I am so glad you’re here, dear friends! Today is Furniture Fixer Upper Day, and I have a fantastic painted antique oak dresser to share with you! My friends have makeovers of their own to share, so be on the lookout for those at the bottom.
Here is how this beauty began:
And it only cost me $5!! Can you even believe that?
I found it at a yard sale that was just minutes from closing up, and the owner just wanted it gone.
Done! We loaded it right on up!
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
What I didn’t see
This piece definitely made me work. Sometimes, the excitement of a good deal makes you ignore all the bad things lol.
The previous owner had found it on the side of the road with all the drawers scattered about after a good rain.
It then sat in her garage for years until she finally decided to give up on any chance of reviving it.
It had missing veneer in several places and most of the drawers had issues:
Luckily, the drawers were pretty easy fixes.
Clean
After learning my lesson with this tray makeover, I went straight to cleaning with White Lightning. It is a degreaser and a deglosser and now comes in the concentrated granules you can mix or a ready-to-use spray.
I stick to the granules and mix one TBSP into a half gallon of warm water and get to cleaning!
This thang was D-I-R-T-Y!
Can you see my water there?? Y’all know how I love to show you dirty water ha ha!
Once I had it cleaned, I swapped that nasty water out for plain, clean water and wiped everything down once more.
Getting Rid of the MUSTY odor
Did I mention this dresser smelled SOOO musty?
It sure did, but I have the perfect fix for that musty smell, Bonding BOSS in the clear formula:
I painted it on the entire inside cavity of the dresser with one coat:
This stuff works fantastically to get rid of those odors!
It dries clear and invisible on raw wood, but it will leave a slight texture and haze on darker colors, so it is not recommended on exterior surfaces that you do not plan to paint.
Fixing the damaged Veneer
There were a few areas where the veneer was coming loose and several areas where it was missing. I used wood glue and clamps to fix the loose veneer.
Then, I filled the damaged areas in with Dixie Mud:
Once that was dry, I sanded all those areas smooth with 220 grit sandpaper (these are sheets I cut into four pieces) wrapped around an old sanding sponge:
I also sanded the sides of the drawers to erase decades of wear…
I cleaned up any sanding dust with my shop vac and a soft cloth, and I was ready for paint.
Paint
For this piece, I chose Caviar:
I feel like it’s been a while since I used it and Caviar, a perfect, true black, is fantastic at hiding all the boo boos.
I gave everything two coats.
Be sure to tape off the drawers so you get nice, crisp lines:
I like FrogTape for delicate surfaces for this step.
Sand
Chalk paint has a texture to it, so you’ll want to go back and lightly sand to smooth out the surface. I like these super fine grit sanding sponges for that when I do not want any distressing.
I did want to distress this piece, so once everything was dry, I sanded all over with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge, distressing the edges as I went.
It will look awful just like this…
That’s okay! Sealing it will make it shine again!
Once again, I vacuumed away the sanding dust and wiped it down with a clean cloth.
Seal
When sealing darker pieces, I like to add just a touch of paint to my sealer for a nicer finish and to prevent the “ghosting” you get when you wipe your finger across a dark painted surface…
I used Clear Coat in satin and I used my blue sponge to apply it…
Big Mama’s Butta
I finished this piece off with Big Mama’s Butta. We have a brand new scent called Ginger Zen:
It smells amazing…like a sexy, sultry amber scent.
I applied it to the sides of the drawers with a soft cloth to hydrate them:
I also brushed it on the slides on the bottom of the drawers to make them glide easily in and out of the dresser. This works wonderfully on sticking drawers!
Painted Antique Oak Dresser Makeover Reveal
Here is how this piece looks now:
I am so happy I was able to take it from a deserted roadside find to this black beauty!
The Knobs
How pretty is the hardware?
The backplates were actually made with the SOHO Fusion Mould from Redesign:
Using these saved me from having to fill the original holes!
My favorite way to make my castings is with Amazing Casting Resin. You just mix equal parts of the two liquids in a small cup and pour them into your mould. One box will make a ton of castings.
In about 10 minutes, it’s done!
I painted them in two coats of Caviar and then I sealed them with Rustoleum Satin Clear Spray.
I had originally attempted to find knobs at Hobby Lobby, but I couldn’t find 10 of anything that I liked enough.
So, I hit up Amazon and found these! You can find them HERE.
They were perfect! I used this Titebond glue to adhere the backplates.
I considered using Gold Gilding Wax to highlight the details on the backplates, but ultimately chose to leave them as is.
The Drawers
The insides were lined with this fabric I found at the thrift store several years ago:
See how I line my drawers with fabric here:
If you have trouble viewing, find it on YouTube HERE.
Here’s a peek at the sides…
Sanding them and adding Big Mama’s Butta made them look new again.
This piece was left for dead on the side of the road, so I have no regrets painting it.
I hope you enjoyed seeing it come back to life!
My friends have four more furniture fixer uppers for you to see today!
