I still cannot get over what a difference it makes to refinish furniture with paint. From an outdated coffee table to a sleek modern black-painted coffee table with gorgeous cane webbing, this DIY project is an excellent example of total furniture transformation that is both gorgeous with new life and budget-friendly.

I love so much of the MCM look. After all, some of these styles were things I grew up with. Well, along with country blue and mauve Home Interiors ducks. Some of the staples of MCM furniture have made a huge resurgence in the last several years. Cane webbing, cane, rattan, wicker, and bamboo are all materials that are in high demand.

Some pieces of furniture where I have seen these elements popping up on DIY projects are a nightstand, dressers, headboards, and cane furniture. Many people are using DIY cane webbing on many types of projects as well. Drawer fronts, an Ikea hack, a storage cabinet, and cupboard doors are a few of the projects I have loved.

an interesting fact about me

Speaking of MCM, an interesting fact about me is my family had a booth in our kitchen growing up. Like our kitchen table was a restaurant-style booth. FROM LONG JOHN SILVER’S. I kid you not! Like royal blue vinyl with those weird pirate flags stitched into the seat back! Welp that is awkward to share! lol!

MID-CENTURY MODERN CANE WEBBING COFFEE TABLE FIND

This guide will walk you step by step through the entire process of upcycling this cane-webbing coffee table. Several months ago, my wife and I stopped at our local ReStore. This place is totally hit or miss. Sometimes they will have some decent furniture at affordable prices. Other times they are trying to sell pressed board end tables like French Provincial antiques from the 1700s.

We found this gorgeous walnut, rectangle coffee table with a glass top and cane webbing bottom for only $15. It was amazing. My thought was to sand this cane webbing coffee table to a natural finish and paint the cane webbing to freshen it up.

As I sanded, the beautiful Walnut grain started to pop even more before. Once most of the cane webbing coffee table was stripped, I noticed the grain pattern popped a little too much. It had a weird tiger stripe effect that I couldn’t get past. So, unfortunately, I had to make a mid-project switch and went with black paint to complete the makeover. More on that later.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

Two of the most significant pieces of advice I can give you are knowing what you’re looking for and knowing where to look. You should be able to find old furniture for a makeover at just about every thrift store or garage sale you come across. However, not all furniture is worth the price and the hassle of the redo. Some furniture will be pressed wood (particle board) and cheaply manufactured.

There is nothing wrong with attempting to redo cheap furniture, but most of the time, the result will not be nearly as good, the piece will not last long, and the process will just be complicated due to the issues with cheaper furniture. On the other hand, if you can find a furniture piece that is solid wood and durable from a reputable manufacturer, your chances of long-term success with the furniture makeover go way up. Check out my post on how to paint a nightstand for an example of a high-end piece of furniture bought for $12.99 at a thrift store.

Know where to buy

Knowing where to buy is also important. Look at your local thrift stores and check for the quality, quantity, and furniture cost. I have a few that I love. Knowing what you’re looking for and where to look will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

Before You Start your cane webbing coffee table makeover

This is the stage of the furniture makeover when you need to decide precisely what you want the finished product to look like. Are you sanding and leaving natural wood exposed? Maybe strip and stain. How would the piece look painted? Possibly chalk paint with a clear wax sealer? So many things to contemplate, and now is the time to make some of these decisions.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS needed for this coffee table redo

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner

Orbital sander

Sandpaper

Paintbrush

Paint sprayer

Foam roller

Poly

Spray paint

Clean The glass top coffee Table

I have started using Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. The product does a great job of cleaning and degreasing. The best part is that it is much safer for the environment than other harsh cleaners and degreasers.

Removing the glass was my first step. My goal was to avoid another mishap with a glass-top coffee table. Check out my post, A complete guide to how to chalk paint a coffee table, for more about that situation. I thoroughly sprayed the entire piece and wiped it down to ensure the coffee table was free of dust or debris. Another product you can use to make sure you get all of the dust is a tack cloth.

Paint the cane webbing

Because of the woven pattern of cane webbing, it is essential to make sure you get good paint coverage on both sides of the cane webbing. I used Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in an almond color with a satin sheen. Blue painter’s tape was used to tape a clean line between the cane webbing and the wood on the coffee table.

Once the table was taped, I sprayed the cane webbing with almond spray paint. Use long, smooth strokes; I sprayed four light coats to get nice, even paint coverage. This was repeated for the other side of the cane webbing. So, both sides of the cane webbing received four coats of spray paint.

Black paint makes this cane webbing renovation.

Now that the cane webbing is painted almond, I taped the cane webbing so I could paint the coffee table. I did not prime this mid-century coffee table due to the paint I chose. I used satin sheen Behr Ultra Scuff Defense in Cracked Pepper. This is a paint and primer in one, so there was no need for additional primer.

I applied three coats of paint with a foam roller and paintbrush (for the hard-to-reach corners). I used medium grit sandpaper/sponge between each coat of paint for any imperfections. This cane webbing coffee table makeover is almost complete. Here comes the sealer.

Apply Sealer To The upcycled DIY Coffee Table

I wanted an ultra-smooth finish with the top coat sealer. So, I sprayed the polyurethane on the painted coffee table. Removing the tape around the cane webbing allowed me to spray the table and the cane webbing with polyurethane.

I sprayed three coats of Verithane satin sheen polyurethane. This gave me great coverage and excellent durability. I like this product due to its water-based nature, which makes it really easy to clean up. Just like that, this project is done.

Final Steps

All that was left was to clean the glass inserts that go on top of the table, and this cane webbing coffee table makeover is finished. I hope you enjoyed following along. This was a fun and straightforward project to complete. I would love to hear what you’re working on.

