How To Sand A Painted Dresser

Learn how to paint any dresser with my tried-and-true method for painting furniture with a beautiful paint finish that will stand the exam of time.

I've been looking for a piece of furniture for a blank wall in our family room for several months. We used to accept our kids' DIY play kitchen there just I'd moved it to my boys' bedroom, leaving a big open up infinite. I stalked Facebook market and Craigslist for several weeks before realizing I already had a slice of furniture stashed away in the basement that just might work.

old cherry dresser before paint

Obviously this dresser is meant to exist bedroom article of furniture; just when I moved it into identify, it was a perfect fit for this space. My favorite matter almost long, depression dressers like this is how well they can work in almost any room as a buffet, a console table, or only extra storage.

This particular dresser was covered in scratches, scuffs, and water rings, only I love the elementary, classic lines.

scratches on cherry dresser

I knew it could exist a cute piece again with a simple paint job.

I'm sharing the steps I used to turn this dresser dorsum into a dazzler with a unproblematic paint job. This same exact method volition work on any type of dresser.

Afterwards painting many different types of furniture and making many mistakes, I have figured out a simple process for ensuring I become a perfect paint finish every fourth dimension. This method works for whatsoever blazon of wood, any blazon of furniture, and even any type of pigment.

And virtually chiefly, it gives a paint finish that will last – fifty-fifty in a business firm with 3 little boys! Because in that location is nothing worse than spending hours painting a slice of article of furniture simply to have it chipped and scratched within weeks.

Also, after several months on hiatus, my fellow Article of furniture Flippers are dorsum in action sharing their own latest furniture DIYs. Yous can detect them all at the lesser of this post.

This post contains chapter links which means if you brand a purchase later on clicking a link I will earn a pocket-sized commission only information technology won't cost you a penny more. Click here to encounter my full disclosure policy.

Materials for painting a dresser

Cleaner – I used Krud Kutter PrePaint Cleaner

Rag or paper towels

Painter's tape (if needed)

Wood filler

220 dust sandpaper

Primer – I love Zinsser Oil-based Primer

Paintbrushes – (it is easiest if you have 2-three unlike paintbrushes, one each for the primer, paint, and sealer)

Foam roller and paint tray

Paint – I used the Dixie Belle paint colors French Linen and Cotton fiber. Whatsoever furniture paint will work including chalk paint and latex paint.

Sealer – I used General Finishes High Operation Peak Coat in Satin

Blue sponge for applying sealer (optional)

How to pigment a dresser

Preparing the dresser

The nigh important part of any furniture painting project is the prep.

Start past removing the hardware and setting it aside. There may be some hardware that isn't removable – keyholes, decorating pieces, or stubborn drawer pulls. You tin carefully cover any hardware that tin can't exist removed with painter'southward tape.

Give your dresser a really good cleaning. As tempting as it may be, don't skip this stride. Any dust, grease, or residue on your dresser volition prevent the paint from adhering.

I like to use Krud Kutter PrePaint Cleaner for cleaning. It's quick, thorough, and doesn't have to be rinsed off. I've also used a elementary mixture of water and dawn dish lather in the past and that also works well.

Once everything is cleaned, exercise a quick assessment of your dresser. Are there cleaved parts that need to exist repaired? Peeling veneer that needs to be removed? If so, make whatsoever necessary repairs.

This is a practiced time to decide what type of hardware you want to use on your dresser in one case it is painted. You don't have to cull the verbal hardware notwithstanding, but y'all need to know if y'all will be able to reuse the holes from the original hardware.

If yous will non be reusing the old holes, fill them with wood filler. At the same time, you tin can also fill any deep scratches and dents with wood filler.

I chose to reuse the hardware for my dresser so I didn't need to fill the holes. There were, even so, circular scratches around each of my drawer pulls, likely from hardware that was used at some point in the past, that needed to exist filled.

preparing dresser for paint with wood filler

Once the forest filler has fully dried, sand it smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. At the same time, you tin can sand any rough spots.

