Today, is part three and the final reveal of our French Provincial dresser makeover!

Our makeover of the French Provincial dresser is finally finished and it’s ready for it’s final reveal!

Here’s Part One and Part Two in case you missed those. 

The third and final step in the makeover process was adding glaze and then waxing. The glaze that I always use is a very simple homemade glaze that is very easy to use, and it’s perfect for adding patina as well as depth to your painted piece. 

Adding the glaze is an excellent way to “antique” a piece, but it’s totally a personal preference. You may choose not to glaze your painted furniture if you don’t like the antiqued look, and can go straight to waxing, and if so, you can skip the next part. 

I’ve also added a video showing the application of the glaze.

Step One: Adding Glaze

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My homemade glaze “recipe” is simply acrylic paint in the color Burnt Umber, diluted slightly with water to the consistency of cream.

Using my angled Purdy brush, and taking a section at a time, I painted the glaze completely over the paint.

Then using a wet cloth (be sure and wring the excess water out), I wipe back the glaze, leaving more of it down in the nooks and crannies.

The glaze will deepen the color of the paint and when it settles into the carved areas, it will leave a wonderful patina.

I love for my painted furniture to look decades old, not brand new, and the glaze achieves this look perfectly.

The glaze is water based, so if you feel like you’ve used too much, just wipe more off with a damp cloth.

TIP: I keep a bucket of fresh water nearby to rinse my cloth in periodically, and I also change the water out as I go. For this piece, I changed the water out about three times.

Step Two: Waxing

After the dresser dried overnight, it was time to add two coats of wax to seal and protect the painted finish. 

My favorite wax is the Italian liquid wax by Pure & Original. It’s so easy to use and it gives a superb low sheen finish.

Simply brush a coat of wax on the entire piece, let it dry for a couple of hours, then buff with a soft cloth. I always do two coats, so after I buff the first coat, I brush on a second coat of wax, let dry, and then buff again. 

Waxing is the perfect final coat and it also adds a layer of protection to your painted piece.

After the waxing was complete, I added a bit of Rub N Buff in Gold Leaf to the original hardware and re-attached the drawer pulls to the front of the dresser. The Rub N Buff added just the right amount of gilt against the blue.

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Final Reveal

Here is the final reveal of our French Provincial dresser makeover!

We moved the dresser into the living room so that I could photograph it because the lighting is so much better.

And though I love the way it looks in the living room, this piece will be going into my office once I have finished updating it.

Our estate find French demilune chest that I rescued and refurbished a few months ago will go back in this spot.

I love how this piece looks, and even though it’s slightly different than the memorable blue buffet that I previously sold, I’ve very happy with the finished result.

French Provincial style furniture has such a charming look, designed with the best curves! And I especially love those beautiful cabriole feet! 

I love taking old cast off furniture and giving them new life. This piece was in such a sad, neglected condition when I found it a the estate sale, but now it will be a beautiful addition to our home decor. 

I’m currently updating a spare bedroom into my home office, and I needed something that I could use for extra storage.

This dresser is the ideal solution and it works with my aesthetic so well!

Who knows, maybe it will become an heirloom piece that will be passed down through the generations. 

Vintage and antique furniture is built so much better than new furniture today. It was built by craftsmen that took such pride in their work, crafting the furniture of real hardwoods, and designing it to last decades. 

Sadly, so many times these old pieces of furniture end up in landfills instead of being updated and re-purposed.

I would much rather have a vintage or antique piece of furniture instead of new, so I continue to scour estate sales, flea markets, auctions, and thrift stores for those neglected pieces that can be transformed into one of a kind beauties with just a little bit of imagination!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my latest furniture transformation, and hopefully you will be inspired to breathe new life into an unwanted piece of furniture! 

Cheers, Cindy