How to Transform a Dull Drab Dresser with Glorious Grey Paint

How to Transform a Dull Drab Dresser with Glorious Grey Paint

Full admission! We are now in recovery mode! My little and only brother married the girl of his dreams last night – so we’re spending some quality time with our family celebrating this wonderful time

Updating a dresser with chalk paint and white wash stain

Which is exactly why I have got this post to share with you today. I’m dialling it back to a project inspired by a rainy afternoon by the coast… when I was walking Buddy and happened upon a solid wood dresser just left on the curb.

This dresser checked all my boxes for a curbside rescue candidate. It is solid wood, it has an interesting shape, and it had really cool legs.

How to Transform a Dull Drab Dresser with Glorious Grey Paint

Look at her now! She once lived in our sunroom for a while, but as we endeavour to spiff up our living room, I thought she needed a new opportunity to shine. So we’re now using this dresser as the anchor to a vignette behind our couch and in front of this planked wall.

Metal hardware on whitewashed drawers

As awesome as they are, I decided to remove the legs on the dresser for now. I kept them though! They are in one of the drawers. I just found the high legs made the dresser a bit too high for this little nook.

In terms of the finishings – this dresser was the very first makeover I ever did using chalk paint. The outside is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey. I used two coats and then finished it with clear wax.

Drawers lined with feather paper

To remove the finish in the drawer fronts, I soak them with damp rags and steamed them a bit -then I went at them with my palm sander – this one is my all time favorite for small jobs like this. It stripped the finish right back to the bare wood.

Grey Distressed Dresser with Whitewashed drawer fronts

I gave them a driftwood feel by applying a couple of coats of Minwax’s Pickling Stain – it is SO great for lightening wood tones. All you do is slop it on with a brush, let it soak in for about three minutes and then wipe it off with a clean rag. Repeat that process until you get the bleached-out look you are going for. As you can see, I also finished off the drawers by decoupaging some gorgeous feather paper to the sides! The hardware is faux pounded-wrought iron; here are some that are very similar.

So this dresser is sentimental for me… it’s my first rescue and will always have a special place in my heart

Here are some other Roadside Rescues I’ve done over the past while!

DIY Rustic Log Table

Buffet Makeover

Playroom Credenza Makeover

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