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!


Comments

  1. Hi, I've been considering doing this with my dresser which is pretty old and I'm having lots of problems with the bottom drawers.. yours looks great! How did you do the bottom shelf? Did you end up adding a piece of ply wood or something, or was your dresser's bottom already flat like that? Thanks!

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  2. Thanks Calin! I did add a piece of 1/4 inch project panel plywood as an inset for the bottom shelf. Like this...http://www.homedepot.com/p/Project-Panels-Maple-Plywood-Price-Varies-by-Size-1789/203552993. Just go to the cutting center at Home Depot or Lowes and they'll cut the piece according to your measurements--really easy and really cheap!

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  3. Thanks so much for your help!

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