Country Chic Nailhead Vanity Makeover

This post is brought to you by Decor Steals.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Update:  I am so honored to have this painted dresser vanity appear in Better Homes and Gardens magazine!  Read more about the feature Here.

Today I have an awesome makeover to share with you guys – not only because the Before and After are so totally opposite but because the knobs I used on this dresser/vanity makeover are from Decor Steals, the fabulous daily deal site.  I’m honored to be the featured blogger showcasing their lovely black drawer pulls.

Do you remember this piece from my Treasure Hunting post?

I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with it.  Seriously, it looked like a lot of work to undo all those squares and bunnies and flowers, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Then Decor Steals sent me these black drawer pulls and I knew I wanted a more high-end look for this piece.  I decided on upholstery tacks (aka nail heads) – similar to this vanity I painted before.

I was worried about the existing colors bleeding through the dresser, so I sanded it by hand and then brushed on two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Country Grey to test the coverage.  

It DID cover the colors, but unfortunately the texture of the shapes was so thick that it still looked pretty bad.  So I had to attack it with my electric hand sander (which took off all the paint I had just used… boo) and then I repainted the whole thing.

I added some Annie Sloan clear wax and then it was looking good!  But it was still a little too plain.

How to Add an Upholstery Tack Pattern to Furniture

I sketched out about 10 different designs for the tacks and this one below was the winner (I’m sure this art will be worth a fortune someday).    😉

So I measured about a million times and made tiny dots with a pencil all over the drawers.  Then I pulled each drawer out and hammered the tacks over the dots.

After the last nailhead vanity I did, some readers suggested that I use pliers to grip the tack while hammering – a much better option than using your fingers!  And it went much much quicker this time.

Here’s the first drawer finished:

And here’s all three together:

Don’t the tacks look so pretty with the porcelain pulls from Decor Steals?

Here’s the full view below:

I love the chic shine of the black pulls and tacks.

I styled it with some of my favorite home accessories…

Here’s a handy Before and After comparison – feel free to Pin this project to easily find it again later:

I’m happy to report that this piece sold quickly from my booth (I love when that happens).

What do you think of this sweet nailhead vanity makeover?

Rachel from Shades of Blue Interiors also used hardware from Decor Steals on two gorgeous dressers today – click HERE to check them out.

I’d love for you to share or Pin this project so others can be inspired too. I appreciate you!  – Jen

You might also like this project: Faux Antique Steamer Trunk Tutorial