I think the red is nice, but I would try to pull the red from the plaid. Raspberry Truffle definitely has a pink undertone, and you might not like that with the reds in the room. I do think the glaze is a nice addition.

For what it is worth, be sure the cover you make for that changing pad is wipeable, not fabric. Baby boys are sometimes like fountains as soon as the diaper is off, or any time thereafter. LOL You will also have lotions and Desitin and wipes all making contact with the pad. Unless you are making several and are going to change them frequently, I would be sure it was something that could be cleaned with a damp wipe.

Also make sure the dresser is tall enough for you and your DH so that your back doesn't bother you as you lean over to change or dress the baby.

Les - The Raspberry is isn't looking real great on these photos. IRL it's actually close to the red in the plaid. I was also thinking the color should be a little more red. I don't want it to be orangey though. I'll have to dig through the fan decks.

Maybe I'll make the bottom part of the cover a different material and the top part the plaid.

The dresser height is good but I think DH wants me to bolt it to the dresser top, lol. He seemed concerned tonight we were going to accidently pull the whole pad off while changing the baby!

If the red matches I think it would look nice Sheesh. Personally I wouldn't glaze it. Looks dirty.

Looking at the fabric again, there are actually two shades of red because of the blue running through it.

Looking at the chips, a good contender might be BM Morroccan Red. That's the red I painted my bathroom. For some reason I can't find the actual sample tonight but I'll find it or paint up one tomorrow.

Your DH is correct. The pad should be attached to the top of the dresser. A strap that attaches to the back of the dresser and then to the pad is smart. Kicking, wiggling, moving babies can surprise you!

Also, you will likely need a larger pad before you are done with diapers. My sons were both about 32 inches tall at one year, and 36 inches tall at two years, so that cute little curved pad is not going to work forever.

Les - Hmm.. DH has been really focused on that dresser pad tonight and it just seemed far fetched to me earlier. Good point.

It's 32"L. I didn't think they even made them any longer. They all looked like that was the standard size. I'll look into that.

I was going to wait until tomorrow but here's the fabric against the Moroccan Red walls.
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I think the fabric and the wall color seem to work well together. Want to see it in daylight as well, of course, but it might be the winner, glazed or not!

the morrocan red is a better color for the dresser than the RT, imo...

i might be concerned with just a pad lying on top of a dresser too---we always had a changing table that had the rim around it... is there anyway you could create a 'safety' edge for the dresser that you could later remove??

You can make a separate top for the dresser that will lift off when no longer needed. It's an easy build, made this one myself for GS's room. It's simply a plywood bottom and the side pieces come down a bit to anchor it in place. I stuck silicone bumpers to the underside to keep it from slipping around.

For the pad, I used home dec fabric (cotton, but not super washable) and made a cover from a clear shower curtain. I put a zipper in it in case it ever needed to come off for a more thorough cleaning.

All of that said, I wouldn't worry too much about the length of the pad. My GS just turned 2 and is 38" tall. He didn't fit on the pad for more than about 9 months. You'll find that once your little guy is mobile it's easier to change him on the floor anyway. It's safer when he tries to break away!

Oooh great idea - the lift off top!

Shee - I love the red and think a dark glaze would look great. You can also accomplish that with dark wax - be sure to use clear wax first then dark. You can distress or not and use the dark wax in areas you want to highlight.

tina

Love the idea of red! Would the red on the picture frames work?

I see you changed your mind about the curvy lines on a dresser. And rightly so. ;) Even though you have a respirator, I'd enlist dh's help as much as possible with the refinishing.

Busybee - Honestly I see myself using the floor more than that pad. I bought the pad mainly just because.

Woodsy - That's a creative idea. Thanks for posting that photo! I'm not able to make one but maybe we'll talk to someone we know about it.

Tina - I'm scared of waxes, lol. Not scared really but never used them. I was thinking of using either stain or some glaze I already have and then sealing with poly.

If I do end up using the Moroccan, I have half a gallon of paint left from the bathroom. It's BM Aura so the finish is that matte, slight sheen, velvety look. Might be better to not be real shiny with the imperfections - even though I'm going to try and fix them. It also cleans really well and touches up.