Financial breakdown of this MCM glass-top coffee table

Cost $15
Paint $3
Spray paint $3
Poly $2
Total $23

Sold for $200

Profit $177 (This could have gone for quite a bit more if listed on Etsy, but I wanted to move this quickly, so I listed it on Facebook Marketplace. It sold within two hours.)

Can cane webbing be painted?

Is Chucky from Child’s Play weirdly adorable? YES! Of course, you can paint cane webbing. Whether it is old cane webbing that needs to be refreshed or maybe you just want to change the color of the cane webbing, you can be creative and give it an update. Cane webbing is a delicate and versatile material, so I suggest always spraying it to ensure you do not damage the cane webbing during the project. Using a paint sprayer is an option, but spray paint is a perfect choice. Don’t be afraid of painting your cane webbing project! You can do this.

Is cane webbing in style?

Cane Webbing was a staple of mid-century modern furniture. It has never gone out of style due to its natural texture and beautiful look. This styling element will never go out of style and has seen a big resurgence over the last few years. Cane webbing is here to stay, so don’t be afraid to buy vintage cane chairs to redo or add cane webbing to dresser drawers to change the look of an older dresser.

How to makeover a coffee table?

Updating a coffee table can be a game changer for a room. Whether painting, stripping, adding cane webbing, or just changing up the decorations on top of the table, you can immediately update your space. The easiest option is to restyle the coffee table. Maybe add some coffee table books, a candle, a smaller picture, and a plant of some type. The more labor-intensive option is to repaint, strip, or add a styling element to the table, like cane webbing or burlap.

Print

Cane webbing coffee table makeover

Step-by-step instructions on a cane webbing coffee table makeover

Cook Time 5 hours hours

Author Gary & Kasey

Ingredients

Instructions

• Thoroughly spray the entire piece with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe it down to ensure the coffee table is free of dust or debris.
• Spray the cane webbing with almond spray paint. Use long, smooth strokes. Spray four light coats to get nice, even paint coverage. Repeat for the other side of the cane webbing; So, both sides of the cane webbing received four coats of spray paint.
• Apply three coats of paint with a foam roller and paintbrush (for the hard-to-reach corners). Use medium grit sandpaper/sponge between each coat of paint for imperfections.
• I sprayed three coats of Verithane satin sheen polyurethane. This gave me great coverage and excellent durability.

The post Cane Webbing Coffee Table Makeover – A complete tutorial appeared first on How To Refinish Furniture.

We recently took a quick trip to one of our favorite cities, Nashville. The city is super sentimental to us since this is where we renewed our wedding vows. Click here to see a short video about our vow renewal. We won the vow renewal, and it was an amazing day! When you watch the video, you will understand the significance of Nashville to our family.

Kasey bought tickets, to the Grand Ole Opry, where one of my favorite musical artists was performing, for father’s day, and this was the weekend for the concert. While in Nashville, we can never pass up antique and thrift stores. We hadn’t hit any home runs on this trip: just several solid purchases but no show-stoppers.

Until I ran into this little guy! Maybe not much at first glance, but he is dripping with potential and dying for me to give him a new life. Best two things, 1) Drexel manufactured this vintage bedside table, and 2) it was only $12.99!!

This was my home run for the weekend. Old furniture looking for a new home + me = a perfect combo! When finished, this painted nightstand will definitely turn heads.

In this post, you will see the steps I took on how to paint a nightstand. It took some work, but the result is amazing!

1: Materials And Tools

Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner

Putty Knife Set

Wood Filler

Sandpaper

Sanding sponge

Orbital sander

Primer

Latex Paint

Polyurethane

Paintbrush

Paint roller

New hardware

2: Filling in scratches, dents, and old hardwood screw holes

Make no mistake; this Drexel nightstand has been enjoyed or, should I say, absolutely destroyed by previous owners. If they were going for the distressed look, I am pretty sure they figured that out! The wear on this piece doesn’t scare me, though. The bedside table needs a lot of TLC to return it to its glory days.

I used a screwdriver to remove the hardware from the three drawers. While the original hardware was unique, it was outdated, and nothing could bring it into this century. There were several wear spots and the old hardware holes on this bedside table that had to be filled with wood putty. Once dried, I used 220 grit sandpaper to smooth.

3: remove peeling veneer on base and top

The soon-to-be-painted nightstand had peeling veneer on the top and base of the piece. I began removing the veneer by peeling everything away with my fingers I could. When all loose veneer was removed, I was left with veneer that was still glued or tightly attached to the wood surface underneath. I used a putty knife and drywall taping knife to carefully run behind the veneer to remove as much as possible.

Once I got to the stuck veneer, I had to break out the heat gun. A heat gun is an excellent option for removing things that are glued. The heat gun will heat the adhesive until you can safely remove the veneer. Be careful to constantly move the heat gun back and forth to avoid creating burn marks or even catching your furniture on fire. I promise this is possible. I may or may not have done this before.

4: Sanding the nightstand

As pretty as the wood was on the top, I still needed to use something to fill in as much of the grain on top of the nightstand makeover. By mixing a small amount of water with wood filler, I created a mixture that had enough liquid to be worked into the grain easily. Once dried, I sanded it with fine-grit sandpaper (220 grit). This created a smooth finish on the top that was ready for primer.

Using an orbital sander was a fast way to prepare all surfaces for primer and paint. I started the sanding process using a medium grit 150 sandpaper. Once I had a good scuff sand, I went to a 220 grit sandpaper to ensure an ultra-smooth finish. Sanded and ready for a good cleaning.

