The Search for Affordable Style
So, I just had to spill the beans about this crazy cool project I did! Not into reading blogs? You can find the video version here. You know how sometimes you spot this amazing piece of furniture, but the price tag makes you want to cry? Well, that’s exactly what happened when I saw this sleek dresser at William Sonoma for a jaw-dropping $2,300. Ouch!
But, being the savvy thrifter that I am, I decided to hit up my favorite thrift stores to find a similar piece. And guess what? I struck gold! I found this solid wood dresser with three spacious drawers for just a hundred bucks.
To upcycle a piece of furniture like this, you’ll need the following items:
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- Full Product List – exact products I used!
- Cleaner / Degreaser – any degreaser, but here’s my favorite!
- Sander & Sandpaper – any brand will work just fine, but i’ve linked a budget-friendly option!
- Wood Filler
- Primer or Shellac
- Paint
- Top Coat
- New Knobs – optional
The Thrift Store Treasure Hunt
Naturally, I couldn’t resist the challenge of giving this dresser a little makeover to make it look like the expensive one (at a fraction of the price). Cue the DIY magic!
Now, let’s go through the steps that I took to recreate this piece, and how you can do it too!
Step 1 of Dresser Makeover: Cleaning
This is the gunky and gross part of furniture flipping, but it’s an essential step that can’t be skipped! I use Krud Kutter, but any degreaser will do the trick. You never know how long a piece has been sitting in the store and it’s always a great idea to clean it right away.
Paint will not adhere well to oils, and cleaning before sanding will help to prevent the “yuck” from building upon your sandpaper (less direct contact with the finish means you’ll go through sandpaper quicker, and we’re all about money-saving around here!)
Step 2: Sanding
“Scuff Sanding” or lightly sanding your piece prior to priming will help with adhesion and give your paint some “teeth” to grip onto. I usually use 150 or 180 grit sandpaper for this.
It will also remove any surface level nicks and dents so we can achieve that buttery smooth finish!
Step 3: Fixing Damage
Usually at this step, I use my wood filler to fill any leftover dents that didn’t get sanded out, and then lightly sand off the patches of filler with 220 grit sandpaper.
But when I want that perfectly smooth finish, I take an extra step to water down wood filler, then brush it on. This creates a cheap grain filler and will fill even the most microscopic imperfections! Once dry, lightly sand down with 400 grit sandpaper. You’ll now have “specs” all over your furniture, that is actually where the filler settled in and dried! (see pic below for reference)
Step 4: Primer
Priming has many benefits such as helping with adhesion for the paint, stain and odor blocking, and helping to give the paint a perfect coat to lay on top of.
For this flip, I used shellac, which is a stain and odor blocker. When using normal primer, my go-to kind is linked here.
Step 5: Painting & Top Coat
Here comes the fun part: Choosing a paint color! Since I’m recreating a dresser I found, I’ll be using black like the inspo piece. But this is your time to get creative, and create pieces that blend with your home.
For furniture flips, I use Fusion Mineral Paint. It has great adhesion, is water-based for easy cleanup, and you can order it right from Amazon (because who doesn’t love convenience?)
When it comes to top coats, Varathane water-based polyurethane is my favorite. It holds up great and since it’s water-based, it won’t cause lighter colors to yellow over time.
You can apply both of these with a paint brush, rollers, or a paint sprayer. I’ve linked my favorite beginner-friendly sprayers here.
Step 6: Hardware (optional)
You can keep the old hardware, or buy new! I like to get hardware that is a little more modern, and I’ve linked some of my favorite handles and knobs for furniture flips here. Well… Are you ready to see what all our work brought us to?!
The Final Reveal
From sanding and painting to polishing and adding those little designer details, I poured my heart and soul into this dresser makeover. You can check out the full video here!
Let me tell you, the end result was nothing short of amazing (even I didn’t think it would turn out this well! Especially for just $150 total? You cant beat that.) It was like I had my very own designer piece – but without the hefty price tag.
Now, here’s the best part: YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! I’ve put together a list of all the products you’ll need to get started: Furniture Flipping Starter Kit. And you can find my FREE Furniture Flipping Mini Guide, here.
So, if you’re feeling inspired to tackle a similar project yourself, you’ll have everything you need right at your fingertips. Who knew that thrift store finds could turn into such gems? Can’t wait to hear what you think in the comments below!
See you soon,
Sammie
