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Budget Friendly Vintage Dresser Makeover

Now that summer is in full swing over here, it's the perfect time for completing those unfinished projects. As part of my daughter's room update, I refinished this budget friendly vintage dresser makeover that turned out so great! Turning old pieces into usable, updated furniture definitely adds character and allows you to repurpose unusable pieces in a room.

Picking a piece of furniture

When looking for a piece of furniture to update, you want to find something with nice quality. Wood veneer is a great option. Stay away from anything with particle or hard board. I lucked out and found this piece at a garage sale for $75. For more instructions on picking a piece of furniture, check out my Furniture e-course. You can sign up for free here

Prep work and painting

I started by removing all hardware and giving this dresser a good sanding, followed by a coat of prime. Then, I spray painted two coats of paint using my Graco sprayer (affiliate link here). If you don't want a paint sprayer I have a great tutorial here on how to hand paint a piece of furniture like a pro!!

I used Benjamin Moore's White Dove latex paint. I chose white because going with a light-colored finish makes the details stand out over a darker finish. White is also an easy neutral color that will still work with her room decor as she grows up. I finished by applying 4 coats of a water based satin polyurethane finish. I also kept the original hardware, but just cleaned it up with a wire brush and some soap and water.

Why paint furniture

When I refinish furniture, like this vintage dresser, I often get asked why I would change the piece and ruin the antique factor by painting it. There are some cases where you may want to leave the furniture as is. However, in most situations I find that I will actually use the furniture if I turn it into something that I like-whether that is changing the color, or the hardware, etc. Painting a piece of furniture can also help all those beautiful details come to life. If you really want details on a dresser to stand out glazing is a great option as well. You can read my post about that here.

Ideas for decorating

A great idea to keep in mind is if you keep your main furniture neutral, then you can accessorize and decorate with color accents, also eliminating costly room redecorating in the future.