maritime dresser.

I lovingly named this guy the Maritime Dresser because it feels very nautical to me. Maybe a dresser that used to be on a boat or owned by a sea captain.

The dresser is antique and solid wood. I originally wanted to sand down the entire thing and do something a little different with it but there was to much detailing on the legs and trim that I would have damaged it with my sander so I stuck to just the drawers.

I painted the shell of the dresser white and of course distressed it to again highlight the original wood and show off the details.

I used a rich walnut stain for the drawers and I think it highlighted the original wood to perfection. You can see the beautiful grain in the wood and even see how the drawers were built and how they paid some much attention to detail. If you look at the 3rd + 4th drawer you'll see how the dark piece of wood from the 3rd continues onto the 4th. Such a nice flow.

I've been eyeing the antique brass Martha pulls at Home Depot for awhile now. I'm not a fan of brass but of course Martha knows just how to do it. I love the squareness (word?) of them and they were a perfect fit for the nautical feel of this piece.

I had fun styling it. That is on of my favorite parts because it brings the piece of furniture to life. When I start I never really have an idea of what I'm doing I just pulls stuff and play around until I feel like something feels right to me.

Here's a behind the scenes shot of the mess I make.

Here is the end result.

*tip: for styling furniture in your own home play around with scale, texture and unexpected objects. Snap pictures, looking at it in a photo you get a different perspective and better understanding on what works and doesn't work.