We love your before and after submissions because they reflect exactly what Stylish Patina is all about – seeing the beauty in old things and refreshing them to give them a new life in a stylish, modern, functional way.

Today’s submission is from Stylish Patina reader, Candace Jones. Candace was born and raised in Springfield, Virginia (yay DC Metro natives!) and now lives in Henderson, Nevada. She made the big move out west to support her husband as he pursues his education in medical school.

Like many of us who make big cross country moves to new and different states, Candace was craving the feeling of “home”. She wanted to bring to her desert dwelling the feeling of a colonial cottage, so she began the task of decorating her newly designated digs. Candace found herself “quickly disappointed by the cost of furniture and the lack of quality at a lot of retail stores” in her area. So the next move – looking to Pinterest for a little inspiration.

“After surfing Pinterest and watching numerous YouTube videos, I bought my first $10.00 piece off of Craigslist and got out the paintbrush,” said Candace. “I figured that if I ruined it, it was only $10.00 – I spend that on two happy meals and my coveted daily Diet Coke.  That $10.00 dresser uncovered a hidden talent and hobby that I absolutely LOVE,” said Candace. And so began her hobby of refreshing furniture to fit her new home in her beloved colonial cottage style. Candace was on a mission, and that brought her to the project she’s sharing with us today.

“I recently found an amazing dresser at a yard sale for $50.00.  The hardware alone was worth the price – to die for.  It was in rough shape on the exterior but all of the drawers were made well and worked great,” said Candace.

Here is a picture of the dresser before Candace refreshed it.
Her next step was to give the dresser a fresh new look by painting it with Annie Sloan Old White and sanding it down to give it a distressed look. Candace finished off the piece by adding coats of clear and dark wax and put the “amazing original hardware” back on the piece.

“I am in love with the results and my added storage space in my house,” said Candace.

Here is the dresser after Candace worked her magic.
We just love the finished dresser -it looks modern and adds functional storage to her home.

You can view more of Candace’s projects and keep up with her adventures out west on her Facebook page.

Thanks for sharing your project, Candace! As always, we love your submissions, so if you have a project you’d like to share, email it to us with photos at press@stylishpatina.com.

The Skinny:
– Purchase chalk paint and paint supplies online here and in our retail store, located at 410 S Maple Ave in Falls Church.
– Want to learn how to use chalk paint and other paint products? Sign up for one of Kelly’s hands on classes! There are still a few spots left in the classes this weekend!