Back for Commission Number Four
This was another lovely repeat client, and the fourth piece I’ve worked on for her.
By this point, we’d built up a really nice creative trust. She knows what she likes, but she’s also happy for me to guide her a little, pull ideas together and help the piece land in that sweet spot between practical and full of personality.
This dresser had been lovingly nicknamed The Chunk by my client, and honestly, you can see why.
It was big, solid, brown and very present. She’d sourced it for her lounge because of its lovely whimsical lines and pretty features, but after it sat in her dining room for a while, she realised she just couldn’t live with quite that much brown.
So off to my workshop it came.
A Soft Look, But Not Wishy-Washy
The brief was clear: no stark whites, nothing too pale, and definitely nothing wishy-washy.
The piece needed to work with the deep wall colour in her home, but it couldn’t be too bold either. My client loves pieces with a bit of whimsy and a little intrigue, but she still wanted the overall feel to be soft and calm.
For the moodboard, I pulled together soft pinks, sandy tones and buttery yellows. In the end, the pinky-sandy direction won.
We chose Fusion Alchemy in Sandstone for the main body of the dresser. It’s a beautiful soft neutral with a little warmth to it, and it felt just right for taking the heaviness out of the brown without making the piece feel flat.
Soft Damask Shelves and Blended Edges
To highlight the top section and shelves, we brought in Fusion Mineral Paint in Damask.
Damask has those gorgeous dusky pink tones, which worked beautifully with Sandstone and the wall colour in my client’s home. But this wasn’t a piece for sharp lines or obvious blocks of colour.
The change between Sandstone and Damask needed to feel soft, so I blended the two shades together rather than creating a hard break. That gentle ombre effect helped the top section feel warm and layered, without shouting for attention.
It’s a quiet little detail, but it makes the whole piece feel much more considered.
Aging It Softly With Antiquing Glaze
Once the colours were on, I used Fusion Antiquing Glaze over the whole piece.
This helped tone down the freshness of the new paint and gave everything a softer, gently aged finish. It also settled into the grooves and details, which brought out the shape of the dresser without making it feel too distressed.
That was really important for this commission.
My client didn’t want anything grungy or overly shabby. It still needed to feel pretty and polished, just with a bit more depth and soul.
A Little Wallpaper Story
One of the loveliest details was the wallpaper.
My client had already used this beautiful Indian-inspired wallpaper in her home, so we brought it into the dresser as a little nod to the rest of the room. I added it to the inner door panels and the outside edges, where it gives the piece a gorgeous little storybook moment from more than one angle.
The design features adorned elephants, tigers, camels, trees and sitar players, so it’s full of colour, movement and character. But because it’s used in those framed sections rather than across the whole piece, it doesn’t take over.
From the front, the dresser feels soft, calm and gently aged. Then you spot the wallpaper on the outside edges, or open the doors, and there’s that little spark of colour and story tucked into the details.
Ceramic Knobs and Pretty Details
We also changed up the handles to beautiful ceramic knobs, which gave the drawers a much softer feel.
My client has a bit of a secret love for ceramic handles, so they felt like the perfect finishing touch. They’re pretty without being fussy, and they sit really nicely against the sandy painted finish.
The top and trim kept some of that lovely wood-grain feel too, which stopped the dresser from feeling too painted all over. It still has warmth, texture and a little bit of its old life showing through.
Just much less brown.
From Too Much Brown to Just Right
This dresser started out as a piece my client liked, but couldn’t quite live with. It had the shape, the storage and the character, but the dark brown finish was too heavy for her home.
That’s the lovely thing about commissioned furniture upcycling. Sometimes a piece doesn’t need to become something completely different. It just needs help becoming the best version of itself it can be.
And 'The Chunk'? She still has all her chunky charm, just with a much softer new look.
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