard also in the guest room. It just feels like a lot of furniture -

Oh, I should also mention I'm not a fan of painting it all white.

The dresser is more attractive than the other pieces IMO. It’s really depends on the decor in the rooms these pieces are going into. The tall armoire is rather old fashioned looking and looks to be two pieces stacked; the wood tones don’t match well and the woodtone is not so attractive. This piece may be something worth painting. The nightstands as well depending on the decor in room.

Has someone already tried rubbing gold on these? Is that what I’m seeing as a color difference?

(lyn i think it's the lighting,,no gold)

this is a french provincial style from the 1960's. I've also done many of these.

they're very dark. If you like decor from Louis the XIV, then keep them as is. Otherwise, if you use all of those in your room, it's going to be extremely heavy looking. You don't have to use the headboard,,,that would be very dated looking.

And for those that say to leave these alone, they won't look better painted,,,I have news for you...you're wrong. they will look 100X better when painted

The key is, "how you paint them" that will make the diff.

they'd look great in black, leaving the wood top of a few drawers. like this

spray the pulls in a gold or silver

paint the sides of the drawers in a bright shade

dark blue

white w/the wood top

I can post you 500 different pics. Or, you can go to Pinterest and search, "painted french provincial dresser" and look for yourself.

No gold rubbed on them, natural colour but could be lighting. They are temporarily being stored downstairs and the lighting is not natural.

I agree, I love the dresser and don't think I would paint that. But was thinking the chest/night stands. I love charcoal but again, that's too dark for the room.

How would I go about it? What kind of paint/colour would you suggest?

**Here is a picture of the master bedroom - the floors are dark and this furniture would be overload. I plan to have a very light rug, and we have a beige tufted upholstered panel bed. This is not our furniture - we have not moved into the house yet.

Love the bedroom set. Good quality, long lasting furniture with a personality. Are you going to use the low dresser as the TV stand, as you originally thought?

I was also considering that yes! HOWEVER, our basement has more of a rustic/modern blend that I wasn't sure how it would fit in.

I just found this picture on pinterest that I LOVE for the chest.

I have no problem whatsoever in painting any of these pieces btw! Not squeamish about painting wood and now all the “ oh no don’t paint real wood” comments will come out! But if it doesn’t work and painting it allows it to be repurposed then great! The pics that Beth posted are undeniably lovely so don’t feel guilty , time for a redo!!!

Looking at your more modern space I think painted pieces would look wonderful and stand out against the beautiful dark floor! While the lines of the furniture are traditional the paint brings them up to date and keeps your space from looking to granny!

Beth - I somehow missed all those pictures. They look great! I definitely think by using the dresser or the chest and the nightstands it will keep it from being too heavy (which is my fear).

What kind of paint do you suggest I use? I'm hoping to not sand them first *gasp!* I have limited time with two little ones.

I think either leaving them white with gold handles or painting the chest a navy or china blue would work great with the rest of our stuff.

I love this! This is my first project, so I'm lost on the type of paint to buy and how to do this! Any help would be GREAT lol

netsirtd, your furniture has nice lines and should paint up very well. Don’t skimp on the steps to get a lovely finish. Make sure you lightly sand it and tack it off well; use an oil base , stain blocking primer. Sand again and tack again. Use BM advance paint . It will give you a beautiful, smooth finish ; but will only be as good as the tools you use so do invest in quality brushes! Take your time and apply even , thin coats allowing to dry overnight before reapplying. Better to use several well applied thin coats than trying to rush a thick coat that won’t dry properly. Lightly sand between if necessary. Be patient and take your time; it will make all the difference.

I painted this solid wood beauty about 10 years ago. I ended up giving it to my niece and she used it in her entryway.

net,,,it you can't sand, then get a paint deglosser. you have 15 mins after application to paint. but you will need a primer first before applying the paint. I use Zinsser oil base primer in the spray can, or if the furniture is really glossy, even after de-glossing, then try this one

you will have to use one of those sponge block sanders after priming. use your hand to feel for rough spots. once it feels smooth, blow off any dust w/vacuum or small blower. then wipe clean w/damp cloth or tack cloth. make sure wherever you paint is free of dust. throw down a sheet or paint cloth. I use a spray bottle on mist w/water and mist all around the piece to keep lint and dust from flying up on the fresh paint. use Advance paint or General Finishes milk paint. these are both great for furniture

that gray color you like is Driftwood Gray or SeaGull

get the best brush you can afford. Purdy or wooster. 3" and a smaller angled brush for painting around the moldings. thin w/a bit of water if the paint is too thick. brush on, and do not go back and forth.

once dry, fine sand w/wet sandpaper at 600 grit. I'd use this on the top portion where you will have brush marks. lightly wet/sand to knock down the high edges. wipe w/water. paint 2nd coat.

Hi Beth, this lady is looking for your help.

We sold my step-dad's solid wood Italian provincial bedroom set (dresser, armoire, headboard, high boy) for $200. If he wants to get rid of it, tell him you'll give him $25 and if you don't like the results after you fix, sell it for $25. If it were me, I would continue looking, especially since you are on the fence about it. There are great finds out there and maybe some thing more to your taste would be better in the long run, as painting won't change it enough - unless it suits your décor. I would look for cleaner lines and easy adjustments can transform a piece.

Help with what to do on a Tv wall stand am planning to buy 65 to 70inch tv but need ideas on tv stand colour on the wall i

Ummu, if you start your own thread, I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice.

I know i cant figure out how to start s thread i did mean to post on this I thought i was on my thread

Ummu, somewhere on your screen you'll see a place that says "start a discussion" or "What are you working on". That's where you start a thread.

If you can get $65 worth of use out of all parts of it, temporarily or permanently, then it could be worth it to you.

The single most important thing you can do when you buy something, especially used (unable to return it) is know, with certainty, what you're getting. In a lot of furnishings of this nature, what at first glance may appear to be carved wood can actually be plastic or covered pressed wood (think... particle board). A flat background can be plastic or something else other than wood even if the carving in front is wood.

The mirror frames, wood or not, are a distinct style that could easily dominate a small room -- not good unless that is your intent.

Depending upon their measurements, it may well be that you could reframe the two mirrors (perhaps with inexpensive poster frames) and be able to use them separate from the console.

Best advise: know what you're actually getting at this "bargain price" so you have no regrets.