Have you ever thought up a DIY project in your head and then after you completed it it turned out just as good if not better than your imagination?! This is how I feel about this campaign dresser inspired makeover I just completed on our icky old filing cabinet. With the help of The FAT Paint Company, I was able to give a piece I was THISCLOSE to throwing out a gorgeous new life. Let me show you how I did it, and make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to see a video tutorial and to enter to win the new Amanda Forrest FAT Paint collection for your very own PLUS a room makeover from Amanda herself!

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)  How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

One day when I was shopping with my friends at the mall, I came across this stunning campaign dresser in Anthropologie. I was struck by how gorgeous the gold hardware looked against the deep teal of the dresser:

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

However, at $1200 this piece was out of my price range. I filed away this combo in my brain for a potential DIY project.

When The FAT Paint Company sent me some samples of their newest collection – The Amanda Forrest Collection – and I saw the gorgeous “Navy State of Mind” colour, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I wanted to transform this ugly old filing cabinet…

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

… into a beautiful statement piece for my craft room office. I knew that painting it in Navy State of Mind and giving it some pops of brass through inexpensive hardware would give it just the lift it needed.

It looked pretty in my head, but I wasn’t sure how I’d like it in real life.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

When I finished it up, I WAS THRILLED. Now I have the most gorgeous looking, most expensive looking piece of statement furniture in my office that’s also very functional.

FAT Paint is a chalk style paint that’s a dream to work with. I didn’t even have to sand this laminated MDF piece of furniture or prep it in any way other than clean it for the paint to adhere. I used a natural bristled paint brush to apply the paint, and the finish is suprisingly smooth! I’m really impressed. I finished this project within a day – even with 2 little ones running around and “helping” me.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

I love all of the colours in the Amanda Forrest FAT Paint collection. They’re all really on trend and so vivid. I’m not usually a navy-lover, but after painting with Navy State of Mind, I’m hooked! It’s such a gorgeous and unexpected neutral that looks great with all of my light & bright colours in my office.

Amanda Forrest Collection Fat Paint

Photo Credit: Tracey Ayton

Fat Paint chalk style paint

I also really liked “Greysful” and “Blushing Bombshell” from the collection. You’ll see little pops of those colours in my final office craft room makeover too.

Here’s how I gave our old filing cabinet a campaign dresser inspired makeover. (Don’t forget to scroll to the end to see a video tutorial and win some Amanda Forrest FAT Paint!)

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

First, I cleaned all of the grease and debris off the filing cabinet with Windex.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

Next, I grabbed my can of FAT Paint in Navy State of Mind and started brushing it on the filing cabinet in long, even strokes.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

I painted the sides and top first, and then I painted the drawer fronts. I find the key is to keep all of the strokes going in one direction and don’t paint the same spot over too much to avoid streaks and brush marks.

Here’s how the cabinet looked after one coat of FAT Paint:

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

I only had to let the paint dry for about an hour before I was ready to paint the next coat.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

After two coats of paint, I felt the dresser had enough coverage and it looked great! Another wonderful thing about this paint is that it hardly smells at all which is FAB for painting indoors!

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

Once the paint was completely dry, I brushed on some FAT Wax Beeswax Polish. This stuff is SO cool and definitely one of the best finishing products I’ve tried for painted pieces.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

It provides a nice satin finish and it’s really easy to brush on.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

After brushing the wax all over the cabinet with a small brush I had on hand, I buffed it with a dry cloth. I swirled the cloth around the surface of the piece until the finish looked nice and even.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

Once the wax was dry, I was ready to add the hardware! I found these brass corner braces and chest handles at my local hardware store in the utility hardware section. They were less than $4 for each package, and I loved how chunky and industrial they looked.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

I marked where I wanted the corner braces and handles to go on the drawer fronts of my filing cabinet, and then I made little pilot holes with a drill that were a bit smaller than the screws that came with the hardware.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

Then, I placed the braces and handles on the drawer fronts, lined them up with the pilot holes, and screwed them in place with a drill.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

Don’t they look chunky and lovely? The brass against the navy is what makes me swoon!

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

I also love how something as small as these little corner braces adds so much style to what was a very boring piece of furniture.

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

It’s so satisfying to turn what could have been junk into something so pretty… I can’t stop staring at my old-new filing cabinet!

How to turn an old filing cabinet or an old dresser into a gorgeous campaign dresser inspired piece with Fat Paint chalk style paint (Amanda Forrest Collection Navy State of Mind)

This technique using FAT Paint and utility hardware could turn any simple piece of furniture into a campaign dresser style piece. Give it a try!

Here’s a video tutorial for this technique:

Now it’s time to enter to win your very own Amanda Forrest FAT Paint Collection! One winner will receive the entire Amanda Forrest Collection line of paint in pints and a 200g jar of Natural FAT Wax PLUS a virtual room makeover from Amanda Forrest herself! With simple photos, some basic measurements and a budget parameter provided by you she’ll design a room concept that you will lover. With an easy to follow designer plan in hand you can move forward confidently and implement the design yourself.

Amanda Forrest will also be presenting at the Calgary Home + Garden Show this weekend, so if you live nearby you’ll want to check that out!

Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win. Good luck! (Contest is open to USA and Canadian residents only and ends on March 7, 2016 at 11:59 PM.)

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