The mid century modern dresser makeover is going back down to my pretty basement office. Change). I happened upon this blog post while doing what you say you do researching a project! lol glad you listed all your supplies and stuff too and enjoyed reading yours and the others tips/comments. Welluse a foam brush to apply a heavy coat of the wood conditioner in the direction of the grain (its milky white in color). General Finishes Gel stain is great. Hey, I linked back to your post from my blog, because I found this exact same dresser (without the pulls) I used to be at prettyediblediy.blogspot.com but have since moved to turningithome.blogspot.com. ). As you know (if youve been paying attention), I started with this: A dresser covered in thin veneer, but nevertheless with a great timeless mid-century style. The dressers themselves are gorgeous, the color just looks like something the dog hacked up lol. So..have you ever done a mid century modern dresser makeover? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. We have different types of sofa which back cushions are removable for cleaning and have a hook and loop system to keep cushion in place. I only had a few areas of chipped veneer and since they were so small, I just decided to ignore them. And always sand in the direction of the wood grainin the case of the drawers, this meant I sanded everything lengthwise. I fully appreciate your thorough, detailed instructions. Luckily I got this whole thing sanded in about a half hour. And I used a foam roller to apply it so that there were no visible brush strokes (thanks for the hint Carrie!). After the first pass-through with the putty knife, you can see there was a lot of gunk still left. Heres the after shots: Do the same thing for all the drawers and for the dresser. Ill tell youeverything that happened. Then, apply light, even coats of the latex paint of your choice (I used Lowes Olympus low-VOC paint in Semi-Gloss in the off-the-shelf white). LOL. You only need to wait about 30 minutes between coats of paint, though, so its not that bad; just wrap your roller in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge so the paint on it doesnt dry out (itll actually last days like that; the same trick works for paintbrushes as well). Well, its hard to tell because I didnt try staining any pieces without it. It would solve the issues and the drawers would be the show. (LogOut/ And it really wasnt as dark as I wanted it, so I decided to do a second coat. Excellent! GASP. that is, until it started to dry, and I realized that the top didnt look quite so lustrous. My usual go to is Dark Walnut but since I wasnt applying my stain to raw wood and it already had some color to it, I went with this color instead. Id love to hear if you have any additional tips or tricks that worked well for you! Of course, dont forget to protect your lungs. I used light pressure to wipe off the stain so that I didnt remove too much, and I wiped in the direction of the grain. Thank you!! . I made a little jig out of scrap wood that allowed the legs to stand up while getting stripped and refinished! Did your white top yellow over time from the poly finish? For this project, I searched how to refinish a veneer dresser and I ended up at YHLs siteto see their nursery dresser overhaul, but also at Minwaxs site for a video tutorial on refinishing. I really want to master this thing called wood refinishing.. You could also use a sanding block but what I like about using a piece of paper is that you can wrap it around the legs and cover a lot of surface area at once! Handles small round antique brass knobs. I appreciate your encouragement, inspiration and sense of humour. So just resist the urge! I then decided to apply Minwaxs Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner to all the surfaces I planned to stain. You can see the wood is still kind of tinted a darkish color. . I consent to Thrift Diving Blog collecting and storing the data I submit in this form. After two coats, I was left with this: Step 7: Prime and Paint Top of Dresser Since the top of the dresser was covered in some type of laminate, I ended up having to paint it. You dont want to sand it too hard or youll start to chip away at the particle board. But its really not as scary as it looks. I store crafting supplies in it! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Thats great quality right there! But you can see the oily spots. After youve let the dresser cure up for at least two full days, its time to add some shine to your piece. Plus we needed some new bedroom furniture anyway so it was a no brainer. I noticed some of your drawers look a tad lighter in some spots. Not bad, right? Glad you like it, and youre rightmistakes are what make the next project that much better! Which means you can print it out too. Step 6: Apply Stain Once the Wood Conditioner has set, its time to get your stain on. HA! Thanks! Or better yet, watch the 13-minute explanation in my YouTube video. So I gathered my supplies (theres a list of all the supplies at the end of the post in case youre interested in the details) . LOL. But, something still didnt seem right. Ive considered just painting the body white to cover up the mishap. I tried using some 0000 very fine steel wool to even it out. And so sometimes I like to follow directions to the. https://www.atomic-ranch.com/interior-design/mcm-furniture-restoration-tips/. Have you considered Danish Teak Oil as it doesnt set up as quickly nor do you need to add anything to it? With a brush? . Make sure you wear eye protection and a face mask so that you dont get lungs full of sawdust. Your write up was funny and inspiring and your (bigger now) baby must live their room so much! I have many how-tos on these pieces on some of my older posts. I had been so gentle on the other drawers that I hadnt really changed their appearance at all. I am about to start on an old stereo cabinet that I have just fixed the electronics on (that I know how to do, lol). At this point, I think I may have to take a trip to the woodworking store and get some suggestions on how to fix this. I checked out a number of sites and yours was the most informative with a personal touch. BUT, if you have larger areas of chipped veneer, you could always remove the veneer on just that portion of the dresser and apply new veneer. Good luckIm sure it will come out great . Or Deft acrylic top coat. It was only when I got to the 6th drawer that I finally got somewhere . Subsequent coats just sit on top of each other and can get tacky. