I took this old and tired dresser, which belonged to my sister, and set out to give a new and fresh look. This poor old girl’s veneer was chipping, it had stains and wax on her top and had definitely seen better days.
I started by filling in her chipped veneer, gutting out the insides, scraping the wax and sanding her down to a nice smooth finish before starting on the insides.
Once that was done, I started re-skinning the inside with 3/4” oak ply on the bottom, 1/2” birch ply on the sides and leftover bead board on the back. I sanded that all done and began cutting down plywood for the dividers and the shelves.
Then it was time for the finishing. I painted the interior in General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint and the exterior in Magnolia Home Garden Trowel Chalk Paint. I also added some polycrylic to the top and sides to protect it from spills and messes.
All that was left to do was make the doors. I made them from the 1/2” ply and added a Union Jack metal panel, painted in Rust-Oleum aged copper metallic spray paint, and door pulls and hardware finished in the same aged copper spray paint.
I think it’s safe to say this old girl is ready for her new life and you would never know she was once a dresser in a previous life.