You may need to do a second round of forest filler to get a completely shine surface. So utilize a clean rag to wipe away the dust from sanding.

sanding wood filler smooth

I definitely should accept used a dropcloth for this role!

Priming the Dresser

Once your dresser is prepped for paint, the next footstep is primer.

But expect, why are we using primer? Yous don't need to utilise primer when yous utilise chalk paint!

Well, that is truthful – sort of. Yous do not demand primer to make chalk pigment stick to your furniture. However, primer besides does another of import job when painting furniture: it helps seal in the woods tannins that love to ruin a beautiful paint task.

Have yous ever painted a slice of furniture a beautiful, vivid white but to accept it start yellowing? The bulk of the time, this is caused past wood tannins. Even if the yellowing doesn't testify up until the very last glaze of paint, it's however likely caused by woods tannins.

To prevent this, y'all need to seal in the wood tannins before you kickoff painting. A h2o-based primer will not work for this. There are a couple of products that do work, just past far my favorite is a proficient oil-based primer.

I use Zinsser Cover Stain oil-based primer all the time and it has never failed me. And yes, you tin use any paint over an oil-based primer including latex pigment or chalk pigment.

(Have more primer questions? Primer can be confusing merely it is and so important for a nifty paint cease, so I wrote a guide answering all of the mutual primer questions.)

priming a dresser before painting

I notice it easiest to remove the drawers before priming and painting.

Use a paintbrush to employ primer to detailed areas and hard-to-reach places and and then use a small foam roller to use primer to all of the big, flat surfaces. You lot tin use a paintbrush for the whole thing if yous adopt, but using a roller saves a lot of time and often gives a smoother cease.

dresser with primer

Don't exist alarmed if the primer coat looks really splotchy and bad – that'south totally normal. Once you add paint, it volition starting time to wait much better.

Since we are using an oil-based primer, you lot will demand to clean your paintbrush using mineral spirits. You cannot clean oil-based products with water. If you become some on your skin, I have found that baby oil or an oil-based facial cleaner work well to help wash them off.

Painting the dresser

Finally it is time for the paint! As I mentioned before, you can really use any type of paint using this method. Plain latex paint will piece of work just fine, as will chalk paints and other specialty article of furniture paints. (If you lot desire a bit more guidance on which paint to use, I have a whole post nearly the best paints for piece of furniture.)

For this dresser I used Dixie Belle chalk paint. I've used many brands of chalk paint, merely this was my first time using Dixie Belle and I really liked information technology. It went on smoothly and covered well.

I had a really hard fourth dimension choosing a color for my dresser. I knew I wanted to use a light, bright color since it would be in a room that doesn't go a lot of natural light. Simply I didn't want to paint it white since it would exist confronting a big white wall. I ended up making a custom colour by mixing the Dixie Belle colors French Linen and Cotton. Information technology'south a putty/greige color and is a slap-up low-cal, neutral color that still stands out against all the white.

painting a dresser

You lot can use your paint the same style you did the primer. Use a paintbrush for edges and small details and a foam roller to paint the large, flat surfaces. You will probably need two coats of paint to get even coverage.

Sealing the dresser

Sealing your painted furniture is ane of the most important things you lot can practise to make sure your paint terminate lasts. (I learned this lesson the hard way!)

Furniture painted with latex paint and chalk paint always demand to be sealed. There are some other awesome furniture paints out there that claim they practice not have to be sealed. And they don't. Nonetheless, they will terminal much longer with a good sealer on pinnacle.

A good sealer or top coat volition protect your cute paint finish from scratches, chips, scuffs, and stains. Sealers too protect your paint finish from water and create a surface that is easy to clean.

My favorite sealer to utilize on painted furniture is Full general Finishes Loftier Performance Top Coat. It is like shooting fish in a barrel to apply, holds upwardly well, and works well over all types of paints and sealers. (Want to see more options? Check out my guide to the best and worst sealers for painted furniture.)

