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Tri Color Dresser Makeover

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

May 1, 2013 By Jackie

I am peeing-my-pants-excited to share this dresser makeover with you. It has been a long time in the works. Sadly, finishing it kept getting de-prioritized in favor of other projects for my studio. Now it is finally done and it is awesome!

tricolordresser1

This dresser was sort of bonus. We bought a retro dresser to use as a media stand in the family room, and bonus the seller told us it came with the highboy. Crafty spaces always need more storage, so I knew I could put this bonus dresser to good use. First, it needed a little makeover.

retro dresser chest of drawers

It is the first piece of furniture you see when you walk into my studio.  This end of my studio is narrow, because of the closet on one side.  The dresser fills this space perfectly and gives me extra storage!

Tri Color Dresser

The dresser is what I see when I am sitting at my desk…you know, when I am staring off in deep thought.  It along with the Ikea kitchen cart have turned the once empty corner into a sight for sore eyes.  I am happy to look at this pretty little corner all day.

tricolordresser2

What attracted me to these dressers first was the frame detail on the drawer fronts. I wanted to bring that detail out. I painted the case of the dresser white with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Then, I used ASCP in Provence, just to paint the frame around each drawer front. I loved the ASCP for this project because it required no sanding or stripping, allowing me to leave the original drawer front finish in tact. I also left the original finish on the dresser base. I gave the newly painted areas a coat of polycrylic to seal the paint.

Tri Color Dresser

The last stop on the makeover was the hardware. It was a cool shape and the larger handles were a unique size. It appeared to be tarnished brass.

This post contains affiliate links to the products I use and recommend. I may receive a small commission on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

I tried using Brasso to restore them, but they were too far gone and I lack patience. So, I turned to Centsational Girls tips on brass. For faking the look she recommend Krylon ShortCuts Gold Leaf spray paint. Within half an hour I was able to fake some awesome brass hardware.

dresserbrasshandles2

To make the spray painting super easy I inserted the screws into the handles part way. Then, I stuck the screws in a piece of leftover packing styrofoam. This let me spray the handles from all angles. After the last coat, I flipped them over to put one coat on the back.  They looked horrible before.

brasshandlesbefore

Isn’t the gold tone hardware incredible? I am totally in love.  This dresser fits right in in my studio. It will be home to my ever-growing fabric stash.

Modern Brass Dresser Pulls

I am still working on the dresser top decor, but I love it so far. The small aqua fan was a HomeGoods find. The color matches the dresser perfectly.   The pretty blue ikat lamp shade was the inspiration for the blue focal wall on the other end of the room. Sadly, while it was in storage during the room renovation, the pretty glass cylinder base broke :(. I replaced it with the turquoise base on loan from my guest room.

blueikatlamp

The Heller Design jars were a recent thrift store find.  The yellow one is holding all my Martha Stewart paint swatches.  The white one is holding my adjustable stencils (another thrift store score).

hellerdesignjars

I put together a few of the stencils for a little sign.  “T&L” for teal and lime.  I propped them on a cheap plate holder.  I coated it with white chalk paint and then gave it a good sanding for a shabby chic look.  Love these stencils!!!

brassstencildecor

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Comments

  1. Jessie says

    May 1, 2013 at 11:52 am

    the colors are pretty darn close –
    the dresser, cart, lamp, fan!

    How do you do it!!!???

    • Jackie says

      May 1, 2013 at 3:25 pm

      Haha…it’s magic. No seriously, none of this was planned. I just buy what I love and then figure out how to put it all together. It makes such an impact to use all these pieces together.

      • Jessie says

        May 1, 2013 at 3:45 pm

        magical is what it is! love it all! thanks for the inspiration!

        • Beth says

          May 1, 2013 at 4:55 pm

          I had the same thought!! It would have taken me weeks to find the ‘perfect blue’ to coordinate with the cart and fan:)!! Magic it is!!

          • Jackie says

            May 1, 2013 at 10:01 pm

            Magic it is!! I know this will sound totally cheesy, but it is this type of “magic” that let me know that this was my life’s calling. This is my gift. I just have an innate ability to pull things together and I am finally able to use my gift and share it!

  2. Shannon says

    May 1, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    The dresser makeover is so amazing! You did a beautiful job taking a mid-century piece & updating it to be fresh & modern. I recently scored a deal on a long low dresser on craigslist and can’t wait to refinish it in a similar manner!

    • Jackie says

      May 1, 2013 at 3:24 pm

      Thanks Shannon. This was such a rewarding project. I hope you get the same reward from making over your dresser!

  3. [email protected] says

    May 1, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Loving the dresser makeover. Are you storing craft supplies in the drawers?

