Craigslist Dresser Goes Chic

Way back in December I found a dresser on Craigslist for only $ 45.00. My Craigslist search for a dresser took forever to find this gem. I love it's detail and craftsmanship and its dovetail drawers. They don't make'em like that anymore! Not only was the dresser the perfect size for our room, it reminded me of the pricier Pottery Barn version for around $1100! But I like our dresser more.


Here's the before, images via Craigslist.

The dresser had some pretty detail, on the side panels, I also liked its feet - perfect mix of masculine and feminine.

Since our new dresser is large, I knew a its current dark shade would overwhelm our small bedroom. So I painted it a Delicate White Satin finish by Olympic Paint. I also added new hardware to up its pretty factor. I found some simple shiny knobs for the top drawers and the wow knobs for the bottom drawers. I usually prefer black or brushed nickel for pulls, but I was drawn to the shape of the pulls. I guess you could say they pulled me in (lame pun intended) The shiny pulls also match our newly hung chandelier.

Here's our dresser now { in our bedroom } I love how it looks against of grey walls.

Here's what I did.

I sanded the dressing using a sanding block to help remove the old finish. I applied three coats of primer (Zinsser Primer). I allowed each coat of primer to dry six hours and then lightly sanded between coats.

The dresser during the priming phase.

The new pulls were larger than the ones originally on the dresser. I filled the old holes in with wood filler after I primed the dresser. Then sanded the wood filler away with a fine grit sanding block. We measured the new pulls and then measured the middle of the dresser and found its center then drilled new holes for the pulls.

Old dresser holes.

Sanding down the wood filler

Next, I painted the dresser using a combination of a sponge roller and paint brush (the brush helps for odd angles and drips) . I applied four coats of paint, I allowed each coat of paint to dry 24 hours before applying the next coat. Between each coat I lightly sanded, this time using a fine grit sanding block.

I applied two coats of Rustoleum Painters Coat clear gloss, it worked perfectly. It gave my dresser a nice glossy yet hard finish. The product also promises not to yellow over time, which is very important on a white dresser. Our bedroom is slowing coming along, it feels great to have the dresser and chandelier checked off my to do list. Next up, is making our bed with all the bedding I've been hording.

Budget breakdown:

$ 45.00 dresser
$ 11.88 for the pulls ( $ 2.97 each )
$ 11.96 for the knobs ( 2.99 each )
$ 11.99 Rustoleum Clear coat
$ 12.99 1 quart of Olympic paint

Total: $ 93.82

I love how our dresser turned out, what do you think? What current painting project are you working on?