Aphrodite is my favorite greek goddess.

tobifairley.com

After last week's post about columns, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the detailed old world Greco-Roman carved masterpieces.  They keep resurfacing in my mind as the crowning (no pun intended) embellishment to a modern space.  I was inspired by the goddess of love and beauty again last night while flipping through an issue of Veranda magazine.  I saw the antique dresser below from Carl Moore Antiques in Houston with a Greek key pattern painted on.  Since I'm such a sucker for combining the old with the new, I had grand visions of this thing in a modern room.  

This green chest from Century is a gorgeous take on the Greek key, and with a little elbow grease, it could be re-created on an old chest of drawers by painting the outer pattern in gold or silver as a substitute for the the wood inlay/overlay pattern on the outside.  I'm not sure that I would put a marble top on it.  I might do something like paint another key pattern on the top, such as the one painted below.  

It would also look nice if the pattern were flipped, almost inside out so that the squares on the end of the key pattern were inside the overall shape, allowing you to carry the longer lines towards the outside of the pattern.  This could be a nice blue painter's tape challenge. 

ppgnow.com

Here's a new chest from the High Point market that uses paint on top of a lacquer white finish.  The motif is carried on the top of the dresser as if it were draped on.  I'm smelling a replication in the works.

furbishstudio.com

 This new chest from Furbish Studio is $1300.  I love the light oak, and a pair of these would work so well as bedside tables.  For the ambitious savers, a few do-it-yourselfers have been using wood overlays on top of smooth dressers to repeat the look. 

sydneybarton.com

The key pattern is created by placing wood on top of the dresser, which is then painted in silver.  The wood overlays become the pulls for the drawers. The legs look identical to the new $1300 piece, although I admit that I like the natural tone of the wood better on the new piece.  The natural tone, though, is a light oak veneer, which can be purchased from a dealer and glued on (see tutorials for gluing veneer with wood glue and an iron.). 

modernhaus.blogspot.com

A two-tone example created from an old, drab chest.

Some entrepreneurial thinkers created overlays specifically for transforming IKEA furniture.  They sell overlays for specific makes and models at IKEA, and a few of the patterns are Greek keys.  I'm not usually a fan of IKEA furniture, and truth be told, if I'm going to spend time on a piece that I want to keep long term, I'd rather it be solid wood and made well, but if you're not into sanding and painting, these overlays can go on a brand new inexpensive dresser quickly.  They can also be used on an older, flea market find.  Check my DIY Links page for details. 

I love the clean look of this motif from VTinteriors. The white on white with a splash of color and the old world buffet lamps give this a nice classic, yet refreshingly modern look. 

And for a little emerald glam, this Paul Frankl table is showcased on 1stdibs.com.  I love the lines, and of course, the bold color.  A very close cousin to the Chinese motifs that I use so often.