A family friend donated this tall dresser to us to refinish, and I'll be honest... I didn't really have a vision for it. I was a little bit nervous with the dated shape that I wouldn't be able to bring it new life. But I am absolutely thrilled with how it turned out!
First, I wanted to try taking the front faces of the drawers off because they were my least favorite part. They were secured with screws holding the handles to the drawer, and nails. To remove the board, I undid the screws holding in the handles then used a hammer and a pry bar to wedge it off the drawer.
Using wood filler, I filled the nail and handle holes. Originally I planned on leaving the handle holes but I really wanted a more uniform look and I was nervous it would be annoying to find handles I liked that were the right size/spacing.
I used Killz all purpose primer. I don't even know how many coats of primer I did, but I know it was a lot. Since the paint colour I picked was a chalk finish, and I heard that matte/chalk paint can be tricky, I wanted to set myself up for success.
Paint a coat of primer - let dry - sand with 220 grit sandpaper - clean the dust off - repeat until it looks nice and smooth.
Originally I picked the Country Chic paint, which I loved. It was so beautiful. Buuuut, I ordered the wrong size so I only had enough paint for 4 of the drawers. Buying more of that paint should have been an easy solution, but there isn't anywhere in my city to buy Country Chic and ordering it online the week before Christmas meant delivery well into the New Year.
My plan was to flip this dresser and sell it, so finishing it faster was more important than picking a paint I l.o.v.e.d. I ran to the hardware store and grabbed a big can of this Serenity Blue Chalked Paint - it's still beautiful, just not my first pick.
Now that I had sorted out the paint situation, it was time to start looking for handles. But then I realized designer hardware is annoyingly expensive and I didn't want really basic/generic handles. So I made my own.... and I love them!
I was able to make these handles for SO much cheaper than a similar style retails for! They are perfect because you can make them for any size you need. Kitchen cabinets? Perfect. Closet door handles? Perfect. Custom handles for literally any project, any size in your home? Perfect.
Steps To DIY Dowel Handle:
* Cut the 1/2in dowel into 9in pieces
* Sanded down the edges until I was happy with how rounded they were
* Applied several coats of this Varathane
* Spray painted the copper T's black
* Cut the 5/8ths dowel (which fits snug into the bottom of the copper T) so it was flush
* Used Gorilla Glue to secure the Copper T's to the wooden dowel
* Applied Clear Caulk to seal the copper to the wood and provide a cleaner finish
* Pre-drilled through the drawer and into the 5/8th dowel then attached with 8 x 1-1/4in screws
I love, love, love taking an old piece of furniture, otherwise destined for the dump - and turning it into something beautiful. I was so excited to send this piece of furniture off to its new home!
Doing these refinishing projects is humbling. I always learn so much, and often question if its going to turn out. But when I am finished; I just can't wait to start the next one.
Follow over on Instagram @PrairieMamasBlog for more behind the scene or to tell me about a project you're working on!
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