6: Time to get this night stand makeover cleaned and ready for primer and paint

I decided to go with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner for this project. I liberally sprayed the drawers and frame and gave the entire piece a good wipe-down to ensure the removal of all grease, oil, dust, and dirt. The inside of the drawers also needed cleaning because of the years of grime that had built up.

Cleaning the piece is crucial due to a few reasons. First, the primer, paint, and poly will not adhere correctly to dirty furniture. It would be a shame for me to tell you how to paint a nightstand but leave this important key out. Your finished product would have issues down the road due to bad paint adhesion. Secondly, cleaning the piece lets you look over the entire surface to ensure that all repairs have been made. Cleaner and ready to paint!

7: Here comes the primed nightstand

Due to this paint color being a bit darker, I used Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 primer that I had tinted gray. This can help hide minor scratches and chips in the future. Using a 6″ foam roller, I rolled two coats of primer on the nightstand for proper coverage and a smooth finish.

8: And now…how to paint a nightstand

I wanted to ensure a smooth finish for this night stand, so I added Floetrol Flood. Floetrol Flood is a latex paint additive that gives your latex paint a smoother finish that almost mimics an oil-based finish. The paint, with the additive, flows and levels much better for a smoother finish by eliminating or significantly reducing roller or brush marks. My first coat of paint had good coverage, but I wanted to ensure a durable finish. So, I added a second coat of paint to the remodeled nightstand. Due to the details on the piece, there were places I had to use a foam brush to make sure I was able to get great coverage in the smaller and tighter areas.

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Riverway (I had it color matched at Lowe’s)

9: The ever-so-important top coat and hardware

I decided to use a method of applying polyurethane on the nightstand that I picked up a while back. This could take a little practice, but the results are nice once you get the hang of it. I used a 4″ foam roller between my middle finger and thumb. Dipping the foam roller in polyurethane and dragging it across the piece gives an excellent final top coat. Several areas required me to use a foam brush to seal the piece.

The last thing to do is to put the new hardware on, and we are done. Since I used wood putty to fill the two original hardware holes, I measured where each hardware set should go on each drawer. I drilled the hole and screwed the new hardware on. BINGO. There it is.

What kind of paint do you use on a bedside table?

I go through phases on what paint I enjoy using. Sometimes I like using chalk paint just because it is so stinking easy to use. Most of the time no prep work other than cleaning! Here is a link to my post about chalk paint best brands. You can use oil-based, but as nice as the finish is, it is a hassle to clean up after using oil-based paint compared to chalk or latex. Lately, I have been using latex paint in a satin finish and adding Floetrol Flood to mimic oil-based paint.

Don’t miss this makeover for a chalk-painted refinished nightstand.

How do you modernize a nightstand?

There are several ways to modernize a nightstand. The most simple way is to swap out what’s on top of the nightstand. So, a new lamp, a small plant, candlesticks, or coffee table-type books. This may be a little more expensive if you buy new decor, but it’s easy. Another option would be to swap out the hardware. Updating to new, more modern hardware can do wonders for your bedside table. Last is to follow all the steps in this post for a completely new, refinished nightstand. It’s something that anyone can do. Just take your time and leave your fear of messing up behind. Almost all mistakes can be fixed. Hopefully, now you feel more confident in how to paint a nightstand.

More Refinish Furniture with Paint Tutorials:

• 80’s Dresser Makeover Guide
• Painted Mid-Century Dresser 
• Blue Coffee Table Makeover

I hope this simple project of how to paint a nightstand was an inspiration to you. Don’t go looking for brand new furniture; find something you already have or something someone else dropped at the thrift store. Not only can outdated furniture look amazing again, but it is an awesome feeling to look at the piece each day and know you are responsible for transformation.

Let me know what you’re working on. I’m excited to see your projects. Be blessed!

The post Easy Steps – How to Paint a Nightstand appeared first on How To Refinish Furniture.

I took my son and his friend for a quick breakfast a couple of weeks ago. My wife had done the same with our girls. So, after we ate, we met at one of my favorite local thrift stores. This thrift store is organized, for the most part, really clean, with reasonable prices and great-smelling restrooms. No, for real, their bathrooms smell amazing. Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find DIY makeover pieces; however, I love the experience of searching for and finding that old piece dying for a new look. Anyway, as we were browsing through the aisles, we came across this 80’s dresser makeover waiting to happen. We picked up a few other pieces I’ll also post soon. Make sure to check back!

Alert* I use a few terms throughout this post while talking about the same thing. People call this piece of furniture different names. Some call it a dresser, lowboy chest of drawers, buffet, console, credenza, or bachelor’s chest. Just roll with me. lol.

This old dresser is straight from the 80s: Oak veneer cabinet box, solid wood trim pieces, and weird plastic drawer fronts. I would have loved to have said this was a solid wood lowboy dresser, but that is not the case here. I am huge on two things: making my projects as simple as possible and affordable. This allows you to come alongside me on these projects and complete your DIY dresser redo project if you choose. So, this lowboy chest of drawers will make a great dresser, TV console, or credenza when it is complete.

Supply list for this 80’s dresser makeover

• TSP Cleaning solution or my DIY cleaning solution of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water with a few squirts of dish soap
• Putty knife
• Wood filler
• 120 and 220 grit Sandpaper, sanding sponge, or orbital sander
• Primer
• Paint
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush, paint roller, or paint sprayer

Now on with this vintage dresser redo

My first step is removing the hardware. I used a drill to remove the hardware to speed up this process. This hardware is original, brass, and a bit obnoxious. Perfect! I’m keeping it for a few reasons. I love the contrast of the brass and Benjamen Moore Hale Navy Blue I’m using to paint this. Another reason I am using the original hardware is because I want to show you how easy it is to clean up dirty brass hardware. Finally, I like my projects to be as simple and cost-effective as possible.

