How to use Efex Appliques to Save an Old Dresser

What are Efex Appliques?

Efex Appliques are bendable moldings and appliques that can be added to your decorative projects to embellish them! They are different from a traditional appliqué because they are made from a rubber like material that is completely flexible and even slightly stretchy!

If you would like to learn more about various types of appliques check out Furniture Appliques: Which Kind is Right for You?

Preparing the piece for paint and embellishments

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Products I will be talking about:
Efex Bendable Appliques
Rapid Fuse
Benjamin Moore Advance Paint in Satin
Modern Masters Gold Paints

Now meet our canvas for today…

Looks like a clean slate huh? Oh, but this canvas is far from clean… its been painted in thick latex paint that has sealed the drawers shut,.. The paint itself is not smooth and has all sorts of crud in it…

Its going to take some serious patience to get this guy whipped into shape! Wow,.. just look at that leg!

The beautiful cabriolet legs were no more, and obviously the broken pieces were long gone,.. To start this piece was going to need to be completely stripped down and I had to get creative with those legs! I wondered if I could just take what still existed and create a different tapered style of leg. It would be scary because I needed to of course keep the integrity in tact as well. As we can already see, a cute leg is not good if its broken!

To my amazement it worked pretty darn good!! So the next phase was sanding everything down smooth and mostly to the bare wood. Then applying a couple coats of white pigmented shellac. I knew they since I wanted a light color, and I had sanded into the wood, we would be vulnerable to bleed! The shellac would do a good job of keeping it at bay, and by choosing to paint with non porous paint products, I wouldn’t be pushing it.

Applying Efex Appliques to my furniture

Today, among many other things, I will be applying an Efex Applique to a dresser that is in serious need of rescuing. They will work perfectly with your favorite paints to create the project of your dreams! I will be attempting to create a lovely feel consistent from existing hardware and embellishments as well as the new Efex Appliques.

For the bottom I chose Efex Applique P8

and I decided to add to the drawer area as well with E6 Efex Appliques

My client had a unique look in mind for the hardware and I was excited to tackle it. This is her inspiration photo from The Decorated House

We did have to modify our version a tad to match the tone of the paint color she chose for the dresser, but I think the feel turned out gorgeous! Here you can see the real hardware in comparison to the appliques that I finished to look similar.

We have come so far!! Next I needed to get it painted. I decided to use Benjamin Moore Advance Paint for a perfect classic finish. I used my Homeright Finish Max and applied 3 thin coats over the whole thing. Finally its time to apply the appliques!

Rapid Fuse is the adhesive of choice! It works fast, but not too fast, and is great for the Efex material. After dry fitting the appliques on the dresser, I flipped them over and applied the Rapid Fuse to the appliqué. I was certain to add it to any spot I knew would touch the dresser. Rapid Fuse does allow you enough time to apply and shift your piece, so dont worry if its not immediately in place. Breathe, and get it corrected.

I was really impressed with how solid they felt! I had worried they would feel flimsy but I was completely wrong.

I decided to take my modern masters and create a faded stencil effect on the sides of the drawers! Its just the most subtle pop that wouldn’t be over bearing and instead created a timeless touch.

I love how all the details came together, both old and new. The Efex Appliques were perfect for the bowed front. I never have to worry about them pulling away since they mold directly to the surface.

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