Whenever inspiration strikes for something timeless, rich and elegant, you just have to go for something straight out of your history books. The definition of “English Country” varies from rolling country estates to quaint farms and villages, but we’re focusing on bold patterns, rich colours, and warm wood tones with our project. We found this charming Eastlake-style dresser in a thrift store just begging for An English Country Makeover with Manor Green.

Here is a before look at the piece:

Below is a list of supplies you’ll need to complete a similar project. 

• Fusion TSP Alternative + Wiping Cloths
• Fusion Mineral Paint Manor Green
• Electric Sander and Sanding Pads/Paper
• Staalmeester 3-inch Synthetic Brush
• Fusion Gel Stain in “Double Espresso“
• Fusion Tough Coat in Matte

How To Prep Furniture To Paint With Fusion™ Mineral Paint

Old pieces like this have often gone through years of wear and multiple refinishings, and this one was in pretty good shape overall. We always start our prep by making sure our surface can bond with the paint. We started by using Fusions powerful organic degreaser TSP Alternative in a 1:4 ratio solution to clean off surface-level dust, oil and residue. 

Once your cleaning is done, we want to scuff sand the surface. This piece had a sheen and we want a matt clean surface for the best adhesion. This also smooths out any surface-level imperfections like chips and raised wood fibres. We used an electric sander with abrasive sanding pads, but this could easily be done by hand. After your scuff sanding is complete, make sure to remove the dust with a damp cloth. 

If you wanted to change the hardware now would be the time to measure for any new holes. But since we are replacing the hardware with a reproduction pull similar to the original, we just needed to measure to make sure they fit. 

Applying Fusion™ Mineral Paint

The first coat of Manor Green goes on velvety smooth over our antique dresser. A colour this saturated gave us such great coverage on the first coat, that we only did a second for good measure. Manor Green goes on a tad lighter but dries to a very rich dark green colour. 

After 24 hours, our paint was dry to the touch, and we were ready for our topcoat. Read this blog post to understand the difference between dry time and cure time. Fusion already has a built-in topcoat, but we wanted a bit of added protection to our finish, so we decided to topcoat using Fusion Tough Coat in the Matte finish. It gives us just the right amount of sheen and durability without feeling like this is a brand-new factory finish.  

Our top was in beautiful shape, and we wanted to add some contrast to tie into the wood trim on our drawers. Fusion’s Gel Stain in Double Espresso is the perfect 2-in-1 finish that adds some dark wood tones combined with the protection of an oil-based polyurethane. We did two coats with a 24-hour dry time and light sanding in between, giving us a beautiful warm coffee colour on our top. 

English Country Makeover with Manor Green

Moody colours aren’t for just any old piece of furniture. Once you find that piece that just becomes elevated with a rich tone, you know you picked the right combo for a showstopping statement piece in your home. We love how Manor Green transformed our already handsome dresser into this stunning elegant timeless chest. 

Manor Green is a highly saturated warm forest green colour,  that works well with warm wood tones. We left the wood accents on the front of our dresser not only to contrast with our paint but also to showcase the superb craftsmanship that went into making these furniture pieces in the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

Our reproduction hardware looks like it was always meant to be on this piece. The gold backers complement the warm tones in both the green and the wood elements of our piece, and the black drop pull adds some elegance to the whole look. 

One of our favourite parts of this project was the original wood top. This top has seen over a century of households that took great care to keep this dresser in beautiful shape. The top features a lovely warm wood grain that is just enhanced by our Gel Stain & Topcoat. 

This project shows how a little paint can go a long way toward preserving furniture and the past. Manor Green certainly invigorated the English Country look we were going for. We hope to see more of these classic country trends make their way back into our homes with your projects. If you enjoyed this makeover, be sure to let us know in the comments your favourite part of the transformation!

See more Manor Green Makeovers!