Dresser Makeover in Vintage Green Paint

Lora Bloomquist
by Lora Bloomquist
4 Materials
$100.
10 Hours
Medium

These beautiful old dressers are so well made; they deserve to be made over to enjoy another generation. With some vintage green milk paint and some vintage tin, this old girl got the makeover she deserved. From the inside out, this one's refreshed and renewed!

Don't you just love the old handkerchief drawers on top? I started this refresh by taking all the drawers out, taking the hardware off, and giving the whole piece a sanding down with 100 grit in my palm sander. Smooth out all the bumps and dings 100 years have put on the piece.

These old joints are so pretty; they don't make them like this anymore! I decided to just give the handkerchief drawers a coat of satin poly so the beautiful wood could shine. I like the paint/wood combo on a piece; best of both worlds. A whole wood piece can look too dark for my house, so I compromise and do a bit of both.

To add another vintage texture, I scrubbed up this vintage ceiling tin panel. We cut it to fit into the side panels. But before nailing in, I needed to paint the body of the dresser.

I brushed on 2 coats of Miss Mustard Seed's Luckett's Green all over the body and on the drawers. I added 2 more coats of Miss Mustard Seed's Layla's Mint over the drawers for a tone-on-tone effect. I wanted the darker Luckett's to be seen behind the lighter Mint.

When this type of paint dries, it often bubbles and cracks. With some 220 grit sandpaper, I sanded off those spots and distressed. The result is a very original-looking vintage paint effect. I sealed the paint by wiping a coat of hemp oil over the whole piece. It replenishes the wood and seals.

We nailed the old tin ceiling pieces into the side panels with little nails around the edges. Then I gave it a brushed on layer of polyurethane to seal in any chippiness or lead-based paint. It also brings out the patina of the pretty metal.

The antique hardware was luckily still in great shape, so it simply got put back on. I loved how it showed it's age. For a little update, I replaced the old small glass knobs on the handkerchief drawers for new larger ones. They give the old drawers a little more presence and gives a small update.

Ready for the full makeover reveal? You can see it in our spring decorated bedroom HERE.

This vintage girl is ready for a new century! The beautiful spoon-carved details really pop with the new paint job. There's enough of the old still showing to appreciate it's history, but plenty new for a fun refreshing look! If you love the character of old furniture and it's hardware, pop on over to my blog for tips on how to creatively use vintage hardware. You can find it HERE.

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Lora Bloomquist
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  3 questions
  • Machelle Graham Machelle Graham on Feb 16, 2020

    Not about this project, although I plan on doing it. I love the job you did on it. I wanna know about the wall behind it. Did you do it or was it already there. I would love to be able to treat a room in my house to that.

  • Molly Molly on Feb 16, 2020

    I love this dresser, the tin tile is brilliant-but I ALSO love the wall behind and would love to know if you hand painted it or stenciled it maybe?

  • Annie Annie on Feb 18, 2021

    Love the tin tile can you tell me what you did to that

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