Vintage Farmhouse 5-drawer dresser

Look similar? That’s because it is! My brother’s girlfriend was so taken with the piece I did for my friend Monica (click here to check it out), that she wanted one for herself!

We scoured Facebook Marketplace and finally found the perfect piece. The dimensions were pretty specific as it was for a nook in their downstairs bathroom.

Click here for a list of basic supplies you’ll need for your chalk paint project and here for the typical steps.

Materials:

Annie Sloan chalk paint (2 parts Original White: 1 part Duck Egg Blue)
Annie Sloan clear wax
Fusion Mineral Paint’s Hemp Oil
Drawer liner
Poly Filla
Gorilla wood glue
Painters tape

How I refinished this piece:

Using my orbital sander, I started with a 60 grit, moved to a 120 grit and finished with a 220 grit.

The top was so wonderful to sand. I mean, look at that grain! I always sand outside so that the dust is not inside my house. I made that mistake once and it got over EVERYTHING.

I prepped the drawers next. I removed the hardware and filled the holes using Poly Filla. You never know what kind of hardware you’ll want on the piece. A lot of times, vintage pieces have a hardware size that isn’t easy to find. Filling the holes gives you more options when it comes time.

I also found that the wood detail was a little loose. I wiggled the pieces and for those that came loose, I used Gorilla wood glue to put them back on. I used clamps to hold them in place overnight.

After the Poly Filla has set (I usually wait overnight), I washed down the drawers to remove the excess. I also washed down the frame at this time.
The bottom edge of the piece was not ideal for what Alyssa was looking for. So I removed it! I found that it was screwed down which always make for easy removal. There is a solid wood base under this edge so this will make the installation of the legs very sturdy.

After the edge was removed, I taped the edges of the drawers and frame using the green painters tape. I love the look of clean edges.

I mixed more of the paint using a glass measuring cup. I used 2/3 of a cup of Annie Sloan’s Original White and 1/3 of a cup of Duck Egg Blue. I use an old plastic container with a lid to hold the paint. This is so if there is excess, I can store it.

With all the prep work done, it was time to paint!

The drawers and frame required three (3) coats to fully cover.

In between coats of paint on the drawers and frame, I painted the legs. I always have a hard time making sure I get every single part of each legs. Because these were new and still had the hanging tags, I decided to hang them on strings and paint this way. I know it’s unusual but it really is quite easy.

Don’t mind all the items on my pantry shelves! My friends always say that if there is a zombie apocalypse, my house will be the most stocked with food!

While the legs were drying, I installed the leg mounting plates on the bottom of the dresser.

After the leg mounts were installed, I turned the piece upright. I looked at the top again and when the wood comes out of the paint looking like that, I used a hemp oil (Fusion Mineral Paint) to seal it instead of a stain. For this dresser, it was the perfect choice.

After this, the frame, drawers and legs were sealed with Annie Sloan’s clear wax. For more information on how to apply the wax, click here.
I then installed the handles that I had purchased from Lee Valley. These covered the previous holes but really, you couldn’t even notice where they were after I had filled and painted them.