A crucial step is always to clean the wood furniture. (I got a little too anxious to start on this 80s dresser makeover and forgot to take pictures of the cleaning process.) Those pictures are boring anyway, so I guess they may be the best ones to miss. I was being honest. LOL.

I used TSP Cleaning Solution for this old chest. The top and sides were easy to clean, but the details on the drawers were a little trickier. I used a toothbrush to get in the tight spots to ensure I could get all the dust, dirt, grime, and oils.

Let’s get this DIY dresser makeover ready for paint

Two drawers on this piece had some severe wiggle to them. The slides on the dresser had cracked and loosed, allowing the drawers to float with every open or close freely. These had to be fixed! I removed all of the drawer slides and disregarded the broken slides. Using the good slide as a template, I cut new slides to the exact size and added the details necessary for the new slides to work appropriately.

Once finished, I installed all three slides and used a bar of soap on the slides on the cabinet and track on the drawer to reduce the drag and lubricate the drawers.

The front right corner had some damage that I wanted to repair. This was a straightforward fix. A small amount of wood filler to help fill in the damaged corner.

One step that is incredibly necessary but easy to skip is giving the original wood finish a scuff sand. This is a light sand to rough up the finish, which gives the primer something to adhere to. I used an orbital sander with 150 grit sandpaper. I gave the piece a thorough wipe-down with a damp cloth lint-free cloth to ensure all dust from sanding was removed. Once the piece was cleaned of all the scuff sand dust, I was ready to prime the lowboy chest of drawers.

Since I am using the original hardware instead of the new hardware, I did not have to alter the drawer fronts. Now on to the primer.

Primetime for this oak chest of drawers

One of my favorite primers to use is Zinsser BIN shellac primer. This stuff sticks to everything! Kind of like my t-shirt on a hot, humid Tennessee day. I rolled the shellac primer with a foam roller and used a 2′ angled paintbrush to get into the tight spots on the drawer fronts. A quick sand with 220 grit sandpaper ensured a smooth finish.

Here comes the color on this dresser renovation

I have used Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore a few times. Once on a wall in my son’s room as well as on several furniture pieces. I figured Hale Navy was the right pick for this piece because of the contrast of the dark paint and brass drawer pulls. I used a satin finish for a softer appearance.

Remember that the goal is not to have the piece painted in one single coat of paint. So, multiple thin coats of paint from a sprayer are the way to go.

You can see after the first coat, there were still places on the dresser that would need more paint. It’s ready for a second coat.

Three coats of paint gave me the proper coverage and finish I was looking for. Amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for a vintage dresser makeover.

The oh-so-important topcoat For This 80’s Dresser Makeover

Remember that a paint sprayer will spray thinner coats than if you used a brush or roller to paint your furniture. You may need to do more coats than you think you need. I sprayed four thin coats of satin finish Minwax Polyacrylic which gave a beautiful sheen.

Just like that, the painting is complete. Two more steps to a completed 80s dresser makeover.

Clean the original hardware

To clean the original hardware, I used a solution of one part water to one part vinegar. I put enough of the solution in a pot that the hardware was covered once in the pot. After twenty minutes of boiling, the hardware was ready to go through a huge transition. Once removed from the solution, I let the drawer pulls cool for a few minutes so I wouldn’t lose my fingerprints while trying to clean them. I wiped the drawer pulls with fine steel wool and rinsed them off. That easy!

This 80’s dresser makeover is almost complete

New legs – Forrest Gump

Now that the dresser is painted and sealed, the last step is to add new legs for visual effect and to give this lowboy a little more height. Since there is nothing under this dresser to screw the new legs into, I had to add two 2x4s to each side. I measured from front to back and cut the 2×4 to length. I predrilled all holes and slowly screwed all screws in to ensure I did not crack any parts of the dresser. Once the 2x4s were in place, I drilled pilot hols for the anchors that the new legs will screw into. Once all anchors were in place, I screwed the legs in, completing this 80’s dresser makeover.

How do you modernize an old chest of drawers?

You can modernize an old chest of drawers in a few different ways. Restyle the top of the chest. Add some interesting coffee table books, a new lamp, a candle, or a plant. The second option is to update the hardware. Either clean the old (like I did in this post) or check out Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and West Elm to see the current trend in drawer hardware, then head to Amazon and find something similar. New legs! By adding legs, you will modernize and give the chest some additional height. Lastly, do an entire makeover of the chest as well as update the styling of items that sit on top of the chest.

What is the cheapest way to redo a dresser?

This is actually a tougher question. You may think that restyling it would be the cheapest, but that stuff can add up quickly! Trust me, we have been renovating our house, and I have spent way too much time and money at HomeGoods! New hardware (new knobs or pulls) is a cheap alternative. You can score new drawer pulls on Amazon for about $2 per pull. An entire makeover can actually still be done on a budget. This can end up being more expensive with buying primer, paint, pulls, and styling items.

What kind of paint do you use on veneer furniture?

What kind of paint is not the best question. A better question is, how do I get it to stick to the veneer better? Primer! There are three primer options to choose from. Oil-based, Latex, and Shellac. An Oil-based is a good option for bare or exterior wood and will seal the wood allowing the paint to stick to the primer and not be absorbed as much by the wood. Latex is the easiest to use due to its versatility, strength, and ease of clean-up. Shellac is the hardest to clean but sticks the best to whatever you are priming. Shellac is my pick on a lot of laminate and veneer furniture. When you think of Ikea furniture – think of shellac!