Shop News
In shop news, Redesign is releasing their BRAND NEW Fall & Christmas/holiday goodies today at 11:00 am EST! Fall is just around the corner and you makers out there can get a jump on your holiday creations with new transfers, moulds, and decoupage papers!
See all the new goodies at 11:00 am today on the homepage of my Etsy Shop HERE!
That was a quick haul, right??
See what you missed below:
$5 Yard Sale Chalkboard Tray Makeover
$5 Yard Sale Desk Makeover
Vintage Bookcase Makeover
Two-Toned Painted Side Table
$5 Yard Sale Suitcase Makeover
Decoupaged Table Makeover
Child’s Chair Makeover
$15 Yard Sale Bench
But Christy, what did you do with the mirror to this dresser?
I am so glad you asked!
I’ll be back sharing what I did with this mirror on Tuesday:
And then I can officially call this trash-to-treasure haul done!
UPDATE: Wait until you see the fabulous repurpose of this mirror HERE!!
Have a fabulous weekend! (I’ll be playing in my new booth!!)
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
EMAIL * INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST
Mary Kaiser says
Oh I totally LOVE it! It is so beautiful and I LOVE the knobs! What a great find for $5.00! I can’t wait until I see what you did with the mirror from the top! The fabric inside is perfect, and the drawer sides look brand new! You are AMAZING!!!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Mary! I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this piece! It made me work, but not as bad as some lol! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Bev says
Haven’t replied in a long time but always look! Again your talent has blown me away. I would buy this in a heartbeat if I didn’t live so far away! Amazing. My son has a little pine dresser exactly like that. Guess what’s getting a makeover!????
Christy says
Aww I appreciate that so much, Bev, thank you! Have fun with your son’s dresser and thanks for saying hello today! XOXO
Sheila DelCharco says
I was coming to the comments to ask exactly that! Thanks for reading my mind!
Christy says
Ha ha! I couldn’t leave y’all hanging wondering what happened to the mirror lol! XOXO
Lori Troxclair says
You did an unbelievable, fantastic job on this beauty !! I love the rich, black paint color & the glass knobs are to die for !! Such a great makeover !!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Lori!! I could only see this in black once I found it! XOXO
Denise Zdziennicki says
$5 dollars…. whaaaat!?! This was a crazy lucky find and what a gorgeous job bringing it back to life Christy. I’ll bet this dresser sells super fast in your new larger shop space! Pinned XOXO
Christy says
Right?? I know! I got this and the lavender desk from the same lady, both for $5 each! That’s almost as good as your free curbside finds lol. Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, the chest of drawers is an absolute beauty now! At first I thought, “What? Just paint?” But, alas, the beautiful inside of the drawers – you never disappoint.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! You know I have to pretty up the drawers! XOXO
Margie Bramer says
That Caviar sure is one beautiful color. It reads so much more than most black paints.
I too would have wanted to add some details to the molds behind the knobs…..and I probably would have…????????.
I am a more is not just more kind of person.
Thanks for the tip about adding color to the sealer. I have a black dresser I painted years ago and it definitely looks ghosty.
Beautiful work once again!!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Margie! Caviar is such a perfect black. Adding the little backplates seemed to be all the extra detail this one needed! XOXO
Ann Williams says
I love this! Nice job!! I need to order some of that butta stuff. And what -new booth?? Is it time for a tour again?? Please!!
Christy says
Thank you, Ann! The Butta is amazing! And, yes…I am so excited for more booth space…a tour will definitely be coming once I get it filled! XOXO
Jaye says
I look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday when I know you have something beautiful for us to see. You’ve created so many amazing make overs but I will have to say you have really “out done yourself “ as we say here. Loved it and thank you for all the wonderful tips and details in case we want give furniture make over a try.
Christy says
Aww I love that so much, Jaye, thank you!! I really appreciate that, and I am so thrilled that you enjoy what I share! XOXO
Lizzy says
It’s gorgeous. Really great work!
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend!! XOXO
Amanda says
This is absolutely beautiful!! Total PERFECTION! Great work. It’s helpful that you explained the streaky look you get when you sand and that sealing it takes care of the streaks. I’m always wary of sanding the last coat because of that! Thanks for sharing your lovely work, it’s always inspiring!
Christy says
I appreciate that so much, Amanda, thank you! I totally understand the hesitation in taking sandpaper to that final coat lol…but it will make your surface super smooth, and the sealer will bring it right back. Give it two coats of sealer for best results over darker pieces. XOXO
Nana Diana says
Perfectly done! You gave new life to a piece that would probably have ended up in the dump somewhere. Love how it turned out. Just curious….how do you adhere fabric to the bottom of drawers. I have used tried a couple of different ways over the years and usually end up using paper instead. xo Diana
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! For the fabric in the drawers, I use matte Mod Podge. I included a video how-to in the post. 🙂 XOXO
MrsSW says
You sure put a lot of work into a $5 dresser but it looks like it was worth it in the end. ???? Sometimes, when you do a piece in a dark color, I wish my home wasn’t done in pastels.
