It is week 3 of the One Room Challenge over at Calling it Home – a 6 week design challenge that many other bloggers have taken on. If you stop by and take a look you’ll get to see so many talented participants! This week I’ve been putting some finishing touches on an antique dresser makeover. This will go nicely in our daughter’s modern farmhouse room and give her some much needed storage. And the best part is – we got it for free!
UPDATE:
Here are the links for the previous weeks and the full reveal!
Week One | Week Two | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six Reveal!
This antique dresser was in pretty good shape – except for a few missing knobs/screws, chipped corners, nicks, dents, and missing drawer tracks. It it very sturdy and seems to be pretty well made. When a neighbor was giving it away for free I jumped at the chance to snatch it up! I had a feeling some paint could give it a whole new look. And keeping this project budget-friendly was a great bonus!
To add to my savings on this project I was able to score a gallon of grey paint at Lowe’s in the “as-is” paint section for only $9. It is such a beautiful grey color and I was super surprised to see it still sitting on the clearance shelf. Unfortunately it wasn’t labeled with a color name so I can’t tell you what it’s called … but I’ll definitely be trying to color match it in the future if I run out! I’ve already used it for a couple of projects and it’s definitely a winner.
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My first step to bringing this old dresser back to life was to dust it off and clean the surface with some mild soap and water. After it had dried I filled in a few dents and chips with some wood-filler and let it dry. Then I sanded those spots down smooth and painted a couple coats of primer. Because the surface of the wood was shiny I used some Zinsser oil-based primer
Once you are done priming and you’ve let it dry completely, you can start applying your paint color! I don’t have a paint sprayer (although it’s definitely on my wish-list), so I applied my paint using a brush. This dresser has quite a few details that I needed to use my brush for. Here is a photo of one of the primed drawers on the left, and one with a coat of paint on the right.
I applied 2 coats of paint, and then followed it up with a few coats of this Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish in Satin
The hardware was in good shape so I decided to spray paint them. I wanted to save some money (and time) by not having to purchase new ones and then have to fill in the existing screw holes and possibly having to create new ones. I found this Rust-Oleum spray paint in glossy black
After re-attaching the hardware it looks beautiful. The dresser has been given a brand new life! I especially love the character of the detail on the drawers, the detailed paneling on the edges, and the contrast of the grey paint and black hardware. I haven’t done a ton of furniture makeovers, but this one has me itching for another one. This could become an addicting new hobby!
And because I just love a good before-and-after transformation photo, here is the before and after!
I think it will look stunning in my daughter’s modern farmhouse bedroom. It will really pop against the white and cream colors of the walls. The big reveal day is going to be so much fun!
Here is what I’ve finished so far:
- Purchased a chair for her reading corner
- Purchased a lamp, bedding, artwork and a side table
- Made some DIY hand-lettered artwork
- Fixed up her dresser
Here is what is still on my to-do list for this room makeover:
- Change out the light fixture
- DIY a new headboard for her new twin bed
- Install & paint some DIY board and batten
I’m so glad that you’re joining me on this bedroom makeover challenge! It’s been an exciting journey so far and I can’t wait to show you the finished room on reveal day!
