Old Frame to New Chalkboard

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.

When I purchased this vintage art piece the mirror edging was perfect but somehow in storage 2 sides had cracked, now what?

Well I donned my safety glasses and a few pry tools and snapped these pieces off. 2 sides came of perfect but the other 2 had been reglued in the past with who knows what (black blobs) and were stuck. Eventually I got it all off and disposed of.

To fill the grooved edge they had been applied to I used Country Chic Paint's embossing paste in honey using 3 coats letting dry well between each coat then sanding with a final coat stippled on for a textured effect.

To start the painting process I applied a coat of Old Fashioned Milk Paint in pitch black followed with federal blue while still wet for a mottled look.

The top coat was Homestead House Paint Co. in Loyalist dry brushed over the entire frame including the back side.

The whole frame was sanded smooth to reveal texture and colors then all sides and surfaces sealed with Daddy Vans clear wax followed by their white wax when the clear was dry.

I like to paint my black board surfaces all at once as easier and faster seeing the mini roller zips along. I use Rustoleum chalk board paint rolled on with a mini foam roller and use 4 coats for good coverage.

See the gold frame finished here, a red tray here, and a robins egg blue tray here.