Yard sale dresser makeover

Back in May, I purchased this dresser for $25 at a neighborhood yard sale:

I liked it for the legs, the size, and the cute little scalloped bit on the back. I'd been looking for a taller piece to replace this old dresser

which I still like, but it was just much too small for the vaulted ceilings in my front room.

I painted the new (old) dresser with some Behr paint I had leftover from another project; I believe the color name is River's Edge.

Isn't that the most lovely aqua? I did this project right on the heels of the Epic Chair FAIL, and thankfully the paint job went much smoother this time! I still think painting furniture with a brush and a roller is a pain and I still ended up with some roller and brush marks, but on the whole I was happy with the results.

I had hoped to find some fun knobs at Hobby Lobby when they had them 50% off but couldn't find anything I liked. I happened to have the perfect number of antique glass knobs in my stash--I picked them up a few months ago at an antique store because they were a steal and I figured I'd find a use for them sooner or later. If I ever find knobs I like better they'll be easy to switch.

To add some interest to the pretty but plain dresser front, I ordered some custom vinyl numbers in matte black from my friend Amy at Words and Wisdom Vinyl. I love how they look! The font was just what I had in mind. Now I'm wondering if I need something on that top drawer--I didn't order a number for it because it's only half the size of the other drawers, and I wanted big bold numbers. I'm thinking perhaps a faux keyhole might be a fun little touch--I need to see if I can get just a tiny scrap of vinyl from Amy and I bet I can cut a little teeny keyhole shape freehand.

I'm very pleased with how the whole dresser turned out and how it looks in the room! It adds a fun pop of color against the red walls. The only thing left to do is to hang that mirror on the wall--right now it's just leaning on top of the dresser, and it's hiding that cute scalloped detail that I loved so much. The mirror is an antique and it's HEAVY so I've put it off because I can't do it myself and always seem to forget when The Mister is home.

Right now I have a beachy, seashell theme for the decor in my front room. On one side of the dresser I have a jar filled with shells, a piece of coral, a gorgeous vintage rhinestone starfish brooch, and an antique postcard of a beach scene.

The silver trophies aren't exactly beachy, but I love them anyway! I added a starfish on one and my very favorite card of antique buttons that says "Mermaid Pearls" is tucked in the mirror frame.

On the ottoman I have a thrift store silver tray topped with an old book, a thrifted conch shell, a live succulent in a Target-clearance mercury glass votive holder, and an estate sale aqua bowl filled with tiny shells. Hundreds of tiny shells that Porter positively delights in dumping on my floor at least once a week. Oh well, at least they look pretty while I'm cleaning them up!