We recently managed to score this incredible campaign style dresser off of Craigslist for $100. A steal if you ask me! He’s solid wood, has beautiful brass details and has made himself right at home in our bedroom (goodbye Ikea dresser!) Oh, and we named him Tanner, in case you were wondering. A name that is quite suiting for a thing of his stature.
But here within lies the problem. He’s quite orange in person and if there’s one colour I do not like, it’s orange. He needs a bit of help, but after staring at him for the last few days I’m at a complete loss at what to do. They say that, as a designer, the most difficult person to design for is yourself and I couldn’t agree more. I just love each option for their own reason. So, much like the art wall debacle of ’11, I thought I’d leave it up to a vote. You loyal, stylish, wonderful readers you, which do you prefer:
- Are you kidding? Stain that bad-boy (40%, 132 Votes)
- I'm drawn to the mint (37%, 121 Votes)
- Paint it black! (13%, 43 Votes)
- Charcoal is the way to go (10%, 35 Votes)
Total Voters: 331
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What a find! I need to get on Craiglist and start looking! I’d go with either black or mint, definitely between these two.
It’s all about personal taste, what does your gut think? I think it’s beautiful the way it is but all of your options give it a new life! I guess, go big or go home!
My gut is debating between the black and the stain! The black because it’s easy and I know it will look fabulous, but the stain because I think it will make it timeless!
I’d paint it black!
Wow, that dresser is lovely! It looks so solid and well-made, congrats on a great find!
I had to think long and hard about it, but I’d go with staining. I’m not always a wood purist (like, if painting will make something more attractive, then go for it) but in this case I think I’d celebrate the beautiful wood. You could go for a mid-tone tobacco brown that was less orange, or something super dark, or even a sheer black stain. All would look fantastic!
That said, painting it would be a lot less work, and adding colour is fun too.
I am in COMPLETE agreement with you on every single point. I am leaning towards the stain for that very reason (though, painting it would of course be easier!)
I love the mint!
The turquoise!!! Not sure if Justin will find that a bit feminine however…
haha yeah, it’s his least favourite
what color is everything else in the room? i like the mint because its the “boldest” of the choices (while still being soft – if that make sense)
i like that you name everything too! I scored a bright yellow 1970′s school filing cabinet off of craigslist a year ago which i use as a dresser (and replaced my ikea one as well). I named him big bird.
haha that’s amazing! Yeah I have a habit of naming inanimate objects. To the point where friends will come to me for advice on naming their new car or bike. I take this business very seriously!
With regards to the rest of the space: it’s a lot of black, white, a little gold an a little coral
staining would keep it beautiful and classic for many years to come. great find! :) xx
I think I’m in agreement with you Samantha!
Love the mint (my vote), but I also really love the charcoal and black. Not a fan of staining it. One of the best features of the dresser is the brass details and the paint will make the them pop!
I feel like if I stain it a dark colour and polish up the hardware I’ll get a similar effect! But this has definitely crossed my mind. Thanks for your input!
Fabulous find!! Black is my first vote and staining it would be second. Im sure it will be beautiful no matter what color you paint it!
I love the idea of adding color to it, but I also love a good stain. I guess it depends on what other pieces you have in the room, and if another colored piece would be too much. The only other thing I would say is I’d rather not see it painted black!
Thanks for your input Sarah!
Wow what a fabulous find!! I found a dresser a few months back for a steal as well!! I ended up having it lacquered white with hints of silver and it turned out beautiful!! I voted for the mint but I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the colors you picked! I can’t wait to see the final results!
Here is what mine looked like after- http://comfycozycouture.blogspot.com/2012/06/recent-happenings.html
going to go check it out! Love the idea of a laquer
This is my first time popping into your blog, so I don’t have the slightest clue what your style is, but I would be inclined to stain it before painting over that beautiful wood grain. There’s a tutorial floating around on Pinterest right now for staining orange wood into a rich dark espresso, maybe that’s worth a shot? http://www.monicawantsit.com/2012/02/staining-oak-cabinets-espresso-color.html
Whatever you decide to do, good luck! It’s such a handsome piece so there’s really no way to wreck it.
amazing! Thank you! I think I’m leaning towards that option – it will keep it timeless
ok seriously that’s such a great piece! I’m kinda jealous! and i vote for mint if your walls are crisp white :)
The walls are more of a very light crisp blue-grey – though they do look white in the pictures! Thanks for your help!
woah! GREAT find. I’m in love. It looks like it’s in decent condition so I vote to stain that bad boy! I’ve both stained and painted older furniture and personally, I only paint it when it NEEDS it. Your dresser looks good as is and as much as I love black/mint/grey it would be a little sad to see that gorgeous wood covered.
Also…dig the voting-post. Nice work!
Thanks Laura! I think I’m in the exact same camp as you. If I stain it now, I could always paint it later too, right?! I appreciate your help!
I would go with staining but move in a totally different direction…
After seeing all the lovely interior pics you’ve shared with us, the common theme of washed out or sun bleached wood stands out. I’d use a home-made stain treatment that I saw on Steven & Chris http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/2012/02/how-to-weather-wood.html. This would bring the orange down to a lovely and liveable timeworn tone. Finish with your choice of top coat and voila!
umm that didn’t even cross my mind but I LOVE it. What an amazing idea!! This has changed everything haha
Thank you!
What a great find! I swear, it’s literally the best to find a gently loved piece of furniture and give it a new lease on life. I love the mint option–can’t wait to see what you come up with!
-Alyssa
The Glossy Life
I am seriously in love with that mint color. I say go for it! It looks vintage and brand new all at once – totally awesome.
I’m all about the stained look!
Thanks you guys! You’ve given me a lot to think about. I appreciate your help
I love it as is, but I understand why you might not love the orange hue. I would say either stain or the black: both options are timeless and also super chic!
Great find! I love it in black with the brass hardware.