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An old chest of drawers saved from landfill and upcycled using DAR Pine and MDF board, fresh paint and varnish, and fitted with new knobs.
The project
I have just finished upcycling this chest of drawers that I got from a neighbour in my area. It was going to the local tip. It looked in good condition, however, all the drawer bottoms were all out of shape, so it wasn't just a matter of sanding and painting.
I had to replace all the drawer bottoms with new 3mm MDF board, all screwed in place instead of staples. The larger bottom drawer was made of chipboard which I replaced with new 12mm Pine board and MDF base.
I removed the deformed drawer bottom boards.
Then I removed the chipboard from the large drawer.
Then I removed all the old drawer bottoms.
I then removed the chipboard drawers which were glued on.
I had to chisel off the old chipboard.
I then sanded it flat.
I replaced the bowed drawer bottoms with 3mm MDF board.
Then I used a heat gun to remove the old drawer knobs. Later, I found that it was easier to tap the knob with a hammer by hitting it side to side. They came off a lot easier than I expected.
Then I plugged the knob holes with glue and 12mm timber dowel cut and sanded flat.
Next, I made up drawers for bottom drawers using 12mm DAR Pine.
Then I sanded all over.
Three coats of satin paint was next.
The top was fully sanded back. I was just going to finish in clear coat, but decided to water down some paint and coated the top with a sponge. Then I applied three coats of water based satin varnish to give a washed effect, allowing the grain to show through.
You can see the wood grain showing through the paintwork.
Here are the new knobs installed.
Tools and materials
Materials used in the project:
- 3mm MDF board
- 12mm x 120mm DAR Pine
- 6g countersunk screws, 12mm and 25mm
- 1L Satin paint - Dulux - Beige Calm
- Clear varnish satin
- Drawer knobs
- 12mm dowel to plug up knob hole
- Sandpaper - 80, 120, 240 grit.
Tools used in the project:
- Orbital sanders, 150mm and 125mm
- 4mm nap roller
- Small paint brush
- Table saw
- Mitre saw
- Philips head screwdriver
- Various clamps
- Heat gun
- Hammer
- Chisel
Before and after
How to upcycle a chest of drawers
Upcycling your chest of drawers can be a simple and cost-effective way to make it more stylish and functional. Experienced community member Claire shares step-by-step advice in How to upcycle a chest of drawers.
More inspiration for your upcycling project
Community member Mariana used Rust-Oleum Milk Paint Finish on her upcycled tallboy.
Workshop member Oddchair22 upcycled a chest of drawers with stencilled paintwork.
Check out our collection of Upcycled buffets by Bunnings Workshop community members for more ideas.