Natal - I really like the red of the pic frames and thought about color matching it. It's Krylon's Cherry Red. It is similar to Raspberry Truffle but I think less pink or the Cherry color is deeper. Can't find the right words.

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The other month I did consider using that other dresser and figured with some paint and knew hardware it would look different. I'm used to seeing it in the light colors and know it was used in my room so I'm sure that was also contributing to the 'girly' factor I was feeling. In the end, I decided I didn't want to break the dresser away from the armoire and they both wouldn't fit in the room. So I just crossed my fingers something would eventually turn up!

Well I can't find my Moroccan Red sample so I'm off to paint another.

Whatever red you decide to paint, please be sure to secure the dresser to the wall. My best friend lost her 2 year old son 10 years ago next week when he opened the bottom drawer and attempted to climb it. Sorry to be such a debbie downer, but if I could spare just 1 family the pain my friend has dealt with these past 10 years, it's worth it.

Please post the finished pics! Red is my favorite color, that dresser will be perfect in red.

Just want to add another safety note--you are not going to keep the cloth over the little round table, are you? I think that even that lightweight table will not be a good choice for the room when your baby is crawling or toddling. But the cloth will be pulled down, along with everything on the table, the first time the baby wriggles along the floor.
I do love the red dresser and agree about securing it to the wall.

Shee your room is going to be so cute! Everyone has your and your baby's best interest at heart with all the safety issues, and you do need to be careful with the changing table, but your are right, you will end up using the floor the biggest portion of the time, especially when he gets to be crawling stage.

I always used the crib for changing. Dropped the front down, threw a pad in the bed (most of the time) and changed. Never owned a changing table. I've changed on the sofa, my bed, wherever if it wasn't a poopy diaper.

My DIL had a nice little changing table that never got used. But it was great for storage :). They actually had a pack and play set up in the living area and that was used more than anything for changing.

And of course, a lot of these safety issues can be addressed as the baby develops. A newborn is not going to pull the table spread off or climb on the dresser - but watch out when he is a toddler :).

Can't wait to see the finished room.

You will be improvising as you go along and as you need to.

Tuesday

Polly - I'm sorry to hear about your friend. That would be terrible. We will attach it to the wall like we did the bookcase.

Heather - I'm not sure what type of side table I'll be using but as he get moving around, I know there will be changes that need made. I also will have to remove the jute webbing name tags and clothes pins on the storage cubes.

Tuesday - Thanks!
And you're right, a lot of things will be adjusted along the way.

I love the red with the stain. That will be a great addition to the nursery. I'm another one who never used the "changing" top to the dresser in DD's nursery. Always used the crib with a chuck under her, so as not to soil the bed linens.

Have to agree about having your DH do most of the work. Take the help while you can get it, lol.

It looks to me that the dresser is nice pine. If it were me, I'd have DH haul it outside and use an orbital sander and a low # of sandpaper. I would start with 60 grit until the deep gouges are gone, followed by 80, then 100 (finer the higher #). It will take a bit of time but you should be able to take the top layer down without any damage to the dresser. I think your red paint is going to look wonderful in the room. I may have missed it but does "he" have a name picked out that you would share?

Work - Thanks!

Honestly painting/refinishing isn't DH's forte and I really want to do it myself. His uncle did offer to take care of it but he's all about staining it. He's a really nice guy but a few years back he offered to paint our LR and I wasn't pleased with how the whole thing went down. We'll see.

Natesgram - Thanks for the sandpaper suggestions! I wasn't sure what grit to start with. Do you really think I'll be able to get all those marks out without having to use putty?

The baby does have a name but I've decided not to post about it. I believe it was Oakley who dubbed him baby 'Hee' :) It's cute so I think that's what I'll call him on here.

I got out my other camera that takes much more accurate color photos. Everything in the photos looks pretty much spot on with my monitor.

Sadly, the Moroccan Red just looks washed out and I think I'm even seeing some coral at times. So I'm scratching that from my options.

Raspberry Truffle left, Moroccan Red right. - I noticed the Raspberry sample looks streaky. I must have been impatient when I painted the posterboard and most likely didn't apply two coats.

