(How To) Dresser Makeover Tutorial~And Furniture Deodorizing Tips

At the end of this post...please share your secrets for de-odorizing thrifted furniture...

Thank you for all the kind words on the thrifted dresser makeover I posted the other day.  Marnie, one of my awesome assistants, helped out with this project.

Today, I'm going to share the steps we took to beautify this homely, thrift store dresser.  

Here's how we did it...

{Before}

{After}

1.  First, it was washed (inside and out) with dish soap and warm water and left in the sun to dry.

2.  Marnie Removed the drawers and hardware placing the screws in a zip lock bag.

3. Using a rotary hand sander and fine grit sand paper the dresser and all the drawers were sanded to remove the shiny finish.  (A sanding block could be used if you are really tough).  

Everyone say "hi' to camera shy assistant, Marnie...

**Marnie didn't have her mask on in this picture (naughty girl).  I always recommend wearing a disposable mask while sanding. 

4. The piece was dusted thoroughly with a damp rag to remove the dust residue.

5. Using a foam mini-roller and Kilz2 latex primer, Marnie primed the outside of the dresser and all the drawers.  

6. After the primer was completely dry, another light sanding took place (with a sanding block-no rotary sander this time) along with another dusting.

7.  Using a clean foam mini-roller, two coats of white satin paint were applied, allowing the piece to dry completely between coats.  As the paint was rolled on, a high quality paint brush was used to get into the detailed areas of the piece.

8.  The hardware was given two light coats of Rustoleum white spray paint. 

9. Using a paint brush, we painted the inside and sides of the drawers with black chalkboard paint, two coats. I chose chalkboard paint for two reasons, one because I love the dark, chalky finish and two so I could write messages in the sock drawers. 

10.  After the piece was left to dry overnight we re-assembled the hardware and wrote messages with white chalk.

If you are going to use this tutorial to complete your own furniture transformation, here are a few helpful tips:

~Always wear a mask while sanding to avoid filling your lungs with sanding dust. 

~High quality paint brushes are worth their weight in gold.  They will leave you with less brush strokes and a super-smooth finish.  

 ~Before spray painting the hardware,  read the manufacturers recommendations on the back of the paint can.  It must indicate that the product is suitable for use on metal.  Otherwise, the finish will not last.

~If you write your chalkboard messages within a few hours of applying the chalkboard paint, the message will be smudge-proof...just keep in mind it will also be non-eraseable.  I only wrote in the sock drawers in the event that the chalk were to rub off over time, it would only be on her socks.  

 Here was our project supply list... 

~One ugly thrifted dresser with functioning drawers and a great shape

~Sanding block or rotary hand sander with fine grit sand paper

~Kilz2 latex primer

~Two mini-foam paint rollers

~Two high quality paint brushes

~Latex white satin finish paint 

~One can chalkboard paint

~Rustoleum spray paint (for use on metal) glossy white finish

Painting the insides of the dresser is a really great way to take the look of your finished piece to the next level.   It also helps to block odors ("old smell" as my daughter refers to it) inside the drawers.  

I'm on a mission to find the best way to de-odorize furniture...if you have any secrets...please spill them in the comments.