DIY: Dresser Refinish

If you know me you know one of my favorite things to do is to turn old into new, particularly with furniture. Some of the pieces I’ve done have deep meaning, like pieces from my grandmother, while other pieces (like this one) were found free on Facebook marketplace. This was such a fun project because I had full creative reign and a little less pressure to make it perfect because, well, it was freee!!  

I got the piece about 10 months ago, right when I got pregnant and still had energy to conquer the world. It sat for a good 8 months before the weather broke and we began sanding and realized the endeavor that was actually ahead. The piece had a laminate finish over the wooden drawer, which was terrible to get off and I actually told myself every time I worked on it that I was going to trash it that it wasn’t worth my time, but then something kept me coming back and I’m so glad it did.

 I’ve been asked a few times my process for refinishing pieces, and while each piece calls for a different formula here is how I handled this one -

1.     Overall you want to look for a piece that has good bones, is easy to sand or strip (more detail = more difficult stripping can be), and something that has a pop of character.

2.     Figure out your plan for refinishing - what room the piece will go in, what materials you’ll need, and what the design/finishing 

3.     I started sanding by using a #150 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish with an orbit sander to help the process go a little faster. I always sand with the grain of the wood. I then used a razor to peel of the laminate from the two large drawers (which ultimately proved unnecessary because the wood under the laminate was damaged beyond repair, hence the wallpaper). I did some final, light sanding with a #220 grit.

4.     I then used a lint free cloth to wipe down the dresser to make it free of dust. And the final step before paint was to use a separate clean cloth dampened with alcohol to rid it of any remaining residue or oil.

5.     As for painting I used Joanna Gaines Magnolia paint, the color is Panna Cotta, and the finish was Satin. If you are local in Pittsburgh, Wexford Ace Hardware carries the paint line, and they’re staff was so helpful and knowledgeable. We used a Wagner Paint Sprayer to apply the paint, it was more prep and setup but overall far easier and faster to paint, and looks so much better.

6.     Then came the wallpaper. The two large drawers which I took the laminate off of were too damaged for paint so I had to make a quick pivot to wallpaper, and it all worked out because it really makes the piece a little more unique and quirky. I used wallpaper that required paste and it worked out just fine.

7.     Final step, add some fun hardware!

 Let me know what questions you have or drop me a line so we can compare notes! Until then, happy furniture refinishing!