More Refinish wood with Paint Projects:

• Painted Mid-Century Dresser
• Refinished Night Stand
• 40 DIY Dresser Makeover Ideas
• Blue Coffee Table Makeover
• How to Paint a Nightstand Tutorial

On to my next project

I trust you found something in this post helpful. This 80s dresser makeover turned into a really beautiful piece that can be used as a small dresser, a lowboy chest of drawers, a TV console, a small buffet, or a credenza.

I spent $40 to purchase the vintage chest of drawers (more than I would usually spend, but I loved the size of this piece), approximately $10 on primer and paint (I used primer and paint I already had), and $16 for the legs (I had a scrap 2×4 in my garage that was used as the base for the legs to anchor to). This dresser makeover totaled $66. I think that was well worth it!

If you haven’t gotten the courage to start on a furniture refinishing project, do it scared. All mistakes can be fixed. Don’t let that stop you from jumping into a project. Let me know what you’re working on or what your next project is!

Print

80's dresser makeover - Complete guide with pictures

Check out this DIY 80s dresser makeover giving this old oak lowboy chest of drawers a new modern, restyled look.

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours

Ingredients

• TSP Cleaning solution
• Stripping agent - Citristrip
• Putty knife
• Wood filler
• 120 and 220 grit Sandpaper, sanding sponge, or orbital sander
• Mineral spirits
• Steel wool
• Paint
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush, paint roller, or paint sprayer
• New hardware - drawer pulls

Instructions

• Mix the TSP per the directions. Spray the piece using a spray bottle or a cloth dipped in the solution, and wipe it down. Follow the safety directions regarding applying all chemicals. Use a dry towel to ensure the piece is dry and no streaks of grime or grease are left behind.
• Tip: Vacuum the inside of drawers and wipe them down. Adding a cabinet liner or a wood conditioning product is a nice touch.
• Use sandpaper or an electric sander (120 - 150 grit) to scuff sand the entire piece. This will give the primer a rough surface to help adhesion and bonding to the wood.
• Repair any drawer issues. I had to replace two slides that were cracked and loose.
• A Bar of soap or beeswax is excellent for lubricating drawer slides. Rub the bar of soap or a rag with beeswax along all parts of the drawer that comes into contact with a slide or rail on the dresser box.
• Find any imperfections that you want to repair. Use wood filler or Bondo to repair dents / dings, chips, corners, or gouges. Spread the compound with a putty knife along the area needing repair. Allow time to dry and lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper.
• Apply Zinsser BIN shellac primer to the scuff-sanded 80s dresser. I used a 6" foam roller and a 2' angled paintbrush for the entire piece.
• With a paint sprayer, spray three coats of Benjamin Moore Hale Navy paint in satin finish. Remember, your goal is not to finish by spraying the entire piece with one coat. A paint sprayer takes many thinner coats of paint.
• Apply three coats of Minwax Polycrylic in satin to seal the entire piece of furniture. I used a paint sprayer to ensure no brush strokes. Between each coat, sand with 220 sandpaper. After the third coat has dried, give it a final sand with 600 grit sandpaper if there are any imperfections in the finish.s
• Boil the original, dirty hardware in a mixture of one part water to one part vinegar. Let boil for twenty to thirty minutes before removing to cool. Wipe the hardware with steel wool making sure to get in all of the cracks and crevices. Rinse and let hardware dry. Install refreshed hardware.

The post 80’s Dresser Makeover – Complete guide with pictures appeared first on How To Refinish Furniture.

When looking for a furniture piece to flip, some might find it hard to look past what they initially see. Just about anything can be repaired or painted for DIY furniture makeover projects.

When we look for new pieces to refinish, first, we look for a brand stamp that can sometimes be found in a top drawer. We’ve often come across furniture made by expensive brands built with excellent craftsmanship when thrifting. Next, we check out the structure and drawers to see if any repairs are needed. It’s essential to look at the piece carefully to assess any cosmetic marks, scratches, water rings, chips, damage, etc., that will require work.

We also like to determine if the furniture is antique, vintage, mid-century modern, Queen Anne, art deco, farmhouse, country, etc. Right now, mid-century modern is super popular, so finding an authentic solid wood dresser in this style is a jackpot.

Look at this gorgeous dresser! It is dripping with potential!

Now I will say that this piece has seen better days. It is a beautiful mid-century modern 6-drawer dresser made by Bassett Furniture. The top coat of paint is, well, how do I say this, terrible! My cat could have completed a better mid-century modern dresser makeover (painting only with her tail)! In addition to a horrible paint job, what on earth were the previous owners doing with this thing? It looks like it has been used as a cutting board, ping-pong table, and maybe even a saw horse. However, when I looked at the bones of this dresser, I knew this would be a tremendous makeover for a mid-century dresser painted to match my daughter’s room.

Let’s start this DIY mid-century modern dresser redo!

I think this project will take a lot of TLC to strip it down to a raw finish and repair all cosmetic issues. A little patience and elbow grease go a long way when working on DIY furniture projects.

Supply List for this mid-century modern dresser makeover

• TSP Cleaning solution (I typically use my DIY solution of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water with a few squirts of dish soap, but this project called for a stronger commercial cleaning solution.)
• Stripping agent (Citristrip is my go-to)
• Putty knife
• Wood filler
• 120 and 220 grit Sandpaper, sanding sponge, or orbital sander
• Mineral spirits
• Steel wool
• Painters tape
• Paint
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush, paint roller, or paint sprayer
• New hardware (drawer pulls and knobs)

Time to tackle this MCM makeover

Here we go.

