apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Just paint or stain them a dark color... I actually like the style to be honest... I like how tall and skinny the dresser is.

I think paint is an obvious choice. A crisp white will definitely clean them up. You can also change out the hardware if you want something more modern -- though that stuff looks pretty good as it is.

Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net

I don't think they're that hideous--both pieces are "clean-lined" whatever that means. Paint them black, (but not shiny black) and swap the hardware.

Paint and new handles. This isn't brain surgery.

I would paint a high satin black color ( can't make out the other colors in the room so not sure black is complimentary..but you can choose a color for you). For the armoire you can go a step further by using a piece of patterned fabric/pattern in the door insets.

I think that Janel's concern might be painting over the particle board with fake wood finish more than anything..

(though that could just be my take as I have a dresser that I hate that's made of the same materials that this post made me think about painting)

Hi there & good for you to be brave enough to try to alter/personalize these mass-prod pieces to your own taste! :) Hooray creativity & elbow grease, boo conformity ;) Maybe try to sand lightly all over with a fine grit sand paper & then stain with a sponge/brush on Minwax Gel Stain in a rich mahogany or deep, dark coffee-tone? Doable for less than $10 I'd say & available at Home Depot or Lowe's. (Be sure to remove knobs/hardware 1st.) Good luck!

I would paint them. And I'd go lighter rather than darker. I think I would go with white. Just make sure you sand them a bit and use primer (I'd get someone at the paint shop to recommend something strong). I'd also change the handles. Something long/linear would be nice. Decide on those first so you can patch the holes left by the current ones if needed before you prime and paint.

Grange has a range of wood pieces painted high gloss black with bright, glossy interiors. To really change the look on that armoire, swap out the hinges as well as the knobs.

i had good luck recently with sanding and painting a 20 dollar abomination of an 'entertainment' unit... i had my brother help me, as he's an artist with a knack for spray paint. he lightly sanded the fake-wood surface just enough to create some traction for the paint (with a fine-grain sandpaper), and spray painted it with a paint that boasts 'adheres to plastic' (since you're not dealing with real wood) with two or three coats. it actually looks really great.

Here is an idea of what you can do with a little bit of patience and imagination:
http://manhattancraftroom.blogspot.com/2008/05/wardrobe-remix.html

Hi,
here is a wonderful makeover that can give you an idea of what to do, if you have the time:

http://manhattancraftroom.blogspot.com/2008/05/wardrobe-remix.html

Decoupage it! You could use any cool paper you wanted -- try Dick Blick, the one on State Street had some cool papers last time I checked. Or an old map, or newspaper even (maybe one in a foreign language) or or or... That's what I would do. Good luck!

I say see how much you can get for them on craigslist! And then see what craigslist has to offer in your newly expanded price range. You can always use boxes or crates for very short term storage.

I think that's a little on the hate-overboard, they aren't that bad! Sure it'd be nice if they were real wood, but I don't know if you even need to paint them. Just get some snazzy new handles and you'll be good to go.

If you decide to paint, you MUST sand and prime it first. I had an "abomination" debacle a few weeks ago and learned the hard way.

Like other have said - Primer and paint.

New handles arent even necessary, you just want to cover up that nasty plastiwood.

I had a friend paint over old dorm furniture. Just make sure you prime it before painting. A white would look good.

I have a similar coming dilemma- inheriting a particle board wardrobe in a new home for a room w/o a closet.

If you don't want to just paint or stain, another option is finding really cute wallpaper and using wallpaper, fabric, craft paper, or stenciling on some portions (like just the sides on the tall&skinnny one). If you hate the look, I'd be as creative as you can- then the pieces will stand out for being so unique. Priming & painting a simple color will help them blend in, but unless you make them something 'new' entirely, you might still think about that faux wood when you walk by.

