It really feels like things are moving at a snails pace these days [myself included], but things are finally getting ticked off my to-do list. One of them being the nursery. Between appointments and classes and endless lists of what to do and get, there’s so much involved in getting ready for a baby. And once you get everything struck off your list, you start thinking of more things you should do. My lists are reproducing. Or sometimes you just want to lay the hell down and nothing gets done for a day or two. Do I sound complainy? I really don’t mean to, I’m just glad things are finally starting to fall in place!
Back when I first put some ideas together for transforming our spare bedroom into a nursery, I wanted to source as many secondhand items as possible. So when we were looking for a dresser / changing table, I took to Adverts.ie and found a perfect sized one for €45 …
It was a standard dresser in relatively okay condition. I knew I’d be painting it as there were already a lot of different wood finishes in the room – walnut crib, faux pine floor, some other faux wood on the built-in wardrobes and then the chicken-fat orange wood around the windows, the combination of them all together just wasn’t working.
Since our spare bedroom / nursery is a fairly dark room and the dresser would be going under the window [potentially blocking more light from the room], I didn’t want to go with anything too wild or dark on the dresser. When it came down to it, I wanted to keep it light and bright. I still had some leftover white Rustoleum paint from updating our bedside tables this time last year, so on went 5 even coats of plain white paint all over. I thought of doing a faux marble effect again, but quickly changed my mind as I didn’t want to overdo it.
As for the details on the dresser, I kept it relatively simple. I spent about 2 weeks looking for the perfect hardware for the drawers. I found these black rose knobs and backplates on Etsy [which I don’t think is a genuine Etsy seller and is probably a warehouse of sorts, but welp. I couldn’t find them elsewhere and I really wanted them so I got them]. I thought they were a perfect mix of whimsical, dainty and a little bit gothic. I decided to order just two knobs for the top drawers and went with very simple knobs for the rest of the dresser as I didn’t want to overkill it [I found perfect budget-friendly untreated pine knobs in Woodie’s that I painted matt black].
Since getting my hands on Emma’s Tangled Hawkmoth wallpaper, I immediately knew I’d be lining the drawers of any future nursery dresser with it. Unfortunately we can’t hang wallpaper in our apartment [boo, renting], so into the drawers it went. It works so perfectly and I love seeing peeks of it underneath all the tiny baby clothes. I want to line ALL OF THE THINGS WITH IT NOW.
As for the feet of the dresser, I’ve not done anything just yet with them. I’ve left them unpainted as they were, which in a way kind of makes it look like the dresser is floating [I know, a stretch] but I’m hoping to either swap them for different feet or just take them off entirely.
I should also say sorry for all the tightly cropped nursery pictures – it’s really to spare your eyeballs from seeing the madness that lurks to either side of the nursery. Soon, though. Soon it should be finished! Considering baby is now finished cooking and I’m 40 weeks [and 4 days], but I think [see: hope] later this week baby will make her debut. Fingers crossed – but not legs. Legs are anything but crossed 😉
Love the dresser, Alex. The knobs are pretty much perfect. The rose ones add some whimsy and the round ones the symmetry. Great job. Krystel, Blaire and I was eagerly awaiting those baby pictures, so tell her to hurry up already…lol.
Aw thank you Anne! And Krystel and Blaire of course! And baby has received her eviction notice – time is now up. It's time for her to get out! 😉
Fab!! And you got a chance to use that rad wallpaper!!! Looks wonderful!
Yesss! I just wish I could actually use that wallpaper. It's so lush.
This looks amazing! What a transformation from the original piece. I especially love how you've used simple black knobs for most of the drawers, with just the fancy ones on the top two – it works so well like that! Genius!! Good work, Carberry, good work.
Now hurry up and birth that baby – or maybe you are at this very moment….??!!! xx
Part of the reason I have two different type knobs on the dresser is because it would have turned out rather expensive if I bought 10 of them. That was just part of the reason. I do think it was mostly out of fear of overkill! Like a total nerd, I did a mock up on Google SketchUp and it was total overkill with all 10 knobs that fancy.
p.s. I have passed your message onto baby Carberry. I made sure she received it loud and clear.
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Beautiful dresser, Alex. You are so so talented!!! Who could believe the dresser looked so old before your magic touch:)
Lola
Ah thank you so much! I really do love updating secondhand things that most people would pass up.