I saved this mid century Drexel dresser from the Habitat for Humanity Restore shop. The veneer was peeling, and the legs had some damage to them. But it was an otherwise beautiful piece of furniture. In this post I’ll explain how I did this mid century dresser makeover!
Fix the Damage
First, I needed to fix the damaged areas. On one side, some of the veneer had peeled completely off, so I used wood filler to fill in the gaps and level things off. I also went over it with a sanding pad to help make the surface level for painting.
A couple of the drawers had veneer peeling on the edges, so I used wood glue to put it back into place. The veneer was also peeling on the bottom of one of the sides, so again, I used some wood glue and a clamp to put it back together.
There were a few scratches on the dresser top, which I used wood filler for, too.
Both back parts of the legs were pretty significantly damaged, so I did some repairs on both of them. Since the legs need to be sturdy, I used Bondo to reshape them. One of the legs had a metal foot loosely joined to it, so I removed it. Then I applied a couple of layers of Bondo to each of the damaged areas. Once fully dry, I sanded them down to shape them into how they should look. They weren’t perfect, but with a coat of paint, no one would know otherwise!
I had never used Bondo before on a furniture project. It comes in this container and you have to scoop some of it out and add a little bit of activator from a tube to the stuff that you want to apply. Mix it well, and then use the spatula to carefully shape it into place. It stinks horribly, but I felt it would be more durable than wood filler, to hold the entire dresser up. It also sanded down quite easily, so that I could make it fit the natural shape of the dresser leg.
Paint It Up
I took out the drawers so I had just the dresser base. With Rustoleum Charcoal Chalk Paint, I painted the entire thing. I used a small roller to apply the paint, because I wanted to minimize brush strokes. It took two layers, and it was pretty well covered.
I went over it with a Matte Clear Top Coat, to protect the piece.
Sand and Stain the Drawers
The drawers were in overall pretty good shape. I lightly sanded the finish off of the drawer fronts. Then, I applied some beautiful Minwax Jacobean stain. Once this was dry, I applied a glossy Varathane Polyurethane. I tried adding mineral spirits and applying it as a wipe on, but the wood was so absorbent, it would have taken too many layers to build up to what I wanted. So I just applied the poly full strength with a brush.
To keep the stain and poly from getting onto the rest of the drawer, I taped off the front section.
Freshen Up the Hardware
Lastly, the hardware needed a little bit of help. I soaked them in a mixture of water, soap and vinegar. Then I scrubbed and wiped them off. I used some gold spray paint to brighten them up a bit. Oooh, shiny!
Putting it All Together
I put the drawers back in, and reassembled the hardware. There it is, so handsome! The mid century dresser makeover was complete!
Looking for more furniture makeover inspiration? Check out a couple of my other projects while you’re here!
DIY Bench Makeover
Mid Century Farmhouse Dresser Makeover