I have a question though – do you ever actually wear those gorgeous shoes? ????
Sheila
Christy says
Thank you, Sheila! It is so satisfying to see these pieces come back to life with each step. And yes…I feel the same with some of the darker pieces…where on earth could I put this in my house? Ha ha! I do wear the shoes lol…although just to the occasional wedding, etc. XOXO
Carly says
I haven’t commented in a while, but I always look at your beautiful redos. When you do black, I am always stunned at the beauty you bring out in the pieces. (It must come from the beauty in you). I was waiting for the gold lettering than you have done on prior pieces, but it is such a beauty and all the work you put into it makes it better than new. BRAVO!!
Christy says
Aww you are the sweetest, Carly, thank you so much!! I did want to go back and highlight the details on the backplates with some gold gilding wax and I was definitely tempted to add some gold lettering, but I resisted lol. XOXO
Sharon L Austin says
Love it! I love black-I have a weird color palette, raging from pastels to black, lol. How about the mirror, did I miss what you did with it?
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! Although our home is very light, I too love a good black piece! Ha ha, if you scrolled to the bottom I wrote in large letters, “But Christy, what did you do with the mirror?” I will back with that on Tuesday…stay tuned! XOXO
Cyndi says
Wow! Isn’t that an amazing transformation? I can understand why other people wrote this piece off. Yikes. But it was worth the effort! I’m so glad you could restore it. It’s a beauty!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Cyndi! It was so rewarding bringing it back to life! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
I love Caviar, Christy, and it makes this dresser look so elegant combined with the crystal knobs. Not only did the backplates cover the holes, they make it look even more grand. I know it was a lot of work, but that was $5 well spent ????
Christy says
Thank you, Marcie! That may have been the best $5 I’ve ever spent lol! And I too love what the backplates add! Have a great weekend, my friend! XOXO
Gail Wilson says
Christy
I always learn so much from you with your furniture makeovers. I think I might have those molds, but I haven’t ever used them. Note to self: fix that.
Adding paint to the sealer? On my list of things to do.
Beautiful makeover on such a sad inexpensive ($5) dresser!
pinned
gail
Christy says
Aww that means so much coming from you, Gail, thank you! And I feel the same when I read your posts! Best $5 ever spent ha ha! XOXO
Cheryl r Atkinson says
Hi Christy! Very pretty.
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! XOXO
Heather Taylor says
Another piece of art from the Queen of upcycling! I love all the black pieces you have done, the knobs and back pieces were perfect!
Love everything you do 🙂
Christy says
Aww thank you, Heather! That means so much! I honestly want to keep all the black pieces lol! XOXO
Dianne says
I love it! The cast backplates are the perfect addition. The dresser is beautiful. Thanks for making a swan from an ugly ducking.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Dianne! It was a pleasure to see it come back to life! XOXO
Michele M. says
WELL DONE, Christy! She is a beauty! I always cringe when I see tiger oak – why someone abused this sweet dresser to death is just heart breaking. But boy oh boy did you do a great job bring that awesome piece back to life. You know how much I loooooove Cavier black and it was great to see you use it. I’d buy that gorgeous piece in a second flat if I could. Have fun this weekend making your shop dreams come true. It’s going to be so awesome seeing you be able to work in larger pieces now you have more room. WHOO HOOOOO!!!! Can’t wait to see what you did with the mirror.
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! I know…it breaks my heart to know that someone left this beauty on the side of the road. I am so glad the gal who sold it to me scooped it up! I could only imagine it in Caviar when I found it. And girl, you know how excited I am to get that space filled right up!! Have wonderful weekend! XOXO
Cecilia says
I love it! It makes me happy to know that someone’s trash has been made fabulous again. Lol, I was about to ask what happened to the mirror. Can’t wait to see it.
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! Me too!! It is such a great feeling to be able to save these pieces. Have a lovley weekend and I’ll see ya with the mirror on Tuesday! XOXO
Anita says
Classic and beautiful. The details in this piece are lovely and quiet. You’ve taken something destined for the dump and made it shine again. I love it! My favourite upgrade is the handles with the mould backing. Such an elegant detail. Fabulous!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Anita! I like to add all the things, but this one just didn’t need anything more. I am so happy I could save it too! XOXO
p says
Ohhh. This is amazing in black which I was not expecting.
The molded backplates – and those knobs – added just the right touch.
I just don’t know where you get all your energy and inspiration to rejuvinate sooo many pieces. But… soo glad you do.
I always wait for the drawer linings. This fabric is perfect.
Christy says
Thank you so much! My blog definitely gives me the push to get these pieces done, but I just love it, and I am so thrilled that you do also! Have a great week! XOXO
Gayle McCowin says
I love this blog! I also love the tip about adding paint the sealer. I love using Caviar and I look forward to trying this on my next piece. Thank you for sharing your talents with all of us!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Gayle! Caviar is always a winner. Thank you for following along with me! XOXO