Two-toned Facelift

4 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Medium
What can you do to update a fabulous old dresser? Give it a facelift!
Before
My friend had been given this dresser by her mother and it had served her well for many years but it was looking a little tired and in need of some love! She asked me if I could help her out and I was so happy to do so and be trusted with such a beautiful piece of furniture history! We discussed what look my friend was hoping for and decided to go with a two-toned look! The results were better than either of us had hoped for!
This is the top of the dresser...it was in pretty used and tired condition! Fortunately, with some sand paper (150 grit) and my hand-held palm sander, I was able to get this old finish off with a little bit of old-fashioned elbow grease!
Here is the dresser sanded and ready to be taken inside! I used my palm sander for the top,the sides and the drawers to prep it for a new finish. The other parts, that were to be painted, received a light scuff sanding with 220 grit sandpaper by hand. My cat was thinking it already looked better!
For the bulk of the project, we had decided on staining it dark. I went with General Finishes Java Gel Stain and applied it with a lint-free rag. I applied this to the top, the drawers and the side panels of the dresser.
After the stain had dried overnight, it was time to tape off those areas so that I could paint the "body" of the dresser! I prefer to use Frog Tape as it is very good at keeping paint from seeping under the edge. Another trick to keeping paint from seeping under your tape is to dry brush the edge of what you are painting and the edge of the tape and let that dry for a few minutes - it will seal the edge and keep everything clean!
My friend and I decided to keep it classic and went with General Finishes Milk Paint in Antique White. The result really is beautiful! These older pieces have such quality workmanship that is difficult to find in modern made furniture.
After
Isn't she a stunner! My friend was so pleased and I was blessed to be a part of giving this dresser with all its fabulous lines and hardware, new life!
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  • Mary K Ross Mary K Ross on Nov 23, 2020

    Really nice job? Did you use any kind of top coat? Especially over the milk paint? Thanks

  • Sue Cook Sue Cook on Jan 26, 2021

    If this piece is in a bathroom, do I need to seal the piece over the gel stain and milk paint?

    thank you, your piece is gorgeous!

  • Lolliepop Lolliepop on Jan 27, 2021

    Hello, I have a piece that is very similar, old antique but with a type of vaneer on the wood that is pealing off which makes the wood totally not match in color if it's completely pealed off the top. Would you recommend sanding off the complete piece then doing something like you did to that one? What ideas would you do to make it a beautiful useful piece? We currently use it in our bedroom for clothing storage.

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