This post is all about how to do a dresser redo using General Finishes Milk Paint.

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Published February 26, 2024
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Why redo a dresser

In 2019, my parents sold their home and decided to move to their second home to stop maintaining two. The house was a three bedroom and two full bathroom house, filled with 35 years of memories. It was the house I grew up in with my brother and sister.

When they sold, they had to consolidate two house worth’s of stuff. Beds, pans, dishes, clothes, couches, mirrors, dressers and more. It was minorly overwhelming for my mom.

My parents then gave their dresser set to my husband and I instead of getting rid of it. It was originally bought by my mom in 1970’s. The drawers and carcass are solid with a veneer top that is indicative of the time.

The stain was dark brown with splashes of black stain.
The mirror was huge, heavy and surrounded with a shelving unit with scalloped edges.
The hardware was brass and flippy handles.

The mirror shelf unit wasn’t my style, and we decided to use the wood and remake it into an individual mirror instead of shelving. Plus, the pillars on the shelves were breaking and not useful anymore.

The first thing my husband did was remove the mirror and keep it safe while we rebuilt the surround. In addition to the spindles broken, the whole shelf needed to be mounted on the dresser and also the wall so it does not fall over.

The wood we used for the new mirror couldn’t come from the shelving unit as it was incredibly brittle, and we didn’t have enough. Also, once Tyler cut into it to save some of the wood, it split and cracked. We did have trim wood that worked perfectly to help decorate the edges and part of the shelf was used as decoration on the top of the mirror.

Using MDF, Tyler created the frame to hold the mirror. MDF is an awesome material to use if you need a cheap and sturdy frame. In the past, we have also used whole sheets of MDF to make trim, baseboards, window casings, door casings and much more in our boy’s bedroom build. For the full details on how Tyler used MDF to make trim, check out my blog below.

MDF Trim made by Tyler

MDF and a Dresser Redo

In addition to using MDF to make trim and baseboards, we also used MDF to make an entire countertop and mirror holder from scratch. Once done, we used epoxy to make the countertop the color we desired with a waterfall edge on the sink basin. This project turned out amazing, with colors and tones we could never find without spending an actual fortune on a real stone countertop.

If you have ever wondered about how to use epoxy, check out my blog below that includes step by step directions, products, best practices and more tips to making an Epoxy Countertop.

Epoxy Countertops, Recipes and Remodeling

Steps for a Dresser Redo with General Finishes Milk Paint

Dresser Redo Materials Needed

• Sandpaper
• Milk Paint
• Paintbrush
• Drop Cloth
• Painters Tape
• Paint Stick/Stir Stick

To start a dresser redo project, you first need a dresser. The next thing you need is a good deep cleaner, rag, water, and a vacuum cleaner. First, clean your dresser well and wipe it clean. Additionally, you need to remove the drawers, label them, and then use the vacuum cleaner to clean the inside of the dresser.

Inside of the dresser will be dusty, full of dirt and depending on how old it is, potentially items lost and then found.

Once clean and dry, sanding is the next step. Using an orbital sander attached to a vacuum to help cut down on dust. Make sure that when you sand, you check the furniture first to see if it has a veneer or if it is solid wood. You can do this by looking at the back of the dresser on the top piece. You will either see solid wood OR you will see a thin layer of veneer on top of the wood or particle board.

Using sandpaper can help you get around any corners and hard to reach areas. Folding sandpaper can help you get into groves or cervices.

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Prim or Paint?

Now that your piece is sanded and clean, it is time to decide if you need to prime first or head right into painting your dresser.

To help you decide. here are two questions:

1. Are you painting your dresser lighter than the wood it is?
2. Are you concerned about the tannins in the wood coming through the paint?

Let’s address both of these questions.

First, what color are you painting your dresser or piece of furniture? IF you are painting it white, cream, ivory, or any other lighter shades, make sure to prime first. Priming with a lighter color paint after is important to help you not use three or more coats of paint.

Secondly, will the wood tannins come through without primer? Test a piece by priming first, then let it dry and check it out after 24 hours. If you can see shades of wood through the primer, you will need to prime at least two coats prior to painting. Otherwise, if you don’t prime and let it dry for at least 24 hours between each coat, your tannins will come through and wreck your finish.

What brush to use?

When deciding what brush to use, take a few questions into consideration.

1. Is there a large surface area you need to cover or are there tiny elements that need to be painted as well?
2. Do you want a stipple texture or a smooth finish or brush marks?
3. What paint are you using? Some finishes are easier with a brush or a roller.

For each question, make sure to really think and consider how you want your finish to look. Using a nap roller, even a small 2-inch one, can sometimes leave stippling from the roller. On the other hand, if you use a brush, you can also come away with brush marks in your finish. These are all things to consider while picking if you want to use a roller or a brush.

For this Dresser Redo project, a 2-inch angled paintbrush was used. Why was it used? Two parts were included in this decision.

#1 – General Finishes Milk Paint is self-leveling and does not always leave brush marks.
#2 – Some parts of this dresser have thin lines grooved into the front and need a brush to get paint into them.

Straight to Paint

These dressers, once sanded down lightly, had a very pale wood tone. And, because of that, it was chosen to NOT prime before painting. Also, using a paintbrush was chosen instead of a foam roller.

Another bonus of using a brush, instead of a foam roller, is that they use way less paint than the brush, so your cleanup is less. Less waste is a great thing as well, especially if your paint is $35 a jar instead of $35 a gallon.

General Finishes Milk Paint is amazing, and the paint is hyper pigmented, which means the paint has a great amount of tone instead of toned down or washed out. Two coats of General Finishes Milk Paint is typically enough to get a great coat over any surface.

The paint that was chosen was from General Finishes in their Milk Paint line. There are many colors to choose from, and the color chosen was Perfect Grey.

Using the paintbrush, working from the top down, paint the Milk Paint onto the dresser in even strokes. One coat covers well, but the dresser or furniture will need a second for great coverage. After 24 hours, use sandpaper and gently sand down any high spots and then wipe clean. Once clean, paint the second coat and then let it rest to cure another 24 hours.

Buy new hardware for a Dresser Redo?

When cleaning the dresser, make sure you remove the hardware. You can either clean them up and use them again or change them out completely. Instead of buying new, it was decided to use the existing hardware and then just paint them before putting them back on.

As they were a 70’s brass, the color would not go well with the grey tones of the Dresser Redo.

If you decide to keep the original hardware and refinish them, make sure you follow these very important steps to have the greatest results.

1. Remove them from the piece of furniture.
2. Wash them well with either soapy water or a good cleaner like Simply Green.
3. Rinse the hardware and then dry them completely.
4. If painting, sand them with sandpaper, then wipe clean.
5. Lay the hardware on cardboard and spray them with the spray paint of your choice (make sure it is used for the material your hardware is made from). Do light layers, then wait for the paint to dry completely according to the can’s instructions prior to the second coat.

If you follow those tips, your hardware can be reused and looking great on your Dresser Redo project for many years to come.

After a day, you can then replace the painted drawers and install the hardware, then enjoy your dresser redo.

This post was all about how to use General Finishes Milk Paint to do a successful Dresser Redo project on your own. Don’t buy new, redo!
~Monica

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