before & after

I found this dresser at a yard sale years ago. Since then, Jeff and I have used it our own bedroom just the way we found it. It's a great piece of furniture...timeless design and LOTS of storage. But when we moved into our new home, we realized we no longer needed it. So, it was time to give it a fresh look to sell it to someone else who will enjoy it as much as we have. The first thing I wanted to tackle was the laminate top the previous owner had put on it. I feared the damage underneath might be too much to fix, but it turned out to be nothing more than a shallow scratch that measured less than 2 inches long and a half-inch wide. The glue was the toughest part. To get it off, I used a lot of elbow grease, goo-be-gone and a sander.

Next, Jeff spray painted the dresser with a primer, then off-white paint. (he's a much better spray painter than me... he has patience.) I then sanded the edges and finished it with a dark coat of stain that I applied and wiped off. Here is a look at the "upcycled" piece: