Dresser How-To

So as promised here's how I rehabbed the dresser from last week.

I used:

An Electric Sander (1/3 Sheet Sander)

Primer

Semi-Gloss Paint

I always buy quality primers and paints. I've used the cheaper kinds I really I just end up doing more coats which equals more work. So if you're lazy like me buy quality.

First I removed the knobs, the stickers and sanded it all over. For the little nooks and crannies I got in there with my hand and a small piece of sand paper. When I sand I use a mask. It sucks to inhale that stuff.

If I were going to take it down to wood and stain the piece it would involve a tremendous amount of sanding. For painting I just do a once over on all surfaces.

After sanding I take a damp rag and go over the piece and get all that dust up. Then I used wood filler on the drill holes I wasn't going to use for the handles. I also filled in some dents that looked like someone took a hammer to the lower left door. Anger issues much? When that dries I sand the filler down.

Next Primer! I did two coats. For the nooks and crannies I used a teeny tiny paint brush and a roller for everything else.

Then the paint. Again I used a small paint brush and a roller. This color is Benjamin Moore's "Raccoon Fur". Dan from Manhattan Nest used it in his bathroom and I knew I wanted to use the color on a project.

The paint took about four coats until I was completely satisfied. The thing with semi-gloss is that it will show EVERY little flaw. So be sure to sand and use wood filler because it will show.

So if you're not OCD like me you stop here and enjoy your newly painted piece, but not I. This is the part where I got out my Blue Painter's Tape and went to work.  You can click on the above image to see it bigger. I taped off the detail on each drawer and then decided to mimic that same octagon/rectangle (what is that shape called?) on the top to give it that nice extra detailing.

For this I used a semi-gloss white. When you tape off something a little tip to have crisp lines is to go over the tape with the first color, in this instance the gray, that way you've created a seal between the tape and the dresser so the white won't bleed (supposedly).

It turned out better than when I did the headboard with the same detailing but wasn't fool proof. So after Two coats of the white trim I pulled of the tape (the truly satisfying part of painting) and fixed some bleeds with the teeny tiny paintbrush. It's not perfect but it's finished!.