The top was in rough shape....someone has refinished it before what it seemed like some sort of lacquer that was very hard to sand down with my orbital sander....it was also previously sanded by a very low grit sandpaper which meant there were deep scratches in it...

Also had some nail polish on it just for some artistic touch...

The first step is always sanding. I went ahead and used 110, 180, 220 and finall 320 sandpaper. I tell ya This one put up a fight!!! I used much more paper on the top than I usually do because it just didn't want to come off also the deep scratch from a previous sanding job was very hard to get out.

These dressers are covered with thin wood veneer and there is only so much sanding you can do before you strip the veneer.

Unfortunately there were some spots where I stripped the veneer with sanding... but not to panic I always have a plan B.

Once I was done sanding the top of the dresser I was left with stripped veneer and some sort of oily stain (yuk). Since I knew black is going to be my accent color on this dresser I used the same paint and painters tape to strategically cover those spots...I chose vertical stripes.

I also wanted to add just a touch of gold to brighten up the piece. The rest of the dresser (doors and sides) had the original finish on it, so it was much easier to sand those. Once everything was sanded I applied minwax penetrating stain and let it cure for a day or two.

Once the stain cured ( follow directions on the can) I applied semi gloss polycrylic clear coat with a brush that is used for gloss and satin finishes. You can find that info on the brushes themselves.

Once it was all done it was time to stage, take pictures and list it on the marketplace

If you like this transformation follow me on Instagram @andreapalmai for real time projects, tips and tricks.