{{!gwi}}

I think the Krylon Cherry Red works.

Raspberry and the frame is in the Cherry Red.

{{!gwi}}

I think I also like BM Heritage Red but it's a bit brighter. It's described as a lipstick red. If I decide to use glaze, that might not be a bad thing but I'm not sure I'd like it by itself. Some of the pictures I see online are screaming.

Raspberry, Cherry, and Heritage Red

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More Heritage Red pics.

This one I like.

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This one I like.

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This one I don't.

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I am thinkng the Raspberry is the best choice so far. I am not seeing any pink in it as others have suggested.

I really like the red. With navy it will be so cute! I would buy a changing table or make a top like woodsy suggested. The pad is very unsafe! The baby can easily roll or slide off with no railing. They're a dime a dozen at garage sales.

Buy inexpensive pad covers instead of making them. It will save you money and headaches.

I forgot the most important thing. Have someone else paint. No matter the mask, you will inhale fumes. Why even risk it?

LOL guys! Ease up!! Shee is an adult, and one with a good head on her shoulders.

Shee - I meant to mention - the drapes!! Looking good! Also, I think the Raspberry Truffle looks best so far too. If you do decide to use a glaze or dark wax, that will also tone down the red. The room is going to look GREAT - can't wait to see it when it's all finished.

Tuesday - Thanks! I wish you guys could see the colors IRL!

Oakley - Thanks!

I'm not being smart but have you ever used a respirator? I have a really good one and I smell absolutely nothing when I use it. I will also do this outside and the paint is low VOC. I don't feel as though I'm putting myself or the baby in harms way. I honestly feel safer using the respirator vs. ...oh, I don't know... for example, like eating fast food.

Tina - Thanks! I wasn't happy about the price of the drapes but I feel they're well made. I also didn't see any weird hems or length issues.

Shee, I will leave the color up to the rest of you with much better eyes, but I have to say I love what you've done so far! Those drapes make the room look so polished without being too "grown up," if that makes sense.

Don't you wonder what the heck happened to the top of the dresser???

Tell me more about the respirator. What is it, exactly? At "some" point in my life I'd like to start painting/refinishing, and it would be nice to have something that would keep me from smelling gross things!

I am with you about changing the baby on the floor. Someone should make up one of those Green Eggs and Ham parodies about where you change the baby.

Forgot to mention - your drapes are perfect - it is very difficult to find a good navy that is not too "royal" blue. Even if you paid more than what you had planned for a nursery, JCP drapes usually wear well for me. They are a good color to "grow" with the baby. Put them away if you get tired of them and keep them for his later years - when he decides he wants his own "theme". Goodness I just said a dirty word around here :).

the morrocan DOES look very washed out in that sample- much different than the previous pic.

i like the heritage red--- i think a nice lively true red would be such a nice accent! i would want to steer away from the rosiness of RT.

Anele - Yes, I'd LOVE to know what they did to the dresser. Were they actually trying to move it somewhere? Was someone really angry and decided to push it down a hill, lol? I guess I'll never know! :)

It's bulky, weird looking mask that straps over the front of your nose and around the sides of your face. I actually have two respirators. The first one I bought and used when I painted the stairs. I used Zinsser BIN shellac based primer and heard it was nasty stuff so I bought one from Lowes or Home Depot (forget which). It's a 3M NIOSH. At the time I even called the number at the time and asked a bunch of questions to be sure it was safe to use for anything I wanted to do. I smell nothing when that's on. My dad is also bringing me one from his work for this project. Honestly, I feel it's unnecessary and the one I already have does it's job.

Tuesday - Yeah! Once I started looking for navy items I saw such a wide range of color. These are true navy and they're also lined and really thick. That side of the house takes a beating from the sun so I am glad I bought them lined and was done with it. That's what I figured about I could later use them somewhere else or even pack them up for later.
I laughed about the 'theme' thing. :)

Busy - I'm a wee bit shocked at how the Moroccan looks in here since it's so different than the room it's painted in.

I want to get a sample of Heritage just to see. The chip doesn't look like that last picture I posted. DH is near the paint store today and I'm hoping he'll have time to stop by and pick one up.

