A big part of refinishing furniture is facing the unknown. You never know what condition your piece may be in until you really get in there. When I tackled this dresser makeover, I was hoping to rip off the top layer of veneer and find a beautiful piece of wood... but I wasn't so lucky. After many wasted hours I finally gave in and took the entire top off. Ugh. Replacing the top of a dresser is something I had seen others do, so I decided to give it a try too.
Yes, this dresser was definitely a sight for sore eyes!! I'm so glad I replaced that top.
Replacing the Top of a Dresser - DIY
My original idea for replacing the top of the dresser was to use pine planks. I figured I could just set them close enough to each other to help close any gaps, UNTIL... I found this awesome product at Lowes. Thankfully, I discovered a pine panel that was already jointed together. The only thing needed was to cut it down to size!
- Take pine panel and cut it down to the size you need.
- After the top is cut down to size, stain or paint panel with desired color or stain. I used Dark Walnut stain by Minwax for a dark brown stain.
- Once the stain is dry, apply glue to the dresser and the underside of the new top. Place it on the dresser.
- Once the panel is in place, use a finish nailer to nail all 4 corners to give it added strength. If painting your top panel, you may want to paint after the panel is in place to cover any nail holes.
And here is the final product! I love how rich the top is against the green dresser.
I sprayed the entire dresser and then I used a tintable oil based glaze like this. Glazing is one of my favorite parts of refinishing furniture. It can make or break any piece. And, when done right glaze adds so much depth to a piece by accenting all the details and bringing so much character!
I am so happy with how this dresser turned out! And, replacing the top of a dresser was so much easier than I thought.
Happy DIY-ing!
Brooke
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The Crowned Goat says
I can't believe you have time to paint! This trasformation is fantastic. I hope he's settling in well and the girls are in love.
Laura says
OMG! You just saved me. I have had 2 dressers waiting for tops because I ran into the same problem with laminate tops. I have never seen this product till now!