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An old dresser upcycled with fresh paint and brass knobs, with the top drawer given a herringbone facade made from popsicle sticks.
The project
This solid Pine dresser was coated in a thick red/brown varnish and was in desperate need of a makeover. I decided to freshen the piece up with a light colour and add a herringbone feature to the top drawer.
Steps
Step 1
First, I removed the existing hardware and gave the dresser a thorough clean using sugar soap. Then I removed the varnish from the top using my carbide scraper, before sanding with a Ryobi orbital sander.
Step 2
After wiping clean, I primed the dresser using Taubmans 3 in 1 prep and painted using Dulux interior, in the colours Colorbond Dune and Natural White.
Step 3
For the top drawer, I used jumbo popsicle sticks to create a herringbone pattern, which I glued with Gorilla wood glue. Once dry, I used my Ryobi multi tool to cut the overhanging pop sticks, before sanding the top and edges smooth. I filled all gaps and edges with wood filler, sanding again once dry. I drilled new holes for the handles.
Step 4
I sealed all natural timber surfaces with Feast Watson liming white and the painted surfaces with Cabot's water-based polyurethane.
Step 5
I used peel and stick wallpaper to line the drawers and finished off the dresser with new brass knobs.
Tools and materials
Materials used in the project:
- Sugar soap
- Taubmans 3-in-1 primer
- Dulux paint
- Gorilla wood glue
- Paint tape
- Jumbo pop sticks
- Wood filler
- Brass knobs
- Cabot's polyurethane
- Feast Watson liming white
- Peel and stick wallpaper.
Tools used in the project:
- Carbide scraper
- Ryobi orbital sander
- Sanding pads
- Drill
- Ryobi multi-function tool
- Paint brushes
- Roller
- Sponges.
Before and after
More inspiration for your upcycling project
Workshop member Claire fashioned this upcycled sideboard using new handles, paint and vinyl inserts.
Community member Lorena used a water-based stain in her upcycled buffet project.
For more great ideas, check out our collection of Upcycled buffets by clever and creative Bunnings Workshop community members.
