I recently gave an old dresser of mine an amazing facelift – taking it from old and slightly drab to completely shabby chic! And it was surprisingly simple.
Unfortunately, I lost the “before” photos, so you’re just going to have to trust my description. This piece is the perfect size, but had been painted with a deep red half paint/half stain technique that, at the time it was painted was all the rage. It has some amazing details so I didn’t want to just replace it with a mass produced version from IKEA, and so I decided to make it into a DIY project!
Step 1: Go thrifting and find an amazing piece with tons of character and potential.
Step 2: Go to Home Depot and talk to the people in the paint section – they’ll help you pick out the right supplies! I decided to go with a heavy duty paint stripper because both paint and stain had been previously used.
Step 3: Gather supplies! Picking out the paint colors is probably my favorite part. I decided on a cream white, and a light blue for an accent color. Because I was covering a dark dresser with a light paint, I went with a paint+primer all in one… such a time saver. You’ll also need a small scraper to get all of the paint off when using the stripper. Other essential include: a paint brush (or two if you can enlist the help of some friends!), a couple wash clothes and a tray that you can throw away, painters tape (for adding details like stripes), and music. You’ll definitely need music. I also changed the handles on my dresser with nobs from Hobby Lobby to give it a completely updated look.
Step 3.5: Head home and turn on the music.
Step 4: In the direction of the wood grain, paint on the stripper. Wait 30 minutes (you’ll notice the paint bubbling up) and then begin to scrape off. Repeat this paint and scrape process until all of the paint has been scraped off.
Step 5: With a damp wash cloth, scrub and wipe off all of the excess paint and stripper until the surface of the dresser is smooth.
Step 6: Paint the entire surface of the dresser with two coats, allowing to dry in between applications. When painting the drawers, be careful not too paint too thick, otherwise they might stick when you try to open and close them.
Step 7: If you want to add stripes, wait until the first color is completely dry, and then tape out the pattern you want, like so…
Step 8: Paint over the tape with two coats, allowing to dry in between applications. Once the second coat is dry, remove the tape, add the new handles and VOILA!! A brand new dresser!
If you think you might want to resell this dresser, ever, be sure to keep the original handles – it can increase the value 🙂
XOXO,
LAUREN
Young Fabulous and Baroque 