Yard Sale Furniture Repurposed: Dresser

HGTV Magazine gives tips for jazzing up an old, worn-out dresser.

By Ellen Goldberg
Courtesy of HGTV Magazine Subscribe Now
Filed under: Dressers, How To

Lara Robby/Studio D

Materials Needed:

fine, medium and coarse sandpaper
water-based primer
paintbrush

satin latex paint
screwdriver
dresser knobs or pulls

Prep It

Remove the drawers from the dresser and set them aside. Starting with the coarsest sandpaper and working to the finest, sand the frame until it's smooth and the shine from the varnish is dull.

Prime and Paint

Prime and let dry, then lightly go over the dresser with the fine sandpaper to smooth out any visible brushstrokes.

Paint the frame; you may need two or three coats. We used Blond Wood by Benjamin Moore.

Replace the Hardware

Unscrew the existing hardware from the drawers. If the drawer fronts are scratched or scuffed, buff them with extra-fine-grade steel wool and use a rag to apply a stain (try Minwax Wood Finish). Fill in any remaining marks or dings with a wood-stain marker, like Miller's Scratch Fix. Screw in the new hardware. We used ceramic knobs in ivory, $11 each, restorationhardware.com.

For more tips, check out Decorating on a Budget: Thrifty Finds Transformed