House of Ivy: Midcentury Dresser Makeover

I've fallen off the blogging wagon this week... with good reason I promise. If you follow me on instagram, you might have seen that we've been a little preoccupied in our house with the addition of a new furry friend named Fritz! I've spent the majority of my time dog-proofing our yard, making sure he is comfortable and acclimating to his new home and family. I did manage to squeeze in a little project for myself however...

One of my goals this Spring is to update our guest bedroom and make it a little more functional for my main squeeze - he keeps his clothes in here, since our master bedroom closets are too small to share. I should be a member of a Craigslist addicts support group or something, because I spend entirely too much time on there. It takes time to find that one needle in the haystack of junk, and luckily about a month back I found an awesome midcentury dresser!

It has great lines, and to my surprise, it was in pretty good condition. The gentleman who posted the listing was kind enough to drop it off at our house along with two mirrors that came with it (don't worry, I have a plan for those as well). I took inspiration from one of my favorite vintage furniture sources, Scout Design Studio in Dallas. If you're ever looking for a good transformation, check out their website - and while you're at it, check out their new arrivals which usually go pretty fast!

Image via Scout Design Studio

I loved both of these creamy white lacquer jobs, and decided to give it a go with my own piece. Mind, you I don't normally go about refinishing pieces for clients (I leave that up to the professionals), but for my own house I enjoy the creative process of transforming something shabby into a beautiful piece of furniture - I get an odd sense of pride and accomplishment out of doing these things myself!

THE PROCESS

STEP 1

Remove all hardware and wipe entire surface down with TSP - wipe it off immediately. Repeat. Since this piece was made of fiberboard and not hardwood, I opted not to sand it, but rather to just give it a good chemical clean. If you use this product, make sure to wear your rubber cleaning gloves and eye protection.

Dilute with water according to the package instructions.

STEP 2
Tape off what you don't want to paint. Nothing gives away a bad paint-job like overspray on the inside of drawers, etc.

STEP 4
Prime with Kilz spray primer. Spray on 2 light coats and sand between each coat. Think primer like the base coat of a manicure - I always notice that manicurists spend a great deal of time on this step because it really is the foundation for a good smooth finish.

STEP 5
Begin your paint! I used Valspar high gloss spray paint, and I like to use one of those handy spray-gun attachments you can get on the spray paint aisle at home depot. Saves your fingers from aching!! Spray on 2-3 light coats of color until you reach desired saturation. As always, sand any drips or splotches between coats. This process is tedious, but it ensures you get that nice, even finish.

*Helpful tip: don't let your dog anywhere near the project while it its still tacky. I learned this lesson the hard way and had to sand off a few black Greta hairs... ugh!

STEP 6

Either spray on or brush on Minwax Polyacrylic in gloss finish. I prefer to brush it on, as I feel like I get more control and more gloss with a brush. I think I did about 3 coats and waited the full drying time between each one!

It rained for a few days while I was in between Polyacrylic coats, so I had to wait till it was dry enough outside to continue. This photo is after coat #1, and you can already see who shiny it looks! (Hat for reflection purposes)

STEP 7
Allow plenty of drying time before you bring your piece inside! I left the dresser in our garage for a full 24 hours before bringing into the guest room. I would also suggest waiting a couple days before placing anything on top of the piece... just so you get optimal drying!

STEP 8
Polish up the hardware. This was arguably my most labor-intensive step. I prefer to use Brasso polish on brass items along with an old toothbrush to get down into the crevices. These handles had years and years of tarnish, and I actually had to let the Brasso sit on them for an hour or so before I got into the scrubbing. After I scrubbed off all the tarnish, I used a soft microfiber towel to polish the brass.

Sheesh - lots of work, but just look at that reward! Does anyone suggest a miracle solution that I can just dip tarnished brass into and pull out a clean, sparkly piece without all of this elbow grease?

STEP 9

Add your hardware back onto the dry piece.

STEP 10
Congratulate yourself on a paint job well-done, and treat yourself to a celebratory cocktail, chocolate bar, or manicure!

Voila - the finished product!