    • Jackie says

      May 1, 2013 at 10:00 pm

      Char, The dresser is going to house my fabric stash. I am still trying to figure out just the right way to organize my fabrics. As soon as I get it figured out, I will definitely share.

  4. Michelle says

    May 1, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    can you post a how to?

    • Jackie says

      May 1, 2013 at 9:59 pm

      Michelle, A how to on the painting? I used chalk paint, which requires no sanding or priming. There is not much to tell. I rolled and brushed it on. Then, I applied two coats of clear Polycrylic to seal the paint. I hope that helps!

      • Jessie says

        May 2, 2013 at 11:36 am

        Jackie,
        Was the Polycrylic for the entire dresser or just area painted with chalk paint? If for chalk paint, why not use wax?

        I’m no chalk paint expert – in fact, I have yet to use it. But when I looked up info on it, I kept hearing/reading about using wax to seal it.

        • Jackie says

          May 2, 2013 at 12:29 pm

          Jessie,

          The Polycrylic was just to seal the chalk paint. I have the wax and have used it before on my dipped chair (http://www.tealandlime.com/2012/09/diy-dipped-chair/). There were a few reasons why I chose not to use wax on this dresser. It takes more time to apply and buff wax, especially on a large piece like this. The wax leaves a slight luster, maybe a satin finish at best. The original wood finish on this dresser is a bit more glossy. The Polycrylic applies quickly with a roller/brush. I was able to choose my finish and used gloss. And, there was no buffing involved. I think the wax is used with chalk paint to achieve distressed finishes.

          Personally, I like not having to sand or prime when using chalk paint, but I am not as thrilled about the extra steps to wax the finished piece. For me, the right combo is chalk paint followed by Polycrylic.

  5. Gwen says

    May 1, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Ow I love this. A bit of the stained wood but white and that blue color I never know what to call it hmmm but it looks so good and the stencils!! I have an old wooden holder I never thought to reprint, scruff up–it was a duh moment!! But how fun these stencils will be!! And yes I noticed the jars. Perfect! The ikea cart. I’d not work. I’d gaze upon the cleverness of it all going as planned!!! And just sigh and admire!!! Seriously, it looks fabulous!!
    And gives us more than just a few good ideas too!

  6. Chris says

    May 1, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    Jackie, the dresser looks so frickin’ awesome! The colors are bright, vibrant…inspiring! I’ve loved seeing your studio come together!

    • Jackie says

      May 1, 2013 at 9:58 pm

      Thanks Chris. I love that description…frickin’ awesome!

  7. Krista @thehappyhousie says

    May 2, 2013 at 12:12 am

    Love it!! It is stunning. I also love the little cart beside it (ikea??) and the way you have the whole room staged. You are a master of pulling everything together using a keen sense of color which is one of my favourite ways to design. Great job!!
    Krista

  8. jessvii says

    May 2, 2013 at 7:39 am

    Awesome job again – I love it!!

  9. Lisa says

    May 2, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    You did such a great job on this piece. I’ve heard so much about the ease of using chalk paint. I can’t wait to give it a try!

  10. Pam Zirbel says

    May 3, 2013 at 4:30 am

    I am so inl love with your dresser! It looks amazing!! I am trying to paint this yard sale coffee table I bought for $10 a few weeks ago. Being I cant paint in the house with all my animals [didnt want hair on it!! LOL] the weather is finally nice enough to paint in the garage! I am leaving the top, but it is fake wood so i am going to attempt to stain it! Sanded it down but I think it needs more or I have to take the laminate type [i forgot what ya call it right now! ] off. The rest of the table is painted and looks great,today….the top! Oiye! Your room is AMAZING and I am loving watching the trasformation!

    • Jackie says

      May 3, 2013 at 7:16 am

      Thanks Pam. Good luck with your coffee table!

  11. lori says

    May 3, 2013 at 7:45 am

    I love it!! What a great use of color and wood!!! I also have/love that little caddy- they are awesome!!

  12. Louise says

    May 3, 2013 at 10:59 am

    The dresser looks great and love the colour combo.

  13. Alexis @ Persia Lou says

    May 18, 2013 at 2:10 am

    I just finished up a similar style of dresser makeover with a painted frame and wood drawer fronts. I love the way yours turned out. I’m thinking my drawer pulls maybe need a coat of that spray paint. I love how bright yours are!

  14. [email protected] says

    May 18, 2013 at 8:31 pm

    Love it! the colors look great with the wood tones, and that hardware is perfect :). and great tip about putting the hardware in the styrofoam to paint it!

  15. Linda says

    March 17, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Love what you did with this piece and your media console also. What type of stain did you use?

    • Jackie says

      March 18, 2015 at 8:41 pm

      Linda, I just used a regular Minwax wood stain in Dark Walnut. Then I used polacrylic as a top coat.

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