Clean the piece

The first step with any furniture restoration project is to thoroughly clean the entire piece to remove all dirt, grime, and oils that may hinder the adhesion of your primer, paint, or stain. This piece was so dirty that I broke out the TSP. Typically I use my DIY cleaner (1 part vinegar to 1 part water), but I felt this MCM dresser needed something more potent than my usual cleaner. I mixed the TSP according to the directions, sprayed the piece using a spray bottle, and wiped it down with a rag. Make sure to follow the directions regarding applying any chemicals. After wiping the entire piece down, I returned with a dry towel and ensured the solution was gone and there were no streaks of grime or grease left behind.

Remove all paint and stain from the mid-century dresser

This mid-century dresser had a thick coat of high-gloss black paint and the original stain. It was a mess.

First, my wife liberally applied Citrastrip to the top and front of the dresser. Once she had a thick coat on the piece, she wrapped it with plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour.

The Citrastrip had no mercy on the nasty high gloss black paint. The paint and original stain came off as soon as she started scraping the Citrastrip. Be careful when scraping anything off your pieces of furniture. A metal scraper or putty knife can dig and gauge the wood if you’re not careful. Kasey has quite a bit of experience stripping furniture, so she is comfortable using a metal scraper.

Once she removed all of the stripper, she used mineral spirits and fine steel wool to clean any remaining stubborn stain or paint. I hit the top and sides with 150 grit sandpaper, and the top and front were ready.

I used my 5″ orbital sander. 120 grit sandpaper helped the raw wood peek through quickly. Sanding the sides and drawer fronts was a breeze.

Note: While Kasey was stripping the stain and paint off the top and furniture frame, I used the orbital sander instead of stripping the sides of the furniture and drawer fronts since the paint was coming off easily.

Prep drawer fronts for new hardware

The previous owners changed the hardware and used a different drawer pull size. They chose to leave the old holes rather than attempting to fill them in—wood putty for the quick fix. Make sure to apply the putty a bit proud (the dried putty should be higher than the drawer front so you can sand the putty down to be even with the front).

Time to paint this MCM dresser

I painted a nightstand for my daughter’s room several weeks ago. The paint was color-matched to a pillow on her bed. Check out my post on her refinished nightstand. I bought a little extra paint for the nightstand, knowing this dresser was right around the corner.

Due to how I wanted to paint this piece, I had to tape a bit of the dresser to get the nice clean lines for the two-toned natural wood and painted look. Once taped, I began priming the MCM dresser. I used a foam roller to apply Kilz primer. Two coats of primer with no brush strokes. I used 220 grit sandpaper between coats to ensure a smooth finish for the next coat to adhere. This MCM dresser is now a great canvas for my final two coats of paint.

Primer: Kilz Latex Primer

Paint Details:

Custom color-matched to my daughter’s bedroom

Brand: Home Depot Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Latex Paint in Satin

I again used a foam roller for the final coats of paint. The dresser cabinet is ready for poly. Now on to the drawer fronts. I primed the drawer fronts with a foam roller and gave them two nice coats.

Two more coats of paint and the drawer fronts were ready for polyurethane.

Little touches make a huge difference

The dresser feet originally had a brass ring around the base of the leg. I guess time had won the battle because the rings were gone by the time this piece found our home. So, I bought an excellent metallic brass paint at a local craft store, and the rings of brass are back… okay, kind of…

One of my daughter’s art brushes was the perfect choice to paint these rings.

The final steps on this mid-century dresser makeover

Our time on this painted mid-century dresser is quickly coming to a close. Only two more steps are remaining; then, I’ll try to answer a few helpful questions proactively.

Let’s get some polyurethane on this dresser. I use water-based matte polyurethane because it sprays great in my paint sprayer and is simple to clean. I sprayed three coats of poly on the entire piece making sure for each coat to dry thoroughly. Between the first two coats of polyacrylic, I sanded the dresser with 220 grit sandpaper. Finally, after the third coat of polyacrylic I sanded with 600 grit sandpaper for a nice smooth finish.

Note: I kept the raw wood natural and sealed it with poly.

Polyurethane – Minwax Polycrylic in Matte 

Last thing. New hardware. I chose modern brushed brass pulls and knobs. Boom, this painted mid-century dresser is complete. Our project looks fantastic in my daughter’s room. This painted mid-century dresser was a labor of love. Maybe dad spent a little extra time on this project to ensure his firstborn loved it.

Styling your two-toned MCM dresser

I had this part back to Kasey. Our daughter’s room has a bit of a boho feel with records and guitars mounted on the wall. She prefeed we kept the look very minimal.

Styling Ideas for Mid Century Modern Dresser:

Hanging Basket above dresser – Homegoods / I found this set of 3 oversized baskets on Amazon that look great too!

Record Player – We bought hers from Magnolia, but here is the same one on Amazon.

Vase – HomeGoods or similar vase here

Greenery – Michael’s Craft Store I found similar greenery on Amazon. 

Books – Goodwill

How do you make furniture look mid-century modern?

This question is a little tricky. It’s nearly impossible to take furniture from other periods or styles and force them into the look of mid-century modern furniture. However, you can do a few things if you have a piece with clean lines. Add legs/feet. Just like Forrest Gump said, “You got new legs.” Mid-century drawer hardware can be one of the things that give your piece that MCM look you want.

How do you paint a two-tone dresser?

