Repurposed Vintage Dresser

One lazy Saturday afternoon Dean and I were hanging out around the house. I can\’t have nothing to do for too long, so I asked him if he wanted to go \”treasure\” hunting at our local Goodwill.

We jumped in the car and then drifted apart once we were in the store. I don\’t know why but Dean and I can NEVER stay in the same area while we shop \”together\”. I think it\’s because I look at things in a quick and timely manner -always knowing what I want, while he slowly peruses the aisles, looking for a broken electronic device he can fix or a dusty and faded philosophical book. -Our brains are VERY different.

He caught me examining this beat-up, broken dresser. The drawers were cracked, broken, and stuck. The back was weak and brittle from water damaged. I stood there for a bit, trying to analyze the damage and dream up a vision for what this could become.

I\’m sure our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: \”I can fix this… I think.\”

Dean: \”But how broken is it, how much time and money will it take?\”

Me: \”I don\’t know…. Just the back, and top, and all the drawers are broken… but maybe I\’ll be able to do something with it. And, if I talk down the price, it wouldn\’t be too chancy.\”

Dean: \”Like what could you do with it?\”

Me: \”How about repurposing it into a shelving unit for a nursery changing table, storage unit for a bathroom, a kitchen island, or living room entertainment center? Someone could fill the shelves with baskets for storage instead of drawers….\” -I was already attached.

Dean, knowing he can\’t talk me down: \”Go ahead and make an offer on it….\”

-Yes my dear, sweet friends… I paid money for this.

I felt like I found a little piece of gold in the back of that store. I mean… it did need a little work. And by \”little\” I mean a couple hours of sanding, a complete new build for the back and shelves, caulk, primer, and 5 coats of paint. Yes, this baby took some elbow grease indeed.

But with some effort, I was able to accomplish what I set out to. I took this vintage dresser with wheels and transformed it into a perfect mobile shelving unit ready for someone\’s bathroom, kitchen, living room, or bedroom. Take a look!

I started by removing the veneer from the top of the dresser. Underneath was solid wood, so with a lot of sanding (starting with 80 grit, then 120, and 220) I was able to smooth out the surface and repair the wood. I stained it with General Finishes Java Gel, sealed with a protective water-based coat, and then whitewashed the top. The reason I sealed with a water-based coat in between is because a polyurethane would have yellowed the white paint in my whitewash. I think this effect really tells the story of the age and character of the piece.

I took off the back of the piece, because it was water damaged, and replaced it with beadboard from Home Depot. This gives the back some dimension and it now has a slatted look that really adds to the character (and weight) of the dresser/shelf -this baby is heavy duty now!

I gave the edges a light distressing.

I used Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint (I love the stuff!) for the entire body after I primed it with Zinsser Shellac paint. I finished it by sealing it in General Finishes High Performance Top Coat (this stuff is a great protective topcoat!).

I\’m really excited about this piece because it\’s now sitting in a pop-up furniture store in Hyattsville, MD (in the D.C. area) and the grand opening of the store is on Sunday November 6th. This pop-up store is a great space surrounded by some other awesome local businesses! Check out this link if you\’re interested in seeing this beauty, and a ton of other incredible finds, in person.

I\’m also selling a few of my pieces through a group called the Artisan Markets on Facebook. These online markets are a national group of artisans who create quality furniture, you should really check us out and look for a group in your area (Facebook is the best place to search)!

Thanks for checking out the before and after of this Goodwill find and hanging out with me!

Until next time,

-Beth