Dresser Makeover with a Checklist Printable

need to know where to start when you’re reviving an old dresser? here are some furniture flipping tips and a checklist to follow

This dresser brought back from our family’s cabin had definitely served it’s purpose through the years. It’s function was more important than beauty, hidden back in a dark corner full of extra sheets and towels. But when I heard it wasn’t needed anymore, I quickly volunteered that I could probably take it. I have a hard time turning down free furniture needing a makeover;) I’ve been enjoying the last family piece I recreated in our bedroom {“Refreshing a Family Heirloom”}. Updating pieces where we remember it’s history makes the effort more worthwhile; guess I’m hopelessly sentimental! Join me for this dresser makeover with a checklist printable for when you want to attempt your own DIY project!

Happy Girl came home from her first year of college and decided her room was too little-girl-ish. Time for a sophisticated re-do! We’ve been covering over the bright green walls with a subtle gray and will be painting one wall with black chalkboard paint so she can create beautiful chalk art. Stay tuned for the whole room reveal.

Decide What You Like and What You Don’t

We redid her bed several years ago, painting it white and upholstering the headboard with a pretty grey and white bird fabric. It stays, along with a large aqua painted glass hutch I did for my former store {“Do I Miss It?”} but eventually came home. As I explain in my “Dresser Makeover Checklist” I created for you in my Resource Library, I decided her room needed some wood tones to balance out all the painted pieces. I wanted the body of the dresser to be white against the gray walls and to echo the white curves of the headboard, but I wanted to keep the pretty veneer pieces that still looked good.

I decided to keep the 2 skinny drawers at the top wood and also the crest and detail in the middle. I also liked how the lined detail on the sides and the legs had a black outline; I wanted that feature to stay also. All the rest could be white, bright and fresh.

Put the Hardware in a Safe Place

After many years of losing the hardware I’d taken off pieces, I’ve finally taught myself to pop it all in a ziplock and use a sharpie to label it! Sometimes I haven’t decided if I’m going to put the originals back on or not, and if I set them in a random place in the garage, I lose them! When I’d be working on several pieces at once, I’d forget what hinges and hardware went on what piece. Learn from my mistakes-put the hardware in a bag and label it…and then remember where you put the bag;)

I explained all  the steps I go through when re-doing a piece of furniture in my “Dresser Makeover Checklist”, which you can grab later. Refreshing furniture is a fun DIY project, especially when you have a sentimental piece, but there are quite a few steps involved, and there’s definitely an order. My checklist gives you questions to assess how you want your piece to turn out and the steps you need to take to refresh and finish your masterpiece.

Prep Furniture Before Painting and Staining

I sanded the whole dresser down and then proceeded to stain the parts I wanted to keep wood.

The rest of the piece got treated to some fresh, white paint. I do love the beauty of vintage wood set against fresh white paint! I picked up a couple pretty new knobs at Hobby Lobby for the top 2 drawers. I was intending on putting bird-on-a-twig handles on the bottom drawers, because I like knob/handle combos on a piece, but Happy Girl said she liked the original pulls. Guess I wouldn’t have needed to fill the holes;/

The cabin dresser makeover is complete!

When you’ve got a piece like this with good structure and pretty details, it’s so worth it to give it a makeover to be used and enjoyed by the next generation! And it makes your home more unique to have one-of-a-kind pieces like this in your decor.

Get My Free Dresser Makeover Checklist for your Furniture Flip

If you’d like to get access to my free “Dresser Makeover Checklist” as a downloadable, printable resource to have handy when you tackle your next refreshing project, simply subscribe to my newsletter! I’ll send you a password to access all of the free materials in my Resource Library. I’ve got refreshing and re-purposing tips and tricks, styling ideas, favorite recipes, and seasonal decor printables. I add resources for my subscribers almost every week!

If you’re already a subscriber, check my weekly newsletter for the password to access!

Stay tuned for the rest of the room makeover! I hope this refreshing project inspired you to update a sentimental piece that you may have laying around, or one you find! A dresser makeover is a very do-able DIY project that can bring unique beauty to your home!

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