Art Deco Dresser Makeover

It’s about time for a good ole’ furniture makeover, isn’t it?  I’ve got a really pretty one for you today, friends! A sweet client of mine asked me to makeover a dresser for her son’s bedroom. She requested a two tone look with navy and wood.  One of my favorite combos, and perfect for this Art Deco dresser makeover!

Here is the before.

Before

The dresser was solid, but had some deep damage to the veneer on two of the drawers.  It was also missing two of the original pulls from the top drawer.  Here’s a closer look.

Here is the after.

After

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Materials Used

• General Finishes Milk Paint in “Coastal Blue”
• General Finishes Gel Stain in “Antique Walnut”
• General Finishes Top Coat in Flat
• Brasso metal polish
• Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Gold
• Bondo glazing putty

Steps

The original top drawer was in rough shape with the damage going all the way through the veneer (so I couldn’t refinish it).  So, I did a little switcheroo with the drawers and moved the bottom drawer to the top, and the top drawer to the bottom.  I used wood filler to fill the hardware holes, veneer damage and the horizontal line in the middle in the original top drawer.  I sanded and then applied a coat of Bondo glazing putty to create a smooth finish.  I drilled new holes in the center of the drawer to reposition the existing set of pulls to the middle to match the other three drawers.

I used Citristrip to strip the new top drawer and the top of the dresser.  I let them dry completely, and then gently sanded by hand.  The veneer on this dresser was very thin and I did not want to sand all the way through it. I then applied a coat of Antique Walnut stain to the freshly sanded wood, and let in dry for a couple of days.

I sanded the rest of the dresser and painted it with 2 coats of General Finishes milk paint in Coastal Blue (my all time favorite navy blue).  This paint is so easy to work with and creates such a smooth finish.  You can see some of my other furniture makeovers using Coastal Blue here, here, and here.

I sealed the entire piece with 3 coats of General Finishes topcoat in flat.

I cleaned and polished the hardware with Brasso.  Even after cleaning, the original finish was very worn and uneven, so I applied a coat of Rub ‘n Buff in Antique Gold to even it out.

Aren’t the old trophies fun?  They are from the 1950’s.

Well that’s it for the Art Deco dresser makeover! Have a great weekend.

Susan