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How to Paint a Chevron-Patterned Dresser
Bold Chevron-Painted Dresser in Purples and Pink
Pack some serious visual impact by giving a basic flat-front dresser designer flair with a painted chevron pattern in three, five or seven of your favorite paint colors. In this design from Brian Patrick Flynn, the dresser takes the purple of the wall and the pink from the pillow and combines them with lighter shades of purple for a fun and vibrant accent piece.
Materials Needed:
- chest of drawers with flat, smooth drawer fronts
- electric sander
- sanding pads
- extension cord
- drop cloth
- tape measure
- straight edge
- carpenter's pencil
- painters' tape
- angled paint brush
- paint pan
- roller handle
- roller sleeve
- pan liner
- sketch pad
- detail brush
- latex paint
- primer
- sealant
Choose Proper Drawers
When choosing chests of drawers, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Wood is often the easiest material to work with since it can be sanded and it takes paint easily.
Dresser for DIY Paint Project
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Sand Dresser
Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood, or smooth down any splinters or rough patches found in raw wood.
Sanding a Wooden Dresser
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with a coat of sealant.
Add Primer or Base Color
In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the drawer fronts, sides and top using a paint roller.
Priming a Wooden Dresser Before Painting
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Sketch Chevron Design
Using a carpenter's pencil, create a chevron design on a sketch pad, then note placement of each color with colored pencils. Use the sketch as a guide for placing, tracing and painting the chevron pattern.
Painting tip: When choosing colors for the chevron design, keep in mind that odd numbers work best for visual balance. Three, five and seven are often the most popular number choices for designers.
Brian Patrick Flynn's Chevron Dresser Design
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with a coat of sealant.
Paint for Chevron-Striped Dresser Project
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Mark Your Design on the Dresser
First, mark the center line. Using a tape measure and/or straight edge, mark a vertical line down the center of all drawer fronts with carpenter's pencil. This line will be used as a guide for placing the peaks (top points) and valleys (bottom points) for each chevron.
Mark the thickness. Next, add marks along the edges of drawers to dictate the thickness of each chevron using carpenter's pencil. Use a variety of thicknesses, or measure them so they're all square.
Mark the drop of each chevron. To create your chevron outline, drop down 5 inches from your side marks, making a hash mark on the center line with carpenter's pencil. Next, connect the dots with a straight edge and carpenter's pencil.
Geometric Colorful Dresser Design
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with a coat of sealant.
Use Tape Measure to Mark Dresser
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Marking Painted Wood Dresser
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Tape and Paint the Chevrons
Add painters tape to the outside edges of each marked chevron. Using a paint brush or roller, add color inside of the taped off areas.
Once dry to the touch, reposition tape directly onto the inside edge of the newly painted chevron. Repeat this step until all chevrons have been painted.
Making Sure Chevron Stripes Are Straight
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with a coat of sealant.
Dresser With DIY Chevron Stripes
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Use Painter's Tape for Chevron Stripe Outline
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with a coat of sealant.
Purple Chevron Stripe on Dresser
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Touch Up and Seal Paint
After all tape has been removed, touch up any imperfect areas with a detail brush. Once touch up paint is dry, seal drawer fronts with a single coat of sealant.
Dresser With DIY Chevron Stripes
When choosing chests of drawers to give a chevron makeover, stick with styles that have smooth, flat drawer fronts. Using an electric sander, sanding pads and an extension cord, remove existing finishes from stained or painted wood. In order to ensure the best finish, add two coats of either primer or a base color to the chest of drawers using a paint roller. Then sketch your design with a carpenter’s pencil. Outline your design with painter’s tape, and then apply colorful paint. Repeat until all chevrons have been painted. Seal drawer fronts with s coat of sealant.
Hand-painted Chevron-patterned Dresser
Take a nod from designer Brian Patrick Flynn and jazz up a big box dresser with a colorful chevron pattern.
