Furniture Flip

I've been really into the show Flea Market Flip lately and it inspired me to make a flip of my own. For a while now, I've been looking for a dresser for my bedroom. But I also wanted a colorful piece of furniture as opposed to black or brown. I found a few pieces I liked at various stores but the price tag was always well above $250 and I just couldn't afford that. After my FMF marathon and some Pinterest browsing, I set out on a mission to revamp an old dresser.

Step 1 was to acquire a used dresser at a reasonable price. I lucked up and found one at Goodwill in my hometown for $40. I tried to haggle with them to keep the mirror and let me purchase the dresser for $30 but apparently they don't go for that. I did find someone who wanted the mirror though so it worked out.

Step 2 was acquire other necessities. I bought a quart of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer, a quart of Behr outdoor paint and a quart of water-based Polycrylic sealant, along with brushes, rollers and sand paper at Home Depot. My total HD purchase was around $75.

Step 3 was to sand the surface of the dresser to help paint stick. Even though the primer I bought said it would help paint stick without sanding, I wanted to at least sand the existing finish off of the dresser.

Step 4 involved cleaning and priming. You do want to make sure you clean all of the dust and dirt off before you paint. I also let the primer dry overnight after the second coat just to be sure it was completely dried before I started with my purple paint.

Step 5 is to apply you paint color. I did two coats on the inside and three on the outside of my dresser, letting it dry at least an hour or so in between coats.

Step 6. Add your sealant. Word to the wise, I am not an expert in finishing. Perhaps it was the cold weather (I was painting in my garage in January, though I did have a heater running the entire time) or maybe it is the crazy humidity in GA or my lack of paint brushing skills... in any case, my top coats (I put two) show brush strokes. Instead of trying to sand it again, I decided they gave my furniture character and left it alone. If you want yours to be smooth, try lightly sanding in between top coats.

Step 7 was to paint my existing knobs and hinges. I considered purchasing new knobs for my drawers but decided it would come out just as well (and cheaper) to just spray paint them. I used Rust-Oleum spray paint and it worked really well. Total cost- $5.

Step 8. Put it all together. Just so you can get the full impact of the dresser on my room, here is a before picture:

And here is the after shot:

It turned out pretty good for my first attempt if I do say so myself. (Also, in case you were wondering, some friends of mine gave me the larger TV a few months ago and I just hadn't hooked it up yet because I didn't have anything large enough to sit it on.) 

The total cost for my project came out somewhere around $120. It did take a lot more work than simply buying a new dresser at the store, but did save me at least $100.

So if you're ever in the market for something fresh and new, try flipping something you already have or something from a local thrift store. You might be surprised at the results!

Now, onto my next project: a crafting area!

30 Under 30

Even though I didn't quite finish my 27 at 27 list, I've decided to make a 30 under 30 list anyway. Largely because I like making lists.


1. Visit at least one MLB stadium. My friend Courtney and I have visited 5 stadiums across the US so far with a goal to visit them all someday! The hope is that by the time I turn 30, we will have made it to at least one more.

2. Binge watch a TV show. I've done it before and I can do it again!

3. Visit a location made famous by moves or TV. I've ventured to Woodbury, to the bridge Rick rode across on his horse and to the house of giant pudding cans. There are a few more filming locals on my list so hopefully I will get to visit one.

4. Learn how to change a tire. Sad as it may be, I've never changed my own tire. It may not be exceptionally difficult, but I definitely need practice.

5. Learn to sew a button on a shirt. I've always relied on my mom and grandmother to sew anything I need. But someday it will be on me, and right now, I'm not sure I could do it.

6. Run/Walk a half marathon. I've participated in several 5Ks but never a longer race. I will certainly have to get back into walking/running more often beforehand but I'd like to give it a try. And dang, we walked more than 13 miles Black Friday shopping.

7. Eat dinner at one of the world's best restaurants. I've eaten at a lot of good places, but I'd like to try at least one dinner at an A-list restaurant.

8. Sing karaoke at a bar. I do not enjoy singing in front of people so this will be a step out of my comfort zone but something I think I should try at least once. Possibly in duet form.

9. Learn how to make a good cocktail. Mixed drinks are usually my drink of choice (that or Moscato) but I've never really tried making many on my own. I've always wanted to learn to bar tend but I'm not going to set the goal too high here.

10. Volunteer. It always makes a person feel good to help someone else.

11. Go skiing. I have doubts about my ability to navigate the slopes but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to fall on my butt to find out.

12. Take a pottery class. Perhaps I can fashion myself a nice vase.

13. See a Broadway play.

14. Ride a bike. It's been years since I've ridden a bike. I would love to get back on one. Besides, it's good exercise.

15. Re-purpose furniture. I watched a marathon of Flea Market Flip last week and it inspired me to "flip" something myself. I've been looking for a dresser for my room and found one at Goodwill I think will work nicely with a coat of paint.

16. Finally finish that rough draft. One thing I was not able to complete on my 27 at 27 list was to finish the rough draft of a novel. But I'm not giving up hope just yet!

17. Craft more. I got a Cricut for Christmas so my goal is to increase my crafting by 50% 20%.

18. Clean up my mess. I've been working on my organization for a while now but there is still more work to do.

19. Learn Spanish. Currently, the only Spanish I know I learned in high school. I would like to be able to communicate conversationally with someone in Spanish.

20. Get better at meal planning. This is something I have been resolving to do for years now but haven't seemed to master it. While planning out what to eat for the week doesn't seem like a hard task, doing it week after week has proven quite difficult for me.

21. Develop a workout routine. Now that my Zumba class is over, I'm lacking on the cardio. It's time to get motivated again!

22. Read at least half of the books I own and have never read. Almost every time I venture to Goodwill I purchase more books. My shelves are overflowing with novels I have yet to read and the collection keeps growing.

23. Go to a sushi bar.  I love sushi but I've never actually been to a legit sushi bar.

24. Buy a couch. I've been using an old bed as a couch for years now. I think it's time for an upgrade.

25. Scrapbook.

26. Get my photography certification. I'm already well on my way to finishing but I still have several classes to go.

27. Treat myself! Time to take a page out of Donna Meagle's book and splurge on something I really want.

28. Make jewelry. A specific necklace comes to mind.

29. Complete a 30 day writing challenge.

30. Finish old projects. I have several projects I've started over the last few years that are waiting to be completed.


Let the two year journey begin!