Refinishing kicking my ....Dresser to media center

Mike Ramsey
by Mike Ramsey
I rescued the dresser from the curb side garbage with the idea to refinish and repurpose as a gift (media center) to my daughter moving out tomorrow. Top drawer, changed to flip down front with side pullout rails (instead of old single center slide). The two bottom drawer fronts are merged and cut down the middle for form two open wide doors with hidden hinges. The issue, a TBI and dementia have stolen the knowledge I used to have and my wallet is too thin for the tools I need. I have re-done the doors 5 times, but can't get them flat and even like a door. Also, I am painting most of the unit teal with the top , drawer, and bottom trim stained with some teal highlights, but the highlights look gray rather than green/blueish. Any help greatly appreciated.
  3 answers
  • Roxaneg Roxaneg on Sep 30, 2017

    Is it that the doors don't match up and stay closed? If that's the case, I would use magnets to hold the doors closed and to keep them even.


    Have you considered metallic paint highlights? Is the teal paint soaking into the wood and dulling the finish?


    When something isn't going exactly how I imagined it with paint, I sometimes soften the main color with gray or white to soften or create a lighter or related shade that matches up.

  • Robyn Garner Robyn Garner on Oct 01, 2017

    I think I understand the problem to be that the doors aren't closing flat.

    If that is the case, you can fine tune them by adjusting the hinges inside.

  • Sharon Sharon on Oct 01, 2017

    Did you remove the interior drawer slides, and cross pieces so it doesn't hold the doors out? Do you need to chisel out the area for the hinges on the sides?

    Thats a really bright teal, I would say do the highlights in metallic paint or add some pearl powder to some of your paint. https://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Products-Powdered-Pigments-Emerald/dp/B0037FMPT4/ref=pd_sbs_201_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P9H9VCV33WMVDD6DNBWA they have blues too.