Sorry to weigh in so late. Our 18 month old has a red dresser in his room with a changing pad on it too! We really wanted some bold color for his room. I will try to post some pictures later.

1) Have you thought about STAINING the dresser red? Staining in color was very popular in the '90s and it creates a beautiful effect--the item is a real pop of color but you can see the wood beneath. I did a bedside table in blue and everyone loved it. I did a clear poly over the stain.

2) agree on the dresser height. Sorry if I missed it, but is the dresser at an ergonomic height for you and DH? I tested a lot of dressers before we got ours.

3) We put a mirror over our changing table. Babies LOVE to look at themselves in mirrors. Keeps him a little less wiggly during the changes...

Here is a link that might be useful: Minwax� Water Based Wood Stain colors made with the Clear Tint Base

If you have trouble getting that top smooth, what about decoupaging a cool old map or something else that matches the room onto the top. I saw someone on a blog do this. They sanded it down after to make it look antiquey and I think did a wash of burnt umber over top before adding a clear coat of varnish.

I always used the floor or crib with the mattress raised for changing.

I think your little one is going to be very happy in the lovely space you're making for him.

@shee - just wanted to let you know that I used a changing pad directly on top of a dresser for DS#1 until he potty-trained at 3 and now with DS #2 (11 months). As he got bigger I just let his legs dangle off the side - his bum stayed on the changing pad. You're DH is right, there is a "risk" to the pad sliding off, but since you'll always be right there with a hand on the baby - not a huge concern (IMO). It all depends on how many holes you want to put in your dresser :) (

Jane - That would be great if you'd post some pics when you get a chance! Thanks!

I did consider staining but thought it would be easier to paint with the top in the condition it's in. I also really wanted something painted in the room since there's so much stained wood. DH's uncle wants me to come over and check out a red stained piece he did. I'm picturing it to be more of a deep, rust red like the kind used a lot in primative country decorating. I do like that but that color won't be bold enough for the look I'm going for.

The dresser height is good. I honestly really think we'll be using the floor most of the time. I know once the baby gets moving around I won't be using the pad.

Daisy - That's a great idea. Before we found the dresser, I considered decoupaging something to the top of an end table but wanted to wait until we saw what dresser we ended up with. This whole nursery has really make me work on my patience! LOL Anyhow, I really like the map idea. Any ideas where I can get one without spending gobs of money? I'm wondering if I could order map prints from like art.com or something. Hmm...

I'm getting a sample of Heritage Red on Monday.

Shee--just so happy for you during this great time and love what you've done. I love the idea of painting the dresser red--with or without the glaze.

Re: possible ways the top got damaged...I couldn't believe anyone in his right mind would do this, but our school received a donation of a really nice large desk. However, to send it over to us, they loaded it TOP SIDE DOWN into a dirty pickup truck and slid it into the truck bed. The top didn't look as bad as yours, but it was definitely a shock. Fortunately a volunteer worked wonders on it. Those are the times you just wonder what they were thinking!

I've never used the mask thingy, but I've seen professional painters use them. Is that what it is? If so, then you'll have no problem.

For changing baby on the floor, you can buy a cloth basket with compartments which hold diapers, lotions, etc., and just grab it and baby (with a diaper pad, lol) and change him anywhere in the house!

Shee, I've been meaning to ask. Is your house one or two stories? For some reason I think it's a 2 story. If it's a 2 story, get a compartment basket for both floors. :)

Shee, thank you for the info on the respirator. It makes sense that something like that is so readily available, but I never thought about it. The contractors I've used never use protection of any sort.

I see your point about going with painted vs. stained-- it will be an especially good complement with those great drapes.

The navy panels look great! I love the dresser and painting it red is a fantastic idea...can't wait to see it transformed : )

You mentioned replacing the hardware with cup pulls. One fun idea you could consider... cup pulls on the lower (larger) drawers and animal knobs for the upper (smaller) drawers?

Bear tracks

I am so surprised to read so many comments about changing the baby on the floor. I rarely ever changed either one of my kids on the floor!

