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Sunday, February 21, 2016

Goodwill Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover



Happy Monday!

Did you all have a good weekend?  I'm fighting a nasty head cold, but I did manage to wrap up my Mid Century Modern dresser makeover and work on a 2x4 project for an upcoming challenge/round up.

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!
I picked up this beauty from our local Goodwill for $15.00.  It was tucked away in the corner with it's drawers wrapped with painters tape.   As I walked over I secretly hoped it was 1. affordable and 2. smoke free.  I got a little giddy when I noticed the $15.00 price tag, but it still had to pass the smoke test.  You bet I removed the tape, opened the drawers and took a big whiff.  It was not only free from smoke, but the drawers were clean and in great condition. To say I was excited about this MCM dresser and the possibilities of a great makeover would an understatement.  

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A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!


A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern Makeover
The top had some deep scratches, so my plan was to refinish the dresser with a deeper, darker stain.  I already had Minwax brand furniture refinisher, so I decided to give it a try first.   I waited for a nice day, got in my painting clothes, turned on Luke Bryan and got down to work.
A $15.00 Mid Century Modern Goodwill find gets a beautiful makeover!
The layer of clear coat came off nicely and I was feeling pretty confident that I would be able refinish this piece.  After I had all the clear coat removed I sanded the entire piece with fine grit sandpaper then wiped it clean.  I tested a spot with my stain and it was a total FAIL!  The wood only absorbed the stain in a few spots and it was super blotchy.  

Since I was dead set on refinishing the dresser I ran out and picked up Citristrip and Mineral Spirits to see if they would work better.  
  
                                         
          

I love citristrip for it's ease of use.  All you do is paint it on, let it sit for an hour or so then scrap it off.  I was AMAZED at how much stain came off even after using the furniture refinisher.  After I scrapped off the stripper I wiped the entire piece down with mineral spirits before applying my stain again.

This is what happened....
   
Goodwill Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover

Yeah, total FAIL!

At this point I decided to walk away, take a break and figure out what my next plan would be. I had spent so much time and effort on this piece and I was not about to give up.

I did a little research and found that A. sanding pine and softer woods can prevent the wood from taking stain and B. the wood may still have some residue that is not taking stain.  Knowing that I sanded the piece and already used mineral spirits, I came to the conclusion that the dresser was more than likely made from a softer wood and simply would not absorb the new stain.  I decided to let go of my vision of refinishing and moved to plan B.

I gave the entire dresser 3 coats of my favorite inexpensive chalk paint then sealed it with cream wax.
 
Goodwill Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover
I kept the legs wood and just darkened them with Waverly antique wax
Goodwill Mid Century Modern Dresser Makeover

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

The gold feet were in pretty rough shape, so I sanded them then applied gold leaf Rub 'n Buff.
A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!
I really liked how they turned out, but since I was keeping the original hardware I decided they would look better if they matched.  I added metallic dark gray paint over the Rub 'n Buff to mimic the beautiful patina of the knobs and pulls.  Thankfully, it turned out exactly as I planned. 
A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!


A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!
The drawers received a nice surprise with beautiful black and white houndstooth wrapping paper. (similar)

***Tip*** Target and other stores will put their Christmas wrapping paper on steep clearance after the holidays.  I always pick up paper that I can use year round, including this black and white houndstooth that I snagged for 70% off!
A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!

A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!
And just to show you that you don't need to spend a lot of money styling and decorating, here are the sources for all the items on and around the table.
A $15.00 Goodwill dresser gets a beautiful Mid Century Modern makeover!


I hope you all enjoyed this MCM dresser makeover as much as I do.  Eventually, it will find a permanent home in our basement, but first we have to install the new flooring.  The new coffee table I am ordering has zero storage, so the kids games and spare books will be stored in this beauty.


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Would you like to comment?

  1. What happened to the strip of wood between the front legs? I liked that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still have the wood strip and may add it later. I couldn't decided if I liked it better with or without, so I just left it off. Thanks for your input :)

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  2. The white with the stained legs is a great look Katie and the houndstooth paper is the perfect finishing touch. All your hard work was worth it in the end :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Karen! Keeping the legs stained was definitely the right choice :)

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  3. This is such a great post! The dresser turned out really cute and my favorite part is the houndstooth paper! Love how you showed all the sources for your styling, too!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks girl! The houndstooth paper was a pretty awesome Target find.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Laurel! It's not often that I come across a great piece at Goodwill, so this was definitely a pretty awesome find!

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  5. Turned out so great!! Love the legs!

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  6. What a great makeover! I love that you left the hardware.

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  7. You can never go wrong with white! Beautiful job! And I use that same paint and color quite a bit and love it too!
    Helen H

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  8. The strip of wood at the bottom SCREEMS MCM! Please put it back!

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  9. It looks great. What a steal for $15. I never find pieces like that at my Goodwill.

    ReplyDelete