Though painted furniture isn't everyone's cup of tea, it is makeovers like this that demonstrate why this technique is so popular. This yard sale find with fabulous curves was transformed with a little elbow grease, some leftover paint, and a mix of old and new hardware.
We have written about Sarah's magic touch wth paint before (Sarah's Delightful Dresser Redo); now we're starting to wonder how she has so much luck finding dressers with such appealing lines. From the curvy front legs to the keyholes in the drawers, this piece just cries out for attention. The white paint and slight distressing make all the difference to this dresser, which looks fabulous in its new home.
Oh, and that tufted headboard you see in the mirror? Sarah and her sister made that too! For more pictures of the dresser transformation and for other great projects, check out Sarah's blog Hart's Desire.
Image: Photos by Sarah at Hart's Desire.
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
Party Recipe: Creamy Crawfish Dip
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
What do you mean, meh? This is exactly what I want for my daughter's room.
what does she mean, meh? she means she's one of the increasingly hypercritical commenters on this site. you know the type... they like the fugly before kitchen better than the after and can't stand ikea anything, under any circumstances. i think that dresser would be delightful in a girl's room even if it isn't what i'd want in mine :)
I'm always impressed by someone DIY'ing furniture, even if it isn't my style. This reminds me of the dresser I had as a little girl. :)
I like mismatched the drawer pulls. Makes a big piece of furniture like a dresser look less fussy and formal...more playful.
People who "meh" at other people's efforts pretty much cancel themselves out. Get some class.
That dresser does have incredible lines! I used to do these kinds of remakes and sell them on the craft show circuit, but after moving to Alabama -- boy, all I can find here is junk! Makes me jealous when I see all the great Craigslist finds in Chicago, NY, Denver, etc.
Nice work, Sarah!
Pretty!
The photographer did a great job of capturing the bed's headboard in the mirror. I like the way it helps you mentally place the dresser in the room's context.
I think the meh comes from the uneven lines of what might be beat-up drawers. A darker color might have hidden it better. I find my eyes drawn to those uneven areas between the drawers and the framing, and for me, I'd have gone with a darker color.
I have that same dresser. :) Handed down from my great grandmother. But my finish is still in really good condition. I still even have the original little key for it.
Very pretty. Love the different knobs and handles.
i have this SAME EXACT DRESSER! purchased for $50 on CL a few years ago, and my dad refinished it for a wedding gift.
we put really modern hardware on it.
it actually came with a mirror, but the stand for it was shoddy at best, so we ditched it.
it looks great, but i prefer ours refinished to the original color of the wood.
Why do things need to be "distressed"?
I think I'd like it better if it weren't distressed and had matching handles - but to each their own...
I like it!
With the distressing it looks so much like the shabby chic stuff that was so popular in the late 90's/early 2000s. It seemed like every flea market you went to those days, half the booths were filled with old mahogany furniture that had been painted white, then someone had taken sandpaper and a hammer to it. Just need a bunch of prefaded pink chintz to complete the look.
That's the after? Sorry. I would have picked that white dresser up at a yard sale to refinish. I'm not into the shabby look at all.
rad dresser. i like the lines. while not entirely opposed to "distressed" furniture, i prefer original pieces that actually show the test of time versus forcing something into looking... well, unauthentic. the white paint doesn't bother me, but find the sanding unnecessary. that said, it does look a lot better, good job!
Pretty!
It's pretty, but I agree that the distressed look isn't necessary (though the jagged lines from compressing the picture doesn't help). And I'm not keen on the pulls ont he middle drawer. Mismatched pulls yes, those particular ones, no.
Once I go through the process of putting a really great paint finish on a piece of furniture, I can't make myself take a chain and a piece of sandpaper to it!
Hi, I'm not interested in the dresser (sorry!), but I would LOVE to know what color paint that is on the wall in the "after" photo. Thanks!
I like it. I am thinking of asking all of you for suggestions on what to do (paint or not) for a mid-century dresser I bought recently.
I am going to take a photo and submit it and appreciate all of your suggestions.
Yay!
this is very well done, i'm not a fan of mismatched knobs personally the top two drawers are fine with the smaller knobs but the bottom drawers.. it just feels odd to me. other than that it's a beautiful redo and i like the shabby distressing so i'm all for that!
and your other dresser redo.. *swoon* I love that!
@ BrieBrie, I'm in the same boat. I've got a vintage sewing table I picked up at a thrift store (w/ the sewing machine long gone). It was painted white (very badly) but the beautiful finish is visible in a few places. Still, I'm not sure if I'm up for restoring it or if I should just give it a better paint job.
I hate it! Just MHO!