I typically apply my sealer using a expert, quality paintbrush. This fourth dimension I decided to endeavour something different.

I used the Dixie Belle blue sponge applicator and I'1000 a large fan. The sealer went on incredibly smoothly with absolutely no brush marks. I will definitely be using this again in the future. (I don't recommend a roller for applying sealers; they sometimes leave behind air bubbles and information technology is generally harder to get a smooth finish.)

Replacing the hardware

In one case the sealer is fully dry out, you can gently add your drawer pulls and other hardware. Yous can also remove the painter'southward tape from whatever hardware that couldn't exist removed. Exist very conscientious removing the painter's tape because information technology is easy to accidentally pull off some of the paint equally well. If yous have a stubborn piece of tape that seems sealed in identify, advisedly use a razor blade or other sharp surface to cut around the edge where the painter'south tape meets the painted surface earlier removing the tape.

For my own dresser makeover, I chose to reuse the hardware it came with. I kind of liked the simple shape and of course, not needing to buy new hardware was a money-saver.

I did give them a chip of an update though. I dry-brushed the hardware with DecoArt Metallics champagne gold paint. This is ane of my favorite gold paints considering it is very subtle and not too flippant.

painting dresser hardware

To utilize the paint, I dipped a clean rag lightly into the paint then wiped off whatever excess before lightly dabbing it onto the hardware. The original blackness still shows through merely I call up the touch of gold gives just the right corporeality of smoothen and style.

dresser with painted hardware dresser keyhole updated with gold paint Be extra gentle with your dresser for the first several weeks after yous finish painting it. It typically takes paint 21-30 days to fully cure or harden. During those first few weeks, it is especially easy to accidentally scratch the paint finish, even afterwards using a practiced sealer.

Painted Dresser Reveal

And here's how my sweet little dresser looks now:

painted dresser before and after

double box dresser painted with neutral paint

I admittedly love how this painted dresser turned out. The simple, fresh paint really accentuates the classic lines and shape. And the color is the perfect not-white neutral.

painted dresser in living room

At beginning I was planning to hang a mirror over the dresser, but when I tried information technology, the dresser/mirror combination was giving off really strong sleeping room vibes. Not what I was going for.

Instead I hung this pretty painting I constitute at a yard sale and a brass moving picture low-cal over it. I dear this combo and I think it definitely helps the dresser look right at home in our family unit room.

painted dresser in the family room

More Furniture DIYs

Set to see what my boyfriend Furniture Flippers are up to this calendar month? Just click the links below to visit each furniture DIY.

Chalk Pigment Furniture Before and Afterwards past Thirty Eighth Street

How to Make a Headboard with Caning past Refresh Living

How to Whitewash Wood by Repurpose and Upcycle

How to Pigment a Dresser by Lovely, Etc. (you are here)

tips for how to refinish and build furniture from the furniture flippers

I'd honey for y'all to pin this post on Pinterest!

how to paint a dresser

Materials

Cleaner
Rag or newspaper towels
Painter's tape
Woods filler
220 dust sandpaper
Oi- based primer
Paint
Sealer
Bluish sponge for applying sealer

Tools

Paintbrushes
Foam roller and paint tray

Instructions

Remove the hardware and set information technology aside.
Give your dresser a skilful cleaning with Krud Kutter PrePaint Cleaner.
Make whatever necessary repairs to the dresser.
Use wood filler to fill in any holes. Polish with sandpaper.
Prime the dresser with Zinsser Cover Stain oil-based primer using a paintbrush for pocket-size areas and a foam roller for large areas.
Begin painting by using a pigment brush for edges and small details, and a foam roller for large, flat surfaces.
Allow paint to dry and add a second coat.
Use a sealer using a good, quality paintbrush, or with a sponge applicator.
Once sealer is dry, add the drawer pulls and hardware.