This 3 drawer dresser makeover was a great way to make a broken piece of furniture beautiful again.
I bought this 3 drawer dresser at an estate sale. It was missing the door to the cabinet side, but that didn’t matter. These are the kinds of things I look past because you can work around them or Matt has built many doors for pieces like this so I wasn’t worried about it. The shape, size and storage this piece had out-weighed the missing door.
The top of the dresser wasn’t in the best condition, but I was going to paint it so that didn’t bother me either.
The original hardware was still on the drawers, but I knew that I would want to change them out once I had the dresser painted. I will keep the original hardware for another project. Don’t throw out hardware if you are changing it out. You never know when you may need one handle or find a project that you would like to add hardware too. I have a cabinet in the garage that I keep all the extra hardware, hooks, furniture wheels, etc. in for other projects. Hanging on to these things has saved us so much money in projects.
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Supplies Used In This Makeover:
“Vintage Duck Egg” Dixie Belle Paint
Zibra Paint Brush
New Hardware
The first thing I did was wash this dresser. This piece had not seen the light of day for years and was full of dirt and dust. To wash pieces, I use whatever cleaner I have on hand. Especially if I am going to pain the piece. I need to make sure it is really clean before I add paint to it. Once the dresser was dry, it was ready for paint.
I chose “Vintage Duck Egg” by Dixie Belle Paint for this dresser.
Spring is here and I was in the mood for a good color for spring. I used the round brush from Zibra paint on this piece. Their paint brushes are AH-MAZING! I am using them right now in the flip house on all the trim and on the cabinets and I have not wasted any time or money on painter’s tape. The trim brush and the Palm Pro are amazing brushes for those projects.
They have so many other brush options for everything else I am painting too. The round brush and square brush are so nice for a lot of my furniture projects and the triangular brush makes it so easy to get in hard-to-reach spots. I know I have said it a million times, but I will keep saying it: IF YOU DO ANY KIND OF PAINTING, YOU NEED TO HEAD RIGHT OVER TO ZIBRA PAINT {HERE} AND GET YOURSELF THESE BRUSHES!! Once you use them, you will wonder where they have been all your life.
*Side note: One of the guys who is doing some work for us at the flip house, saw my Palm Pro on the counter over there. He picked it up and without even using it, said how much he liked it. It is the way it fits in your hands and that was a man! Matt loves them too. I always thought because I have smaller hands that is why I love them so much, but men love them too. Buy a couple for the man in your life. Add it to his Easter basket. 🙂 It will be the best gift the Easter bunny has ever brought him. 🙂
Okay, back to the makeover. This dresser only took a couple of coats of paint. Dixie Belle Paint is amazing because you don’t have to do a lot of prep and it will stick to your piece and cover so well.
Their color selection has gotten so much better too. I could talk for hours about my favorite colors from them. This “Vintage Duck Egg” is one of them for sure. I did another piece in this color and distressed it. You can find that project HERE.
That is all I did to this 3 drawer dresser! Oh, I added new hardware. Easy peasy!
I have added baskets to pieces like this on the side of the missing door. This time, I staged it with throw blankets.
When I finish pieces like this, I think about all the different ways you could use it. It would be perfect in a child’s room, a porch like it is here, a kitchen… so many places.
I will never stop picking up pieces that are missing a door or a drawer.
I am always happy that other people don’t see the potential because I am able to snatch them up and breathe new life into them and share them here.
How would you use this piece?
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If you liked this 2 drawer dresser makeover, you will also love these transformations:
DIY Glazed Blue Dresser Makeover
Mid-Century Modern Dresser Makeover
Upcycled Bookcase Headboard Into Farmhouse Hutch
Lovely outcome. I, personally would love to have seen the original hardware, cleaned and polished and reused as the style of the piece ‘dictates” the original hardware. I can’t tell what room this is used in.. If it were in MY home (I have a piece VERY SIMILAR) but if I had it in my LIVING area, I would paint the interior of the open space a color that would compliment a beautiful piece of pottery, porcelain, etc. sizeable enough to make it a STATEMENT piece. There are many ways and places that would bring this piece to a wonderful usage. (Who doesn’t need MORE STORAGE 😉 LOVELY and love the shade of blue.
Thank you! I didn’t like the original hardware with the new color. We will keep the old hardware and use it on another project for sure.
It’s beautiful…love the color and how you used the little area with no door. Very creative!
Thank you!
What a beautiful save, Lindsay. Love my Zibra brushes too. 🙂
Thank you!
I have this same dresser, only the top is warped(cupped). Is there any way I can save the top?
You might have to replace the top. We have done that a lot. Just get a nice board cut to fit and stain or paint.
So beautiful! I’m curious, would you ever seal a piece after painting it with the Dixie Belle Paint?
You absolutely can. It depends on the piece for me. Dixie Belle has a top coat that I love!
Hello, This turned out super cute. So, since I like what you did, I need some advice. We painted my daughters dresser white. It was originally a knotty pine. After a year, you can see the knots coming through the paint. They look like yellow stains, but they’re not. Now, it needs to be repainted. Not sure the easiest way to go about it. Would hate to do a lot of sanding if I don’t have too. What would you recommend?
That is the worst!!! I love BOSS from Dixie Belle Paint. You can read all about it here: {aff} https://dixiebellepaint.com/b-o-s-s/?aff=15
It really helps with bleed through like that.
we use any color spray paint on the knots that show through…….let it dry well then paint the whole piece….
Good tip!
I just love how the Vintage Duck Egg transformed this piece. I am working on the same chest and I just bet your was a antique Wash Stand at one time. The open space would usually have a door. Mine does and I also have the back part that holds the towel bar and mine has a mirror. I am in the process of painting mine now. I thought Sawmill Gravy would be nice neutral color for flipping, but I hate it so I am in the process of doing a custom mix from my left over paints. I hope I like it better this time!
I think that is what it was too! I love making custom paint colors with left over paint! Good luck!
How do I know how much paint to buy?
I can do a few pieces of furniture with a 32 oz. can. The paint covers very well.
Beautiful. I LOVE that ypu put blabkets in the hole of the dresser.
Thank you!
You did a great job! Very ingenious making use of the area missing the door. Was that a European piece? It looks like Tiger oak? That’s the only hesitancy I would have? Covering tiger oak? It turned out beautiful though.
Thanks.
Lovely! How did you clean the piece?
I share how to do that in my post here: https://www.mycreativedays.com/how-to-clean-a-piece-of-furniture-before-painting/
45 yrs ago I was telling my grandma about a cute little “dresser” an old lady was giving me After I described it she said “that’s a washstand not a dresser”. You would have put the commode in the door on the side and prob a pitcher and bowl on top to wash up. Mine even had a little towel rod across the back. Just a little story of mine☺️ I used it for 25 yrs in the bathroom for all our hair accessories -and I still have it! My daughter is using it now.
Love this story! Thanks for sharing!