Sometimes a piece isn’t exactly what it’s advertised to be. During quarantine, I was feeling anxious about running out of things to paint. With my local thrift store not accepting furniture, it has meant that Facebook Marketplace is my go-to. I paid more than usual for this dresser and it definitely taught me a few lessons.
- Don’t get caught up in a piece if you go to pick it up and it’s not what was advertised. In this case, it was missing a back board.
- 4.25″ vintage handles are NOT easy to find.
- Local lumber stores are a great place to find random pieces of backboard.
Click here for a list of basic supplies you’ll need for your chalk paint project and here for the typical steps.
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Materials:
- Annie Sloan chalk paint (1 part Athenian Black: 1 part Chicago Grey)
- Annie Sloan clear wax
- General Finishes gel stain in Antique Walnut
- General Finishes gel satin top coat
- Elmer’s Interior Wood Filler
- WD40 (sprayed on the bottom track to help the drawers slide smoothly)
- Back board cut to size
How I refinished this piece:
I headed to Turkstra Lumber (my local lumber store) and asked if they had any scraps that would fit the size I was looking for. They came back with this piece that they cut to my dimensions and also matched the colour of paint I chose. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better back board. The best part – with tax, it was $5.15!
To install, I used my Dewalt cordless brad nailer. I was able to do it myself but it took a lot of effort. Having another person to help hold it in place would be a huge help.
The drawers of this piece are also very unique. A curved piece attached by pieces at the front and back.
I often shy away from filling hardware holes on drawer fronts that I know I’m going to stain. Even the best of fillers will still leave a mark. I gave it a try on this one and it actually turned out well! I knew the hardware I was going install so I didn’t have to fill both holes on the bottom 4 drawers- only one.
The handles were installed and for the most part, you can’t tell where the original holes were.
Kristin Lia Restoration 