As much as I adore my mirrored bedside tables, the pièce de résistance of our brighter bedroom design, is definitely the dresser. Being a DYI novice, I did not take a before photo ( I KNOW! Can you believe it? I was so excited to get started that I got the first coat of paint on and then---hand smacks forehead-DOH!) Oh well. Suffice to say, it needed some updating. We purchased it for $60 on Craig's List. It had great bones-no particle board, cool Danish modern styling-but, needed some serious love---original (read: dingy) brass hardware, pealing veneer---you get the picture.

In keeping with the 'light' theme of the room, I decided to paint it a nice crisp white and, to coordinate with the bedside tables, I wanted to add a reflective element. I considered getting a mirror cut to fit the top, but then I saw the dining room wall in my friend Rachael's house and nearly passed out.

Isn't it GLORIOUS!!?! Rachael is my DYI spiritual advisor and runs the amazing blog Lovely.Crafty.Home (may have mentioned it on here at some point…not sure). She created this positively stunning effect with a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and the photo does not begin to do it justice---it's beyond words. Anyway, I got to thinking that she has this ultra fabulous stencil laying around, so perhaps I could barrow it and make my dresser extra amazing for a fraction of the cost of a boring old custom cut mirror top. Being the dear that she is, Rachael agreed to not only allow me to barrow the stencil, but totally come over and help me redo the whole darn dresser---how lucky am I to have a friend like that?!?

The stencil was SO EASY to use. This is not your mom's stencil and is not like the flimsy ones that you may have used for craft projects in the past, there is no paint bleeding under the cut-out or any such nonsense. Simply apply the stencil to the surface you want to paint. Roll on your choice of raft paint with a sponge roller (I used Folk Art Enamels 4034 Metallic Silver Sterling), let dry and repeat until the surface is covered.

1. Apply Stencil

2. Apply Paint with a Sponge Roller

3. Let your first pass dry and then position the stencil to fill in any empty spots

4. Tad-Da!

I am so pleased with the results! The pattern is modern and funky, the paint is very reflective and complements the mirror/sliver accents in the room well and it could not have been easier.

For a final detail, I replaced the old brass knobs with some brushed nickel knobs. And, I was able to salvage the one detail of the old hardware that I liked. The little elipses behind the knobs are orginal to the dresser and, of course, used to be brass. I hit them with some sand paper and some of the grass green spray paint left over from the lamps I painted for the room and---ta da!---a fresh new take on retro styling.  *LOVE*

I could not be happier with the result and cannot thank Rachael enough for her help and guidance. To see more of her delicious dining room wall stencil, and all the other amazing things on her blog, head on over to Lovely.Crafty.Home.