Can't imagine doing that, unless it was the only place available. Much easier to handle them and keep them in control on a bed (or on a couch at relatives' homes) plus all the diaper 'stuff' stayed in their rooms. I used the changing table - I had a dresser with a fold out top with essentially a double size changing pad. For a long time, they could be put on the table front to back, so it was super easy to clean them and change them. It was great, until the kids were too big for that.

Laughing, as I look at them at 6' and 6'2", and try to remember them being that little!

Great hardware ideas from Laurie!

Chiefy - We must have posted at the same time earlier.
Cute room! Did you paint the walls?

Sujafr - Thanks!
Wow, I can't believe people would think to load something that way!

Oakley - I do have a rustic looking holder I'd like to use for the diaper type stuff. I'm getting excited to tend to the details of the room.

Anele - No problem! I've never seen anyone really use them either but it sure does make sense.

Laurie - Thanks!
I do want to replace the pulls but will keep knobs for the upper drawers. Love the animal knob idea!! Thanks!

Shee,

I finally had the time to read through all the dialog, great responses and ideas! It's going to look great when its done!

Thanks Lukki!

*just typing through my thinking process...*

Well, turns out Heritage Red is a discontinued BM ext. color. The only way I can get a 'sample' would be to order it in a quart, but that wouldn't make sense really because I don't want it in exterior paint. They could mix it in a quart of their brand of paint and they're wonderful at matching so I'm confident they could make it work. I'm not sure I want to use their paint and do I really want to spend $20 on a quart that I may not even like? However if I glaze, which I'm leaning towards, the color would deepen a bit and I'd have to put a protective coating on top anyhow (I'd use poly) so I don't know if the paint quality matters as much. Their brand is good and I've used it before but I wanted to use something considered 'best' for the dresser.

He suggested an BM Affinity sample they have in the color Caliente. He mentioned it's not as bright and looking at the photo I found online, he's right.
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I looked at Colorcharts for other paint matches to Heritage and RL has one that's close but I don't have access to their paints either.

I want the Raspberry Truffle to work but I see a rosey color at certain times. Someone else that was all about the RT finally got to see that IRL. I think she thought I was making it up.

Looking at the two fan decks I have (BM and SW) I'm not liking any of the other reds. I know there are other brands and paints in the world but I'm honestly not in the mood to make any bigger of a project out of finding the color red.

Ha, I'll let you know what I decide!

I have the Affinity fan deck, and the Caliente is a pretty color, seems to have a bit of an orange undertone, but still mostly red. It does seem a bit brighter on the fan deck than your picture that you posted - could that wall have a glaze on it?

How is the height of the dresser for changing? We found kitchen counter height worked best for our backs. My DH made a wood changing table that sat above the dresser bringing it up to the proper height off an old maple dresser much like yours. This gave us another shelf for diapers. Once the diaper stage was over we still had a dresser. I got foam at the fabric store and covered it with "table cloth" material. The table had a lip on it so the pad stayed in place and baby too..not that they were ever left alone. The red will be nice. We used an opaque red stain on a set of bunk beds that followed the changing table.

Les - About the glaze, I don't know. All the photos I saw online were a deeper red like that but the name makes me think it would be more of an orange red like you're saying.

I think I'm going to buy a quart of the Heritage. As long as the paint guy can match it to the card, I believe I'll like it.

Arcy - The dresser height is 35" and seems like it will work well for us.

I just saw a nice red in PB Kids called Ladybug Red. Online it was too orange but looked good in the magazine.

I just saw a nice red in PB Kids called Ladybug Red. Online it was too orange but looked good in the magazine.

Anele - Thanks for the color suggestion. I ended up having the Heritage Red mixed up.

I think it's going to work really well. It's a true red but deep. It's not at all orange or rosey. Raspberry Truffle actually looks really pink beside the painted up Heritage. I am leaning towards doing some glazing but we'll see.

Also just wanted to update that I decided not to participate in sanding the top. Using a belt sander around the same height as my belly makes me a little nervous and I didn't put much thought into that part before. I will still be doing the painting. Will be ording some hardware soon so hopefully in a week or so I'll have some photos.