A mid century modern dresser gets updated with paint and stain for a beautiful two-tone makeover.
I know, I said I wanted to start trying new painting techniques (and I promise the next furniture makeover I share will be full of chippy goodness), but I couldn't resist updating another tall MCM dresser. Mid century modern furniture is my favorite to update, especially when I'm able to refinish the original wood and create a two-tone finish. I've painted many mid century modern dressers in the past and love the contrast of using both paint and stain.
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO PAINT A MID CENTURY DRESSER
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- Respirator
- Dewalt orbital sander
- 120 and 100 grit sanding pads
- 300 grit sanding block
- Clamps
- Minwax wood filler
- Putty knife
- Wood glue
- Minwax stain
- Restore -A-Finish in Walnut
- Zinsser Shellac Primer
- General Finishes Queenstown Gray milk paint
- Minwax clear waterbased poly
- Paintbrush
- Screwdriver
- Four knobs (Hobby Lobby)
- Simple Green
- Paper towels
The available space in our garage is quickly dwindling, but I couldn't resist this great mid century modern dresser when I spotted it on Facebook Marketplace. (You can read all my favorite tips and sources for scoring affordable used furniture and decor HERE).
HOW TO REFINISH A MID CENTURY MODERN DRESSER
I would have loved to refinish the entire dresser, but like most mid centrury modern pieces, the top was laminate and the body and drawers were covered in a thin coat of veneer. Unfortunately, there was also some damage to the veneer that needed to be repaired before I could start painting.
STEP ONE: MAKE REPAIRS
In my beginner's guide to painting furniture, I talked about my favorite wood filler. I used the same wood filler on this dresser to repair the chips and knicks in the veneer. I applied it with a putty knife, let it dry then sanded it smooth. I also used wood glue to repair and secure pieces of loose veneer, keeping the wood clamped tight until the glue was dry.
STEP TWO: SAND & CLEAN
I carefully sanded the top two drawers with a DeWalt orbital sander and 120 grit sandpaper until all the original stain was removed. I lightly sanded the rest of the dresser with the same 120 grit sandpaper then smoothed out the wood with a 300 grit sanding pad. Once the dresser and all the drawers were sanded, I wiped down the wood with Simple Green.
I don't normally prime wood dressers that I'm painting a dark color, but this particular dresser had a laminate top, which required priming. I painted two coats of my favorite primer on the top of the dresser to ensure there would be no adhesion issues when painting.
STEP FOUR: PAINT
My favorite part! For this dresser, I used two coats of General Finishes Queenstown Gray, which I applied with a brush.
STEP FIVE: SEAL
I alternate between using wax and water based poly to seal my furniture pieces, but I definitely prefer sealing painted furniture with poly.. It offers more durability and doesn't require additional applications down the road. For this mid century modern dresser, I used two coats of Minwax water-based Poly in a matte finish.
I finished off the dresser with 4 new knobs from Hobby Lobby and a light coat of Restore-A-Finish on the wood legs.
The clean lines and masculine two-tone finish make this mid century modern tallboy perfect for a teen boys room.!
