A Little Find for My Mum
I'll admit it. I have a soft spot for this chest of drawers.
Maybe it’s because of the style. Maybe it’s because it turned out so nicely. But it’s probably because I made it for my mum.
She needed something for her hallway, but the space was quite small and she had very specific measurements to work with. It needed to sit neatly under the coats and give her a little bit of extra storage, without taking over the whole hall.
So I started having a little look on Facebook Marketplace and found these drawers for £10. Honestly, you can’t get much for £10 these days, so this felt like a proper little win.
Choosing a Deep Navy Finish
I showed my mum a few different colours, but she wanted something blue to tie in with the rest of her decor.
We settled on Fusion Mineral Paint in Willowbank, which is a gorgeous deep, classic navy shade. It gave the piece a much more modern feel, but still felt soft enough for a hallway rather than too heavy or formal.
As always, any furniture makeover starts with a good deep clean TSP Alternative from Fusion Mineral Paint. You don't need to rinse it off and it has no nasty chemicals, so it's both health and environmentally-friendly.
Keeping a Bit of the Wood
The plan was always to paint the chest, but once I saw the wood underneath, I knew it was going to have an exposed wood drawer as a feature. Some wood grain is just too lovely to hide.
That’s become one of my favourite things to do on a furniture piece: keeping some of the original wood visible so you get that contrast between painted finish and natural texture.
On this chest of drawers, the exposed wood drawer gives the whole piece a warmer feel. It stops the navy from feeling too solid and adds a little reminder of where the piece started.
It’s still painted furniture, but with a bit of its old self showing through.
A Touch of Geometric Detail
To tie the top drawer back into the rest of the piece, I added a subtle geometric design in silver wax stencilling across one corner.
Rather than covering the drawer completely, I kept it to one side, letting the pattern move from the painted frame onto the exposed wood. It’s a small detail, but it helps the whole thing feel more considered and cohesive, without being too bold.
It’s one of those finishes you spot properly when you get a little closer.
Simple Handles and Hidden Wallpaper
The handles were changed to simple pewter-style knobs. Nothing too fussy, just a clean detail that worked nicely with the navy paint and silver stencilling.
Inside the drawers, I used a navy jungle animal wallpaper my mum loved from another project. It has goldy-copper animals against a dark blue background, and it adds such a lovely surprise when the drawers are opened.
I always love a bit of hidden detail. Especially when it’s made from something left over from another job.
A Hallway Piece With a Bit of Heart
The finished chest of drawers now sits in my mum’s hallway, tucked neatly under the coats like it was made for the space.
It gives her the storage she needed, works with her decor and has enough detail to feel special without being too much for a small hallway.
And I do love seeing it in her home.
Although, full disclosure, she has since managed to spill diffuser oil on the top, so I do need to touch that up for her. One of those little 'I’ll get to it' jobs.
Still, that’s the thing with furniture. It’s there to be used, lived with and loved. And this one definitely is.
Custom Furniture Upcycling for Your Home
Have a piece of furniture that’s nearly right, but not quite working for your space?
Whether it’s a small hallway chest, bedside table, sideboard or storage piece, I can help you rework it with the right colour, finish and details so it feels at home again.
Get in touch and let’s make it happen.
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