Dresser Makeover: From Distressed to Dynamite!

I had a dresser needing a new home and a client needing a dresser.

Serendipity, right? But this artificially distressed dresser was over 20 years old. It needed a refresh and new hardware to match the nightstands I’d previously updated for the client. (See Twin Vintage Nightstands: From Disco to Dramatic)

Step One: Sanding

Since the dresser was already white, I could skip the priming step. However, it was still necessary to clean and scuff sand the frame and drawers so the new paint could grip the surface. Sanding — my least favorite job — has become easier and less messy since I got a new Bosch® sander. It attaches to my ShopVac®, which collects all the loose dust.

Step Two: Drawers

Oh, so many drawers! They all needed cleaning, sanding, painting, and new liners. Several drawers also needed wood filler to eliminate the existing screw holes since I was replacing some knobs with pull bars.

Step Three: Paint

It was back to my usual Farmhouse® “Classic White” paint for the frame and drawers. (Don’t worry — I’ll be using color again soon!) I applied Minwax® Polycrylic to protect the paint (with an extra coat on the top since dressers get a lot of wear).

Step Four: Repair

Before I could put the drawers back in place, I had to repair one of the tracks. As you can see, a trapezoidal slat of wood creates the track the drawer slides on. However, one slat (on the left, for comparison) had worn down to the point where the drawer would slip off the track when opened.

To fix this, I simply reversed the slat so the “good” end was now in front to guide the drawer. I also used wood filler to repair what was now the back end. After I reinstalled the piece, I gave all the slats and the corresponding drawer tracks a good waxing to improve their glide.

Step Five: The Hardware

New hardware is an easy way to update a piece of furniture. To make this dresser more contemporary and to match the nightstands, I replaced the chipped white ceramic knobs with brushed brass. I put knobs on the top tier and bar pulls on the bottom two tiers for visual interest.

Step Six: The Liner

This dresser was in terrific shape, so drawer liners weren’t required. But I think a pretty liner is like frosting on a cake. Plus, it protects the drawers from future wear. Check out a future post for tips on how to easily and professionally apply drawer liner.