Skip to main content

FEATURED Blog Post on Hometalk

Walnut MCM Dresser with Warm White Accents

  I am a huge wood grain fan and when I find MCM pieces which usually are walnut wood I am thrilled to give them an update. This 6 drawer dresser did not disappoint. The warm white and wood combo is always a favorite of mine. How about you?

80's Tall Boy Dresser Gets 2020 Update
























This pine dresser style was so popular in the 80's, I myself bought my first bedroom suite in a very similar style. But lets take it out of the 80's ok?


Subscribe to this Blog  Follow me on Instagram 
Follow me on Pinterest ~ Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Hometalk ~ Visit my Etsy Store
Email me

This particular set (there is the long dresser with big mirror and matching nightstand) was super worn after years of use. Just look at the top.


It is a made in Canada product which I always like to find.


As always the first step is to scrub inside and out super clean. I like to use warm soapy water with Dixie Belle white lightening cleaner added then rinsed well with my spray headed water hose.


I wanted to fill in the top groove. I hated this when I had my set too as this "detail feature" just collected dust and bits of whatever. Dixie Belle mud was used with a spatula to fill it all in. Let dry well.


I prefer to sand outside so on a nice winter day here in Canada (plus 5C) I hauled it onto my deck and got busy sanding.

 

My shop dog Harley likes to supervise my progress.


I sanded the entire top right to bare wood and then some to remove all the dings and gouges. 


The drawer fronts were next to be sanded a few days later.


The rest of the dresser body was sanded where needed as well.


There are always a few repairs on furniture pieces. Various sizes of clamps are handy to have.


Pine can bleed thru around the knots, also raw wood accepts paint differently then sealed wood so to alleviate this I used Dixie Belle BOSS. It was brushed over all sanded areas using a Dixie Belle chip brush to provide consistency for the next steps.


The painting steps that is. First coat was applied using a 2" Dixie Belle synthetic brush. The color was Dixie Belle's manatee gray; a light gray.


The next day Dixie Belle's cotton; a fresh crisp white was brushed on using Dixie Belle's oval brush .


Two angles of the first drawer front painted. You can also see more Dixie Belle mud along the back edge. You will see areas that need more once the first coat of paint goes on. This is just fine to apply again as more layers of paint will cover it.


Then the rest was painted the first coat of cotton. To help smooth and blend the paint layers I like to use a Fine Mist Spray Bottle on the surface and oval brush from time to time.

To get the right shades of grey and white, two coats of cotton were applied. To seal these painted layers Dixie Belle flat clear coat was put on using a damp Dixie Belle applicator sponge.



Distressing the edges to reveal the original dark stain with a Dixie Belle sanding sponge adds rustic character. Dark waxes also add to this rustic charm. Once all was sanded and distressed, Dixie Belle's best dang wax in brown and black were brushed on again using a dedicated Dixie Belle chip brush.


I like combining these two colors for added dimension and age to a piece. Above the lower and middle edges are being worked on.


Then the bottom two drawers, this shows how the waxes warm the cool white and underlying grey colors.


The whole dresser is now dark waxed.


A light sanding again with a Dixie Belle sanding sponge followed by another coat of Dixie Belle flat clear coat with the Dixie Belle applicator sponge.


Now to wait for the new hardware to arrive.

Be sure to check out the matching nightstand makeover and the long dresser makeover too.


Super cute satin nickel pulls and matching ring pulls from D Lawless Hardware arrived, yeah!!
You can find more great hardware pieces I have used from them in this lovely article they shared.


They are such a nice weighted hardware and will update this dresser.


see them live


Love the ring pulls too!!


It looks so much better and totally modern farmhouse 2020.




here is a video view of this beauty










I added this adorable shades of grey jewelry box I created using Dixie Belle paints a while back while staging. It is on my Etsy Store if you are interested.
You can also find my chalkboard tutorials here on my blog (this is the green one, the blue will be posted soon) and they too are on my Etsy Store.



Links to Dixie Belle products are for your convenience. My affiliation with this fantastic paint company does not increase prices on your end, your purchases via my links does however provide a small subsidy which allows me to keep providing these tutorials. Thank you!

Shared up at these link up parties

Comments

  1. Su h a great makeover. It was kind of hard to follow the steps but it is 5 in the morning. May be me. Did you wax around the edges before the wax?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Cheryl, sorry you found the steps hard to follow ;( But seeing it is 5 am your time I think your question might be not quite what you meant to ask either?

      Delete
    2. LOL, you are correct. So did you paint 2 full coats of Manatee and then 2 full coats of cotton and then kind of brush them together? That's what it looks like but 2 full coats of cotton ?

      Delete
    3. sorry if my details were not very clear :) I painted a full coat of manatee then 2 coats of cotton. The cotton and manatee were blended around the edges on the 3rd coat (which was cotton) to add shadowing and depth.. and use a mister bottle linked to blend. This paint blends so nicely!!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thank you my friend!! Your support is always appreciated!

      Delete
  3. What an awesome transformation!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment