With just a bit of elbow grease and very little paint, this well used 5-drawer dresser was redeemed with a whitewash paint finish and
geometric dresser makeover. The dresser had been gifted to my family and bounced from one house to another for over three decades. When it landed on my doorstep recently, it was FINALLY given a new life.
Geometric Stenciled Dresser Makeover
Before I get into the details of the makeover, first I'd like to thank the folks at
Stencil Revolution for providing the Geometric Wall Stencil for today's makeover. It is one of my favorite days of the month because it's
Furniture Fixer Upper Day where I and five talented furniture painting friends come together to breath new life into six pieces of furniture. Links to all the makeovers are included at the bottom of this post.
For last months challenge, I transformed an antique oak bookcase into a
Red Painted Cabinet With Farmhouse Charm using fabric from the dollar store.
This is what the dresser looked like before...
A few repairs
From all that moving house-to-house over the last three decades, the dresser was coming unglued at the seams. I don't blame it, I would too 😉
Nothing that a little wood glue and bar clamps can't fix.
A pop of color
While waiting for the glue to cure I added a pop of color on the sides of the stacked drawers with a fresh coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color
Provence. I had just enough paint leftover in the can to apply three coats. I used this color on the
70's Coffee Table Turned Upholstered Bench and
Faux Tin MCM Tables for my son and daughter-in-law's home.
Normally I line the drawers with pretty paper but I ran out of time. It's still on my To Do List but first I need to find the perfect wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, or wallpaper.
Geometric stencil
Now for the fun part, dressing up this old dresser with a
Geometric stencil in a striped diamond pattern. It's much easier to stencil if you place the drawers back into the dresser and lay it flat on the floor. I used Fusion Mineral Paint in the color
Raw Silk.
Stenciling Tips
- Just like when stenciling a wall, it is a good rule of thumb to start the stencil from the top center and work your way down vertically.
- Find the center of the dresser and line up the stencil with the center of the stencil pattern. In the photo below the stencil looks offset but it's actually centered with the pattern.
- Use painter's tape or spray adhesive to hold the stencil in place. I wish I had used adhesive rather than tape as it would have made the job much easier.
- Load a paper plate with paint and apply the stencil with a 4-inch foam roller.
- Offload excess paint onto a paper towel first before applying the stencil.
- Use light to medium pressure on the roller to avoid paint bleed.
- Wipe any paint that transferred onto the back of the stencil with a damp cloth before moving onto the next stencil.
- Once you have finished the first vertical row, go back to the top and stencil horizontally from the center outwards.
- TIP: to avoid having to wait for the paint to dry between stencil applications, alternate from each side of the center stencil. By the time you stenciled one side, the opposite is dry to the touch to apply the next. Hope this makes sense!
- Continue in this fashion until you've completed the remaining rows.
Oops!
Here's where I'm going to keep it real friends. It wasn't until writing this post and revisiting Stencil Revolution's website that I realized I stenciled the striped diamond pattern upside down from how they show it stenciled on a wall. I contemplated keeping my oops a secret but decided to come clean so you don't make the same mistake. I think no one would have noticed had I not pointed it out.
While I've applied stencils onto furniture many times, this was my first attempt at doing an all over stencil. I don't claim to be a stencil expert by any means and I learn something new every time. While I have nothing but positive things to say about the quality of this geometric stencil, it would have been helpful if the stencil had directional markings.
Whitewash technique
I was quite pleased how the stencil alone completely transformed this old dresser and considered keeping the rest the original stained wood. The top wasn't in good condition and would have required sanding and I was too lazy for that so I opted for a whitewash distressed finish instead.
To achieve a whitewash finish, mix a 2:1 ratio of 2 parts paint and 1 part water for a milk-like consistency. Apply paint in the direction of the grain in long brush strokes and wipe with a paper towel also in the direction of the grain. Repeat until you achieve the preferred look - I repeated mine three times.
Distressed finish
I distressed the whitewash further once it was dry with 220-grit sandpaper.
I also distressed the stenciled drawer fronts for a uniform finish. All the painted surfaces were protected with a coat of clear wax.
Wood refreshed with stain
The stained wood on the front of the dresser and around the drawer fronts was looking rather dull and so I refreshed it with Minwax Wood Finish in the color
special walnut. Applying it with a 2-inch foam brush and wiping the excess with a lint-free rag after 5 -10 minutes.
Dressing it up with knobs
The drawers are a seamless finger pull construction and don't require knobs or pulls. I wanted to add a little jewelry to the front of the stenciled cabinet and so I installed two knobs on the top drawers only. I've had these knobs burning a hole in my
pocket hardware stash for a couple of years. I think I got them during my
Canadian girl's maiden voyage to Hobby Lobby a few years ago.
I used my handy
Kreg Cabinet Hardware Jig to align the holes perfectly straight. This is my new favorite tool and I plan on doing a tutorial soon on how to use it.
The feet were painted more solid white and distressed.
I'm thrilled with how a stencil and a little paint completely transformed this dresser. Now it has a new lease on life and can be enjoyed for another thirty years. This time I hope it's loved so much that it doesn't get bounced from home-to-home.
I'm trying to find a place for it in my home to keep it in the family - shhhh, don't tell Mr. Frugalista.
As promised here is the Materials list for the products used for this geometric dresser makeover. It contains affiliate links for your convenience so you can see what products I used or recommend to make this project. What that means is that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a small portion of any sales at no additional cost to you. See my full
disclosure policy.
Materials List
Items without links can be found at The Interior Frugalista Influencer Shop On Amazon
SHOP HERECurious minds need to know, did you notice my mistake with the stencil direction before I pointed it out?
Now let's take a look at how my talented friend's in the Furniture Fixer Uppers group transformed these furniture pieces...
Back to School Cupcakes Country Chic Cottage
Snickers Cupcakes Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Boozy Bloody Mary Ice Pops Live Love Texas
Yogurt Dipped Strawberry Fruit Bars Gluesticks
(for clear wax)
(for buffing wax)
