Thrifted Dresser With Mirror Painted With Chalk Paint/Polycrylic Topcoat

Here is how I found her on Facebook Marketplace.  Not bad. Even better was the size and condition.  I had been searching for a dresser for so long and boom. As soon as this popped up I knew I had to have it. Unfortunately she was spoken for, but I made the girl promise to contact me if the deal fell through. As luck would have it, the deal fell through:)

After removing all the hardware, I vacuumed and thoroughly cleaned this piece with a mixture of vinegar, water and dish soap. I then let the drawers sit in the sun for a short while just to air out a bit. Thankfully, there was no lingering odors to deal with.

I did some minor repairs before painting with a bit of wood filler and after it was dry I lightly sanded it smooth with a 220 grit block sander.

I knew I wanted the top to have a natural wood finish. I used plastic and painters’ tape to protect everything below the top. The first stripper I tried was called Klean Strip and applied with a chip brush. After two applications and scraping with a plastic scraper, I gave up on that product and I bought some Citristrip. Using the same method as before, one treatment with this stuff was all it took to get all the old finish off down to bare wood. Any remaining residue I wiped away with mineral spirits and a lint free cloth.

Ahhh…I love to sand away and watch the wood grain come through. I first used 80 grit, then 100 grit, 120 grit and finished with 220 grit using my sheet sander. It ended up a nice neutral color which was great. All I did to finish the top was to apply three coats of Minwax Polycrylic Clear Finish in satin.

For the body I used Behr Paint in Polar White made into homemade chalk paint.  It’s the simplest version I know of; 2 Tbsp Plaster of Paris, 1 Tbsp water, mix thoroughly, add 1 cup latex paint, mix thoroughly. That’s it!  I applied three coats to the body, dresser drawer fronts, the mirror frame and supports.

When the paint was dry I used Behr Wax Decorative Finish in the clear satin finish.  I used a project brush to apply the wax so I could get it worked into the carved detailing, then I wiped away any excess with a soft lint free cloth.  This brush worked great getting into the details but it did lose a bristle here and there. I like a little shine to bring out the carved details so I did buff the wax a bit after it was dry.

On to hardware:) I liked the original drawer pulls that came on this dresser so I decided to try to clean them.  I soaked them for 24 hours in white vinegar. I then used a Dollar General steel wool scrubber on all sides of the hardware.  The one on the right was the outcome.

To finish I lined the drawers with a simple neutral colored contact paper.

Voila! Pretty nice without much effort:)

I think the white paint gave this dresser a softer feel but still showed off the wood detailing.

This piece is now in my bedroom and fits perfectly. The only down side is trying to get good photos around my bed.

Thanks for stopping by:)

Roni