Chalk paint dresser makeover

We have been in our new house for a little over a week now and we knew that one of the first DIY projects we wanted to do was to repaint and re-stain an old dresser my husband had. It was in great shape but I hated the oak wood stain so we gave it a MAKEOVER!

We painted the dresser white with a dark walnut stain on the top. Here are the supplies we used:

• Sandpaper, medium and fine grit
• Electric sander
• Paint brushes
• Rust-oleum Chalked paint in Linen White (30 oz. can)
• Rust-oleum Wood Stain in Dark Walnut (8 oz. can)
• Rust-oluem Matte Clear spray paint
• Polyurethane
• Lint-free rag
• New hardware (knobs and pulls)

Painting with Chalk Paint –

1. First I removed all the hardware (knobs and pulls).
2. Then I sanded all the surfaces I painted, I used medium grit sandpaper and an electric sander for the top of the dresser to remove more of the old stain.
3. After I sanded everything, I wiped down all the surfaces with a damp cloth to remove the dust.
4. Start painting! Painting with the chalk paint is very easy (always brush with the grain). I used three coats paint.
5. Once I was done with all the painting, I lightly sanded the surfaces with the fine grit paper to make sure everything was smooth.
6. I sealed everything with the Rust-oluem Matte Clear spray paint.
7. Once everything dried, I put the hardware back on. We bought new knobs and pulls from Home Depot to better match the new style.

Staining wood –

I followed the directions pretty closely on the Rust-oleum wood stain.

1. I applied the stain using a lint-free rag. I tried using a brush but found the rag was easier to work with.
2. Once the stain had dried for about 4 hours, I applied a polyurethane finish. I did two coats and once each coat had dried, I lightly sanded the wood with the fine grit paper to smooth out the finish.

I’ll be honest, staining the top of the dresser was a difficult task. I had never stained wood before so I really didn’t know what I was doing. It definitely took some trial and error… to say the least.

I love how the dresser turned out! It looks so much better! The stain on the top isn’t perfect, but for my first time staining, I’m pretty happy with how it looks.

We also had two matching nightstands that we painted. For those we painted them all over with Rust-oleum Chalked paint in Country Gray. They look really nice but they are lighter than I was hoping. They match our bedroom’s wall color too closely so unfortunately they don’t pop like I’d like. They look great on their own… maybe down the road I’ll repaint them a darker color.

I already LOVE having a garage! It’s going to become my DIY den. I see so many more projects in my future!

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