The dresser I was Too Burnt Out to Paint

Almost a year ago to the day I started working on my home office makeover. I painted the walls a gorgeous moody blush tone, brought in lots of beautiful feminine vintage accents, and refinished our dining table to become the perfect work space for the office! What DIDN'T happen last year was painting the dresser I use to store all of my art and office supplies. In fact, an entire year has gone by with that clashing green color staring at me while I try to get work done. In an effort to finally check "home office" off the home to-do list, it's time to tackle this dresser along with a few other projects.

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This was my parents' original bedroom dresser, and when Tim and I moved in to our first home we inherited it. My mom helped me strip it and paint it a beautiful gray blue. I believe that was actually my first furniture flip! It made a great dining room buffet. but was too big for our dining room once we moved into our current home.

Because it has already been painted twice, I didn't have to do much prep before painting. I thoroughly cleaned all surfaces with KrudKutter and gave a few spots a light sanding. This removes any dirt and dust AND degreases the surface to allow your paint to grip better. I also removed the exposed hinges and original brass escutcheons that I had lazily painted over when I changed the hardware to brushed nickel.

For the painted hardware, I tossed it in a zip lock bag with some Citristrip for about an hour. The paint came off very easily without a lot of scrubbing. Then, to polish the brass to its original shine, I used Bar Keeper's Friend to remove any tarnish. Bar Keeper's friend is one of my absolutely go-to's for projects because it's so versatile and gentle!

top - before bottom - after bar keeper's friend

The old pieces look absolutely beautiful and look so perfect with the Florentine Brass hardware I grabbed from my favorite brand - Battle Creek Hardware. Don't forget I always have a coupon code for Battle Creek! Use code Lindsey for 15% off regularly priced items!

| 7 1/2" cup pull | Paris Contemporary Knob | 2 1/2" cup pull |

For the dresser itself, I used my go-to Zibra brushes and Behr Marquee Paint in matte finish. The color is Adventurer by Behr. I love the Marquee line because it is so durable and chip resistant! This is probably the 5th or 6th piece of furniture I've painted with this brand. Because I'm painting wood and not veneer, I don't need to prime separately. Spoiler alert there are a few pieces coming up on my list that I WILL have to prime and I'll take you through it step by step!

You can also use a low knap roller to apply your paint. Just look for foam rollers that say "smooth finish."

Because I wanted a super smooth finish on the top of the dresser, I lightly sanded the top with a 220 grit before applying the final coat of paint. Paint did wonders to bring this piece back to life and give her new meaning in my office! And this gorgeous olive color compliments my walls MUCH better! I generally do not put a top coat on my furniture and I have never had an issue. If I had a piece that was in a very high traffic area, like a painted dining table, I would definitely recommend applying a top coat sealer.

Stay tuned for lots of other small changes I'll be making in my office soon! I have several budget friendly DIY and upcycle projects planned that I'm so excited to share!

xoxo, L