Couple things. Choose your color. Decide the best way to bring contrast to the piece—most paint the drawers or the dresser cabinet but not both when painting a two-tone dresser. You can always leave the other natural as I did on this piece. Last, make sure to use painter’s tape for crisp lines.

Can you paint over an old dresser?

The short answer is yes. Chalk paint allows you to paint over an old dresser just by cleaning the old dresser. Check out my post chalk paint best brands for a few of my favorite options, including my DIY recipe. If you choose something other than chalk paint, then there may be some prep work required.

I hope my projects inspire you to try a furniture refinishing project of your own. My goal is to make my projects and tutorials simple and economical. Let me hear about some of your projects!

MORE REFINISH WOOD WITH PAINT PROJECTS:

• Refinished Night Stand
• 80’s Dresser Makeover – Complete Guide with Pictures 
• Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover: Stripped and Refinished

More Refinish Furniture with Paint Ideas

• Gorgeous Blue Painted Coffee Table with Rattan
• Chalk Painted End Tables
• 17 Best Paibnted Furniture Ideas

Print

Painted Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover

Ingredients

• TSP Cleaning solution 
• Stripping agent
• Putty knife
• 120 and 220 grit Sandpaper, sanding sponge, or orbital sander
• Mineral spirits
• Steel wool
• Painters tape
• Paint - Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Satin Finish
• Minwax Polycrylic matte finish
• Paintbrush, paint roller, or paint sprayer

Instructions

• Mix the TSP according to the directions. Then, spray the piece using a spray bottle, and wipe it down with a rag. Make sure to follow the directions regarding applying any chemicals. After wiping the entire piece down, finish with a dry towel to ensure the solution is gone and there are no streaks of grime or grease left behind.

  Note: Vacuum out the inside of drawers and wipe them off. Adding cabinet liner is a nice touch if you can't get them clean.
• Remove all paint and stain by applying Citrastrip liberally with a paintbrush in one direction. Wrap the wood in plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour. You'll see it work as the old finish starts to bubble. It is helpful for beginners to strip small areas to not get overwhelmed.
• With a plastic or metal putty knife, Be careful when scraping anything off your pieces of furniture. A metal scraper or putty knife can dig and gauge the wood if you’re not careful. Kasey has quite a bit of experience stripping furniture, so she is comfortable using a metal scraper.
• Once the stripper is removed, clean any remaining stubborn stain or paint with mineral spirits and fine steel wool. If needed sand the top and front dresser frame with 150 grit sandpaper.
• With sandpaper or a 5″ orbital sander with 120 grit sandpaper, sanding the sides and drawer fronts was a breeze. (I used the orbital sander instead of stripping the sides of the furniture and drawer fronts since the paint was coming off so easily.)
• If changing the size of the hardware, you'll need to prep the drawers by filling in the original holes with wood putty, leaving a raised surface (it's called proud in furniture terms). Allow it to dry thoroughly, then sand until smooth.
• Tape off the parts of the furniture that you want to leave natural. Used a foam roller to apply two coats of Kilz Latex primer to the parts of the dresser that will be painted. Sand with 220 grit sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish for the next coat to adhere.
• Using a foam roller apply two coats of Home Depot Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Latex Paint in Satin finish. Make sure to allow time to dry between coats.
• Apply three coats of Minwax Polycrylic in Matte to seal the entire piece of furniture. Make sure to let it dry thoroughly and sand with 220 sandpaper between the first two coats. After the third coat has dried, give it a final sand with 600 grit sandpaper for a smooth buttery finish.
• Once the furniture has completely dried install the new hardware.

The post Painted Mid-Century Dresser appeared first on How To Refinish Furniture.

While this bedside table is solid, it is not the most appealing piece of furniture. The grainy oak, the yellow tint to the old finish, and the rounded edges date this sucker. I have completed many nightstand makeovers, and this one will be a drastic change. It is amazing how much a piece of furniture can be transformed by stripping and staining or painting it.

I bought this for my oldest daughter’s room. Her room was one of the first to be completed during our whole house remodel. However, she had two pieces of furniture that have caused us some problems. Her bedside table was in desperate need of being replaced or being the star of the next DIY nightstand makeover. I am in the process of completing a beautiful refurbishing of a fabulous dresser for her room which will solve the other furniture problem. I’ll have that post up soon! I knew this refurbished nightstand would be a perfect fit for her room.

I had several nightstand refinishing ideas. Color? Drawer pull? Structural changes? So, just a few tweaks on this retro nightstand for me to bring it into the 21st century. I’ll give you the play-by-play of each change later in the post that completed this refinished nightstand project.

Supplies I needed for this nightstand makeover

A cleaning solution of either TSP or DIY cleaning solution (ingredients listed below)

Hammer and screwdriver or drill

Sandpaper, sanding sponges (120 and 220-grit paper), or orbital sander

Table saw

Nail gun

Wood filler

Putty knife

Primer

Paint

paint brush or paint sprayer

Drawer pull

Now let’s start this nightstand makeover

Most of my projects follow the same steps from beginning to end. I attempt to make my projects as simple as possible and very economical. I will walk you through the steps I follow and how I finished each one. Let’s go.

Prep all surface areas of the furniture

I needed a solution to thoroughly clean the entire surface area of dirt, grime, and grease/oil. I usually use a DIY cleaning solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar. You can also use TSP, which is fantastic for dirty items. I use both but just went with what I already had mixed up in the garage.

This is a great time to hit the piece with a sander. I’ll explain my fiasco with the sanding I did later in the post. Give it a scratch sand with 120 grit sandpaper. This will knock down any rough surfaces on the wood. Use sandpaper, a sanding sponge, or a power sander for the scratch sand.

