It’s time for the big reveal of the vintage dresser I’ve been working on for the last few weeks.
You’ve already seen hints of what’s to come in two previous posts about the trim repair (Vintage Dresser Makeover: From Missing to Mended) and the hardware polishing (Vintage Dresser Makeover Pt 2: From Grime to Glimmer). Now it’s time to see how it all pulled together to make this dresser pop!
Step One: Repairs
Apart from the missing trim replacement, this dresser required additional repairs. The drawer fronts had been exposed to moisture at some point, so the veneer had warped and cracked. This required wood filler and sanding to smooth out the worst of the rippled surface.
More critical, however, was damage to the top corner. The wood was cracked and buckled beyond salvage from some previous mishap. I removed the damaged portion entirely and rebuilt the corner with DAP® Plastic Wood. You’ll never notice the difference after sanding, painting, and topcoating with Minwax® Polycrylic.
Step Two: Paint
My client selected “Old Navy” from Farmhouse® Paints for the dresser. However, we decided to keep the lovely burled wood of the top drawers and the central design element untouched. Leaving the top drawers unpainted was simple. Painting around that central emblem required detailed handwork.
When painting the body of a dresser, it’s a good idea to add color to the first couple of inches of each drawer space. You can see here where I’ve taped these areas to paint the forward sections. In this way, when the drawers are opened, any peeks at the wood frame are consistent in color.
To improve operation, I waxed the runners of the drawers and the tracks in the frame. This allows the drawers to glide more smoothly. Try this at home with an old candle if you have a sticky drawer.
Step Three: Details
To add a little flair, I stenciled a design on the sides of the drawers using the navy paint. When the drawers are opened, you get a glimpse of the design.
In addition, I lined the drawers with a gold and white geometric peel-and-stick paper for some bling. The gold looks great with navy and complements the shiny refurbished hardware.
And here it is!
At long last, here are all the pieces, finally put together. It was a lovely dresser to begin with, and now the navy and gold theme makes it sing! Leaving the top drawers, the central design, and the two front legs unpainted gave the dresser some visual interest and balance. I’m so glad my client asked me to redesign this beauty because it was a real pleasure to work on.
More reveals coming soon! If you have any questions about the items you see posted, drop me a line at my contact page or my Instagram shop (@serendipitysequelsmn).
