Vintage Dresser Makeover: From Dingy to Denim

I blazed a trail to find a vintage three-drawer dresser for a project I wanted to replicate.

I’d seen a similar dresser online updated with white paint and denim-look drawers, and I just had to try it myself. Giddy up!

The good, the bad, & the ugly…

The good? The frame was sturdy and in good shape – just what I’d wanted to lasso to try this denim technique.

The bad? A piece of paneling was tucked inside one drawer. (Yes, I know, I should have paid more attention when I got it. But this was at the onset of the pandemic, so I wasn’t going to linger at pickup to do-si-do.)

The ugly? Ambush! What a mess that panel was hiding. Over time, wood blocks that guide the sliding drawers had worn down — but not the nails holding them in place. As a result, the nail heads had worn through the base of this drawer and damaged the other two.

Saddle up for this adventure!

The Frame

First, I sanded the frame down to raw wood because the old stain was SO dark I was certain it would bleed through the white paint. Then I primed with Zinsser BIN® shellac-based primer. Here it is, primed and already lookin’ darlin’. Then I added two coats of Farmhouse Paint® in “Classic White.”

The Drawers

The drawers turned into a stampede of repairs! Multiple fixes on them over the years prevented me from removing and replacing the old bases. Instead, I had to build new bases and attach them to the existing ones. I cut 1/8-inch hardboard to size and installed it with wood glue to strengthen the structure. Then, as added insurance, I attached supports beneath each drawer to prevent sagging.

The drawers were also very dry and sad-looking, like a cowboy when the saloon’s closed. I decided to add shellac to the sides to freshen up the old wood. You can see here what a difference that made to the appearance of the wood.

To prevent the same drawer base erosion from happening again, I removed the old guide blocks and their rusty nails. Then I designed a felt glide replacement — glued in place (rather than nailed) to avoid the same problem in the future. I also thoroughly coated the edges of the drawers and the frame with candle wax so the drawers would slide more smoothly (a trick you can use at home for sticky drawers).

Yeehaw! Time for creative fun!

The Denim Look

To achieve the look of denim, I first primed and painted an undercoat of white on the drawer fronts and allowed them to dry completely. Then, I created a wash of four parts water to one part Farmhouse Paint® “Old Navy” and applied it to the face of each drawer. Using a brush designed to create a linen look, I scraped through the glaze both horizontally and vertically. With a nail, I made irregular scratches through the pattern I’d created to give it a less uniform, more weathered look.

The Finishing Touches

To protect the surfaces, I used three coats of Minwax Polycrylic® on the top of the dresser and Annie Sloan® clear wax on the sides and drawer fronts. Then I added cool leather handles to keep with the rugged Western feel. Lastly, I added blue and white drawer liner. (This pic gives you a good look at the denim effect.)