Vintage Painting turned Chalkboard with Milk Paint

DIY Furniture Flip: Refinished Solid Maple Dresser in Classic White

In this tutorial, I’m sharing how I completely transformed a solid maple, Canadian-made dresser into a fresh, modern piece that’s both timeless and functional. Originally a tired chest of drawers, this sturdy maple beauty got a full makeover — from sanding and priming to a crisp classic white finish and new stainless steel bar and knob hardware . The result? A clean, elegant dresser with five easy-glide drawers that looks right at home in any bedroom, guest room, or entryway. Follow along to see each step of the refinishing process and how a little paint and hardware can give solid wood furniture a brand-new life.

I purchased this huge print painting for the size and the ornate solid wood frame with the intent to repurpose it into a chalkboard. I had not decided on the color to paint the frame yet but knew it would be a neutral to go in more homes when complete.

First step was to tape off the frame with painters tape and apply 3 coats of Rustoleum's black chalkboard paint.

Seeing I was painting a dining table in a dark grey I decided this frame would be done in the same color. It is Homestead House Milk Paint in Confederate grey. Two coats using my new angled sash Zibra brush, which cut easily into the original gold inner trim perfectly, gave the frame new life.