A project in up-cycling! This ‘had better days’ dresser was one car ride away from being thrown into the many Goodwill furniture piles.
The top was already so scuffed and peeling, it was a perfect candidate for a DIY revamp! Honestly, the only offensive part about this dresser was that it was dated because everything else could be overlooked. It was made of solid wood, dovetailed drawers, beautiful curves and has maintained it’s shape (no warping). Someone in my neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook group was just giving it away! I see these diamonds in the rough all the time. Maybe you do too? An old piece from mom’s house or a neighbor’s give away pile at their garage sale.
The key in this project is juxtaposition- pairing new and modern touches to the existing old dresser shape. Paint and new knobs go a long way!
Do you have a great old piece (even better if it has sentiment) that you’re thinking could use some up cycling? Check out my tutorial for revamping a piece in 5 steps!
2 coats of grey and new handles from Anthropologie
*scroll to see the ‘before’ process photos