Dresser Makeover

As my in-laws were re-doing their bedroom, we were in the throes of completely renovating our house.  We were looking to score any freebies at that point...well, even now we'll take anything free! It was in bad shape and I hesitated to even take it.  It had scuffs and scratches, ugly orange stain, and the drawers were really not usable.  But we learned that it also belonged to my husband's grandparents originally, so then I really couldn't resist.  My first idea was that I would tranform this into a bathroom sink console but we ultimately decided to get a double vanity in our main bath and this was not big enough.

Tools and Materials:

Minwax Stain - I used Jacobean color

Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner

Minwax Polyurethane - I chose a semi-gloss finish

Varnish Stripping Agent - I used Citristrip Safer Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel

Hand Sander - I used this one from Home Depot.  Fairly inexpensive if you use on multiple projects. http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-5-in-Orbital-Sander-D26453K/100671644# 

Sanding Blocks - Fine Grit 

Clean Rags to wipe excess stain

Wood Glue

Wood Fill, if you plan on placing different handles

Foam Brushes to apply stain

Eye Goggles

Face Mask

Step 1: I dismantled the drawers so that I could stain them easily and separately. 

Step 2: Sand, Strip, & Wood Fill (if necessary) 

I don't know how many sanding disks I went through with my hand sander but a crazy amount.  It's a fun thing when you do finally get to the point of seeing the beautiful raw wood.  I used the Citristrip for the hard-to-sand places. 

Step 3: Wipe off excess dust, stain and varnish particles with a clean rag

Step 4: Apply Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner with a foam brush according to the directions on the can

Step 5: Apply the stain with a foam brush according to the directions on the can. 

Step 6: Apply the Polyurethane with a foam brush according to the directions on the can.  Lightly sand in between each coat with a fine grit sanding block.

Step 7: Time to wood glue drawers you want back on the front of the dresser and add on the old or new handles in the desired location.  We got the glass pulls from Home Depot online.

Here is the finished product...It may not be perfect but I love how it turned out!