Putty any damaged spots,  crevices, or grooves you want to fill in on the furniture. If you have old hardware holes that will not work with your new hardware, make sure to putty these holes now. Once the putty is dry, lightly sand for a smooth finish; wipe the nightstand with a lint-free cloth, microfiber cloth, or tack cloth to ensure you have gotten all the dust off before its paint time.

Decide if there are any structural changes to make to the project

This nightstand is straight from the 1980s. Does anyone remember The A-Team, Alf, New Edition, Hulkamania, Atari, or, if you were lucky, the original Nintendo? Well, this piece fits right in with these classics. The rounded edges and wooden drawer pull date this nightstand! I decided I wanted to modernize it by removing the rounded kickplate and adding a new solid kickplate.

I turned the nightstand upside down and saw I needed to remove a few screws, and then…demo time. A small demo, though. I knocked the rounded kickplate out with a few swings of the hammer. I can already see the potential in this refinished nightstand.

The removed rounded kickplate was used as a template to measure the replacement kickplate. Ideally, oak would have been the right solution for this piece, but I didn’t have any spare oak on hand. So, I chose pine because it was the handiest piece of scrap wood at my fingertips.

I used my table saw to cut the new kickplate to size.

My nailgun made it simple to attach the new kickplate to the frame of the nightstand. Bam. That was an easy way to give this piece an updated look.

Choose the finish for the nightstand

While thinking about the finish for the night stand, I decided to strip it and stain it with a weathered oak stain. I thought the weathered look of the oak would be a perfect complement to the refinished nightstand. Halfway through the sanding of the golden oak nightstand, I realized that there was a stain on the top that I could not get out. I tried several DIY home remedies for removing the stain, but nothing worked. It was such a deep stain that I could not sand down far enough into the oak top. This stain was sticking with us for the long haul. So this dilemma caused me to back up and rethink the finish.

Paint it is. A quick cleaning with mineral spirits and a clean cloth gave me an excellent clean canvas to start painting on.

I had a local big box store color match a pillow from my daughter’s bed. It is a beautiful teal color that is more blue than green. This new paint will pop and pull the color out of the pillow in my daughter’s room. It will all work out after all!

How to paint a nightstand

Now that I have the new paint, I’m ready to take another step towards moving this nightstand makeover into modern times. I primed the 1980s nightstand with two coats of Killz latex primer. Since I had sanded the finish, the grain would soak up anything I put on it. So, I applied two heavy coats of primer to tame the grain. A light sanding, once dried, had the piece ready for its new color. This refinished nightstand is almost complete.

I thinned the paint to the specifications of my paint sprayer. Sprayers are different regarding what type of material they can spray and the paint’s viscosity. Check the directions for your sprayer to determine what kind and how thin the material needs to be for the sprayer to give you a nice smooth finish.

I gave this nightstand three coats of Behr Ultra Scuff Defense paint in a satin sheen. I wanted this piece to be extra durable since it will be getting a lot of abuse in a teenager’s room. This summer has been brutally hot, so furniture is drying fast for me. Make sure to give ample time for paint cure. Spraying this nightstand gave it a professional finish.

Seal your nightstand after refinishing

It is best to seal all refinished furniture. Whether hardening wax, polyurethane, lacquer, shellack, or you name it, the furniture needs an agent on top of the paint that will protect it for years. I went with a matte polyurethane. Even though I use an ultra-clear matte poly, it still seems to make a slightly darker color on the piece. Polyurethane works excellent in my paint sprayer, so I went with it and gave it two coats of top coat. More coats of poly will help with durability.

Finishing touches…new hardware

This step is so easy and yet so impactful. Update your hardware. That’s it. A new brushed bronze drawer pull brought this entire piece together. Boom. The refinished nightstand looks fantastic.

There you have it. I have given you a complete walkthrough of refinishing a nightstand. I am all about simplifying everything in this process. You don’t have to be a pro to complete a nightstand makeover.

Here are a few questions that may come up when thinking about refinishing a nightstand.

How do you upgrade a nightstand?

OK, If you’re not brave enough YET to tackle this project, you can upgrade a nightstand with a few quick and straightforward ideas. Update the hardware. Check out Pottery Barn, West Elm, McGee & Co, or Restoration Hardware for trends on furniture so you can emulate their style on your furniture. Restyle the nightstand. Change lamps, add a few intriguing hardback books under the light, place your favorite scented candle on the nightstand, or add a small plant.

Can I paint over a nightstand?

Of course. We paint over everything. Wait until I share my painted fabric headboard with you! Finding the type of paint used initially is a high priority. Oil-based paint is going to perform very differently than water-based paint. It matters what you’re painting on top of.

Best paint for a nightstand?

Take your pick. It’s like cereal; everyone has a different favorite. Mine? Golden Grahams…hands down. Back to paint, I am a huge fan of chalk paint. It has a beautiful texture, is very easy to use, has few paint streaks if painted properly, has a beautiful matte finish, and can be bought or made. Check out my post chalk paint best brands for a list of fantastic chalk paint options and the DIY recipe I prefer to use.

That’s it. This enjoyable and straightforward project took a 35-year-old nightstand and gave it new life. Do you have any DIY nightstand makeover ideas? What about painted nightstand ideas or nightstand refinishing ideas. I would love to hear your plans and see your results.

MORE REFINISH WOOD WITH PAINT PROJECTS:

• Painted Mid Century Dresser
• 80’s Dresser Makeover – Complete Guide with Pictures 
• 40 DIY Dresser Makeover Ideas

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