Thanks for all the input, everyone! Yes, my concern was whether painting over particleboard would work- though it sounds like with some sanding and priming, I shouldn't be so fretful. I'm not sure that a stain would work well on a plastikcy-finished particleboard, so I'll probably go the paint route.

(and thanks for the reassurances that they're not THAT ugly- somehow they photographed well and look better than they do in person. ha.)

I actually stained a laminated dresser with great success. It took about three coats and a lacquer on top. I changed the knobs and I still use it five years later.

I find that darker stain/paint colors tend to be more forgiving than light. And bright colors can get away with a lot too. You don't have to do the same thing to both pieces. The side table can easily turn into a fun accent piece with a punchy color. And for the larger dresser...

...How about going to a print shop that prints large banners and seeing if they have scraps to do to your dresser what this person did to their bed. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-diy-scrap-digital-prints-bed-045601

I think it looks awesome.

Replace the handles...

Paint, they'll look better.

i have successfully painted particle board. sanding can be a disaster, actually because the particle board can end up gunking and flaking. use Bulls Eye Zinsser (spelling?) 1-2-3 primer and let it cure for at least a day before painting. i think using a bright color in high gloss would look great, especially with your new bed!

I wouldn't sand. You need to get a primer which is specifically for partical board, once it is primed you can paint away to your hearts content.

Paint! I'd paint the outside white to complement the simple lines of these two pieces, and then paint the inside of the big cabinet in your most favorite punchy color, hot pink, royal blue, sea green.

What ever will co-ordinate with the rest of your interior. Then just put new handles on and enjoy.

These are classic Shaker shapes, and with Shaker style knobs, they'd be lovely.

I'd paint them an authentic Shaker color (probably each in a different color). You can get paint color ideas from looking at the websites for Hancock Shaker Village or Shaker Workshops:

http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/accounts/28/homepage/

http://www.shakerworkshops.com/catalog/index/shaker-furniture

Shaker furniture was a precursor to a lot of clean, modern design, so even if you make your furniture look "antique" it will blend in with your other things.

But don't paint glossy white or a trendy color -- that just emphasizes that you've DIY'd some big-box stuff.

On the armoire, you might try making it an open bookshelf. Remove the doors and drawers, and place shelves inside. That removes the traditional elements of the woodwork. (That might work with the chest of drawers as well)

You could also cut the inside frame of the doors and replace with clear or frosted glass or another material that fits for your decor.

If this is indeed laminate on particleboard, the best solution for a primer is Kilz. Kinda smelly when working with it but it does a decent job...another route are some of the rustoleum products that are "forumlated" to paint -- and stay -- on a variety of surfaces.

Just a tip I learned from refinishing 2 cheaper veneered pieces of furniture (one was water damaged, so chipped veneer; the other was too light for my room):

Take your time with all of the coats. And, in between, instead of using sand paper, use FINE steel wool instead. It absolutely works so much better than sand paper, which even the finest grains can just be too harsh for thin coats of stain or paint. It's a woodworker's tip I was lucky to hear about and it made ALL the difference (though I only learned about it after the first 2 coats - oops!)

Try contact paper.

I feel like this problem has been posted and addressed plenty of times.

the first thing i thought when i saw your armoire, is...do you have birds? i'm still floored by that armoire that was turned into an aviary!!! there are a lot of good ideas here. i personally would prime them, paint them, and maybe decoupage some areas for personal touches, then change the hardware.

These dressers aren't that bad, they actually have a good amount of potential. There are tons of options but based on the CB2 bed your interested in, I would suggest simply staining them and changing out the handles( or using possibly knobs). That would probably be the easiest and most affordable solution. If you wanted to take it further you could keep the frame and change out the drawers or doors, replacing them with glass doors, mirrored look, fabric . . .

Yeah, I'd paint them with a purpose specific paint in a color that isn't natural at all, but in your general color scheme.
And as suggested by some, perhaps throw in some laminate or (wallpaper?) decoupage on the fronts or sides.