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Health & Fitness

Urban Renewal: Check Out My Drawers

I turned a $30 dresser into a more fitting piece for our guest room.

When we first moved into our house, I still had many of those plastic Rubbermaid drawers that are perfect for moving from place to place in college. Those drawers were so durable; they lasted through a cross-country move and then finally to our home. They housed old T-shirts and swimsuits in the guestroom until I decided that the guest room needed a grownup makeover.

Drawers are really expensive. After consulting the Internet, I realized I could buy a used dresser and then dress it up to my own preferences. I picked up this dresser for $30 and I had plans for it before I even saw it. HB thought I was out of my mind when I brought it home.

I did a ton of research on how to paint furniture and was finally ready to start my project. I removed the knobs from the front of the drawers, and then used an orbital sander to eliminate the black coat of paint. I was surprised to discover an olive-green coat of paint followed by a coat of white underneath. I kept wondering what this dresser’s story was.

After I removed as much of the old paint as I could, I was finally ready to give it a new life. I also made sure to wipe down the drawers to make sure there was no dust left over from the sanding process. Leaving the dust might give it a less-than-perfect finish. I then painted all surfaces with two coats of oil-based primer. I used a paint brush and if I did it again I would probably use a roller because you can still see some of the paint brush lines—but not too terribly. I know they are there but it is because I am just crazy like that.

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After applying the primer and letting it dry for a few hours, I was ready to paint the dresser its new color. I chose a deep chocolate brown that coordinated with the bedding. I used a semi-gloss interior latex paint that I picked up at the hardware store. After I finished painting, it was starting to get dark and I left them outside to dry overnight. It wasn’t going to rain and I didn’t want to bring the paint fumes into the house. This is where I should have listened to my instinct: The next morning the dresser and its drawers were COVERED in pollen and the plastic tarp I was using was now stuck to one of the drawers.

In order to get back to a smooth, pollen-free surface, I lightly sanded (120 grit sandpaper) the surfaces and applied another coat of paint. This time I brought them into the basement to dry. I let them dry for a whole week before I brought the dresser up to its new home and put in the drawers. I wanted to make sure that the paint was totally dry because I was worried that the drawers might get stuck closed if the paint was still a little tacky. For the knobs, I found some really great ones at Anthropology; they bring some extra interest to the dresser and I just love the teal color.

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After living with it for a few weeks, I am thinking of adding a stenciled image in teal to the drawers or sides—I just haven’t decided yet. All in all, a pretty easy upgrade to the guest room.

Tools used:
• Random Orbital Sander: I started with 60 grit and finished with 120 grit sandpaper
• Oil-Based Primer: I used Kilz
• Latex Semi-Gloss Paint: Semi-gloss gives it a little bit of sheen
• Paint Brush

Lessons Learned:
• Even if you do thin coats with a paintbrush, there might be a little bit of paintbrush line when finished. 
• If you are painting outside and there is a tree nearby, you might just get leaves and pollen stuck to your project. Be careful to monitor how your project is drying. 
• A little bit of paint and new hardware can really change the look of furniture and in turn change the look of a room.
• Let the furniture dry for as long as you can stand. You don’t want it sticking to anything when it's brought to its final place. 
• Oil-based primer does not come off easily. To remove oil-based primer from brushes, use mineral spirits (very smelly stuff) or use a brush you dont care about and toss it after. I hear that olive oil will also take oil-based primer off skin.

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