Hepworth Mid Century Modern Tall Dresser

This Hepworth Mid-Century Modern dresser is so wonderfully constructed. Built in Southampton, Ontario, this dresser has six separate drawers – the top row is actually 3 separate ones.

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

Materials:

  • Annie Sloan chalk paint (Athenian Black)
  • Annie Sloan clear wax
  • General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain
  • General Finishes High-Performance Topcoat in a satin finish

How I refinished this piece:

When starting any piece, I always do the sanding before any sort of painting or staining. The last thing you want is for any dust or particles to get into a freshly painted area!

For the top, I stripped the veneer and sanded the residue.

I also removed the extraneous pieces of the bottom frame around the legs. I sanded the frame and legs to bare wood.

The drawers had a gorgeous walnut veneer under the existing finish that I uncovered when I was sanding them down.

Before painting, I washed down the sides and front frame edges with Krud Kutter. This is such a good degreaser and removes all the residue that builds up over time. Given the age of this piece, it was so necessary.

I taped all the edges and took special care to cover the gold trim.

Using Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in Athenian Black, I painted three coats to ensure that rich, black colour.

I sealed with clear wax which only enhanced the richness of the black. For tips on how to apply wax, click here.

I moved onto staining the top with General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain. Just look at that grain! To protect the stained areas, I used General Finishes High Performance Topcoat with a satin finish.

I used the same stain on the drawers and bottom frame.

The original vintage hardware was cleaned and reinstalled.

Such a gorgeous refresh on this one!


2 thoughts on “Hepworth Mid Century Modern Tall Dresser

  1. I resently purchased this dresser for 75$
    I got super lucky finding your posted on how you did an amazing job restoring this piece, stunning!!!
    I’m currently stripping the paint off, I did exactly like you did and took off the bulking pieces of wood on the legs. I removed the screws from the legs, in hopes I’d be able to remove the legs all together. But I can’t get them off. Did you completely remove the legs for sanding? And if so, how did u get the legs off?
    Thank you very much for sharing your restoration, and for your time

  2. I’m excited to see how yours turns out! I wasn’t able to completely remove the legs – just those bulky pieces. I have a Surfprep sander so I was able to use their foam pads to easily sand down the legs and bottom frame. I’d suggest hand sand using a sanding sponge so that it can easily curve. My Instagram is @kristinliarestoration so please reach out if you need any more assistance. I’m happy to help!

    https://www.instagram.com/kristinliarestoration/

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