Tan Wash Dresser Makeover

Furniture can come from some interesting sources. This dresser belonged to my wife’s ex husband and he just wanted to get rid of it. Hey if it’s free it’s for me!

Seven drawer oak dresser before the makeover.

Materials and Tools Used in this Project

Krud Kutter
SurfPrep 3”x4” Electric Ray Sander
Riobi Hand Planner
Riobi Drill
Makita Jig Saw
Graco TrueCoat 360 Variable Speed Sprayer
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint - Stone Lion Matte
Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane, Matte - Water Based
Dixie Bell Big Mama’s Butta

Preparation

Different day, same drill. Check for needed repairs, clean, sand. I use Krud Kutter to clean any piece of furniture I refinish. It removes just about anything.

Other than normal wear and tear, the dresser was in pretty good shape. I was going to be able to sand out any of the scratches and small gouges that were there. The images above do illustrate what I did need to take care of. The sides of the top were worn down and worn down differently. So I decided to sand down the sides of the top to give them an even bevel from end to end. Once I was done you would never know they weren’t there in the first place.

Lets Modernize the Base

One thing I knew I was going to do ight off the bat was to modernize the base.

I wanted to cut out all of the curly q’s and straighten it up. I had never done this before and I knew if I messed this up I was in trouble. But you have to keep learning new skills and techniques. So I measured where I wanted to cut it off, taped it off using painters tape so I could use that as a guide. And started cutting.

Slow and steady. In one place I did cut a little higher than the tape so I had to get out my hand planer and smooth it all out. But it came out exactly how I expected it to.

Ready for Tan Wash

So the dresser and drawers were all sanded down to bare wood and tan washed using Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint, color Stone Lion in a matte finish. I mixed the wash using one part paint and four parts water. I just used one of my cheaper brushes to brush it on then wiped it back using shop towels.

Spraying Topcoat

I let the tan wash dry for 24 hours and then started spraying the topcoat. I used Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane which is a water based product in a matte sheen. I applied three coats allowing each coat to dry a couple of hours before applying the next coat. I also sanded lightly with a 220 grit sanding block between coats. I let the final coat dry for 24 hours and then rubbed it all down with a piece of brown paper bag. This is probably the equivalent of using 1000 grit sandpaper. It tends to give it a nice, buttery finish.

Putting on New Hardware

Before I put on the new hardware, I used Big Mama’s Butta to rejuvenate the drawers. I rubbed it on the sides and the inside of the drawers. I really enhances the wood grain and neutralizes any lingering odors. For this project I used the orange grove scent. Now its time to put on the new hardware.

And I thought this was going to be the easy part. Let this be a lesson to all of you reading this; if you have different size drawers and you intend to use the same holes, measure each different size drawer. I made the mistake of only measuring one of the long drawers which measured 3 inches between the two holes. The shorter drawers measured 2 1/2 inches between the two holes. I found this out a little late when I started to attach the 3 inch drawer pulls I ordered to one of the smaller drawers. My initial reaction was not pretty. The company that I bought the pulls from did not make them for 2 1/2 inch spacing. So off to Home Depot and of course they did not have any pulls in both configurations so then off to Lowe’s which had only one black pull that came in both 2 1/2 inches and 3 inches. Thank goodness Home Depot and Lowe’s are pretty close. I will use the ones I ordered on some other project.

Stunning

This dresser makeover is my most favorite project so far. The tan wash with the matte finish gives it a bit of coastal vibe I think. Would love to hear from anyone who reads the blog what you think of how this turned out.