The scarce Empire Dresser

TGIF everyone!  Is it me or has time flown? I just looked at my calendar and can not believe it is February 8th already!  Where in the world did January go?  It has been so crazy busy at the new shop, which is an awesome thing, but wow, how time flies when you're having fun I guess.  Next week's Valentine's Day already AND our oldest son who happens to be a big sweetheart, is turning 17, yikes!  I absolutely LOVE Valentines Day and everything that goes with it such as; chocolates, hearts,  flowers, Valentine's, and did I mention chocolates!
Speaking of LOVE, many of you who know me know that I absolutely LOVE Empire Style Furniture. I go gaga with any piece that has those beautiful chunky legs, such as those found on Empire pieces.  If I could find and buy every empire dresser, nightstand or wardrobe in this style, I would!  Here's the sad part, I can not find many of these gorgeous pieces and if I do, they are very expensive and way out of my budget.  Maybe I should give better details about this style. Or better yet, to better explain it, I looked it up on the ever so helpful Wikipedia and this is what it I found:

Photo, unknown source, but LOVE IT

The Empire style, French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃.piːʁ], the second phase of Neoclassicism, is an early-19th-century design movement inarchitecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830, although in the U.S. it continued in popularity in conservative regions outside the major metropolitan centers well past the mid-19th century.

The style originated in and takes its name from the rule of Napoleon I in the First French Empire, where it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state. The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal stylein the United States and to the Regency style in Britain. The previous style was called Louis XVI style, in France.

So now you know all about Empire Furniture, here is where it all started for me.  I had seen these dressers on Miss Mustard Seed's blog.  I do not know where in the world she comes up with all of these beautiful dressers, but she used them to demonstrate her new line of Milk Paint which I love and use as well.  

Miss Mustard Seeds Empire in French Enamel

Maybe the east coast has more of this style than the midwest, but the only one that I was lucky enough to come by was by accident.  When I would search on Craigslist for one, I would  type in "Empire" in the search bar, I never had any luck.  Then one day,  as I was looking through dresser after dresser, I found one!!  Obviously, the owner was not familiar with the style of it or would have asked alot more, but to my advantage, I bought it for a great price. It was big and beautiful and just perfect!

My Craigslist find, sorry this was the actual picture on CL.
I believe it is from the 40's so not as old as some.  I read that it was in the 1940's that
they brought this style back

THEN...

Before painting, I was going to paint the lower half and leave the top as is, but decided
last minute to paint it.

With this being my one and only Empire dresser, it took quite a while to decide what color to use. After much deliberation amongst myself, my husband, my girls and my best friend, (don't laugh this was a big decision, LOL!)

We really like Miss Mustard Seed's Milk paint, but I wanted a lighter blue gray, so I decided to mix my own color of Annie Sloan Louis Blue and Paris Gray.  It turned out to be a very pretty blue gray.  After I painted it I distressed it of course then sealed it in clear soft wax.  

 AND NOW......LOVE!

I added 4 cute mellon shaped white porcelain knobs to top drawers
and larger round ones on top.

And here is my favorite part, lovely chunky legs!
yes, I know I'm  weird,
It's a furniture thing!