Terracotta Paint Changed This Old Dresser, but Two Drawers Got a Botanical Pattern
Pale paint once covered this wide chest of drawers from its rounded frame to six flat drawer fronts. Small holes marked where the old hardware had been removed, while curved corners and raised legs gave the piece a shape worth keeping.
Instagram creator @theflipbrush changed the finish with a custom terracotta color mixed from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Arles, Burgundy, Barcelona Orange, Primer Red, and a small amount of Tilton. Instead of carrying one color across every drawer, the makeover reserved the two shallow top drawers for hand-painted branches, leaves, and blue berries.
New decorative knobs and clear gloss lacquer completed the piece, but the botanical section changes how the six-drawer front is divided.
Pale Finish Hid the Dresser’s Curved Shape
Before paint, the chest had a muted pale finish across the frame and drawer fronts. Two shallow drawers formed the top row, with four deeper drawers arranged beneath them.
Rounded upper corners flow into curved side edges and narrow legs, while the drawer fronts sit almost flush with the frame. Sanding and repair marks visible during prep show the existing piece was refinished rather than rebuilt.
Custom Terracotta Covered the Frame and Drawers
Terracotta now runs across the curved frame, sides, and four lower drawers. Mixing several chalk paint colors produced a warm red-orange finish rather than using a ready-made shade.
The top row breaks that solid surface. Pale green leaves and blue berries spread across the terracotta background, turning two separate drawer fronts into one painted composition.
Botanical Branches Cross the Gap Between Two Drawers
Dark stems travel behind elongated leaves painted in pale green, with groups of blue berries filling spaces between the branches. Parts of the design continue toward the edges rather than sitting as a centered motif around each knob.
The gap between the top drawers cuts through the artwork, but closing both fronts brings the branches back together. Versailles, Aubusson, and Olive were used for the hand-painted details.
Pattern Stops After the Top Row
Keeping the four deeper drawers solid terracotta prevents the botanical design from covering the full dresser. Those broad blocks of color sit beneath the detailed top row and make the pattern read as one horizontal band.
Round metal knobs introduce another detail without competing with the painted leaves. Each knob carries a raised floral design that echoes the botanical subject above.
Two Painted Drawers Become One Wide Panel
Seen straight on, the reason for limiting the pattern to two drawers becomes clearer. Branches stretch from the outer edges toward the center, allowing the pair to read as one wide decorative panel above four plain fronts.
Clear gloss lacquer protects the painted surface while adding a soft sheen that catches the sunlight across the terracotta.
Original Shape Stayed Under the New Finish
Rounded corners, six-drawer arrangement, raised legs, and low horizontal proportions remain from the original dresser. Color and hand painting changed the focal point without changing its construction.
Before and After Shows Where the Design Changed
Before and after, the rounded case, drawer layout, and tapered legs remain, but the pale finish gives way to terracotta and a botanical band across the top. Two small drawers now read as one painted scene above four solid fronts.
Would you have stopped with terracotta, or added the botanical pattern too?