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Put down a tarp (as a reader suggested) to protect your floors or ground. Then, let it sit for a few minutes (the directions advise anywhere from 1-5 minutes; I left it on for 3 minutes) so that it can soak in. Typically with tung oil, its a light finish that can take many coats. It makes a huge difference in obtaining an even appearance to the stain. what do you do if you have areas of chipped veneer? I am amazed that you say you are a novice in furniture refinishing. I notice that it doesnt have the same strong odor that many other strippers have. Step 9: Apply 2 Coats of Polyurethane. Apply your conditioner. Then, just apply the stain with a foam brush in the direction of the grain and keep an eye on your watch. As much as my brain goes GAGA over the amazing grain of this mid century modern dresser, my brain cant also accept that the finish isnt perfect. Aw bummer, I would have loved to meet you! Thats a beautiful dresser. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. A 3 piece sofa set makes it easy to plan a space in your home and make your home more beautiful. Heres where we bring in the power tool: the electric sander (insert your ownTim the Toolman grunt here). Plus, this is a messy job, so do it outside or in a garage; definitely dont tackle this inside or else youll have sawdust EVERYWHERE. Serena doesnt want to look at another piece of wood furniture for quite some time. Thanks. Its make your home outdoor more beautiful. Or rather, instead of an experiment, lets call it a gentle DIY fail. HA! Cloth? Have you ever refinished a mid century veneer dresser? This was exactly what I needed! You did a great job! I made sure that I wore hearing protection because having the sander run that long started to grate on my nerves! Step 4: Sand. Unfortunately it isnt stamped at all. Youre not alone). Either way, I loved how the wood conditioner made the wood lookjust check out the difference between the unconditioned drawers (on the left) and the conditioned ones (on the right): And check out the side of the dresser in all its conditioned goodness . See, I already owned an electric sander and the sandpaper, and I was trying to stay on the cheap end of things (and also the lazy end of not wanting to drive out to our local Lowes for more supplies). I am gonna try this with my coffee table (it was free and not in very good shape). Im going to check her site out. So there you goa 10-step program for refinishing a dresser . I figured it just gave the dresser some character. Once the second coat is applied and scraped off, use After Wash to clean off the residue from the stripper. Bravo on the phenomenal job you did on your now gorgeous dresser. . To fix the problem of mismatched wood, I usedMahogany Gel Stainon the edges and on the curved pulls, which worked beautifully! First of all, I have used tung oil before and have had great results. You may also wish to try Odies Oil every few years to keep it fresh rather than poly as bedrooms have few sitting water risks. Mine is stamped as having been made in 1972 by Drouin Furniture Ltd. any chance yours is too? If I ruin a $50 Craigslist dresser, my life will not end. This is where I think things started going wrong. I applied two coats of this and let it dry outside overnight. (Privacy Policy) *, Im Serena Appiah (rhymes with IKEA). While I researched that that can be done, it shouldnt have been done until well after the tung oil dried, which could have been weeks! But finally, after my arm was practically numb, all six drawers were looking shellac-free . But if you buy it retail, its usually pretty pricey. I inherited a set of 1950s dressers in a horrible yellow stai colored stain. I slathered on a coat, let it do its job, andBOOM!removed it with the dulled-down putty knife (so it doesnt gouge the wood) after about 15 minutes. Heres a shot of the side halfway through sandingnote again the difference between the lighter left side and the darker, still-shellac-covered right side: Even though the top of the dresser seemed quite different than the rest of the piece, I still decided to try and sand it. Sand some more. Its beautiful. . Next up, sanding the dresser and all the nooks and crannies. Im not a fan of a super shiny finish and this is perfect for something a little more matte. I scored this sucker for $40 which was a steal. I used the electric sander for the sides of the dresser, but I had to hand sand the curves on the front of the piece along with the rounded legs. (if you go too fine, you actually close the pores of your wood). But oh well, right? (Keep reading to see why this may have mattered). $40 is such a steal!! . . Dont you hate these kinds of projects where things just go wrong?? For the legs and for the smaller ledges on the dresser, I used a piece of sand paper and sanded them by hand. The more I learn about wood, the more Im adoring wood tones. Dont use it on open grains like oak or mahogany or youll be wiping down for hours, possibly days, that oak table haunts me to this day. Heres what the dresser looked like after one coat of stain: You can tell from the last picture that it was a little blotchy in spots. Its much easier when legs cant fall over and dont need to be held! Step 3: Clean the Dresser Before I started, I gave the dresser a quick wipedown with just a damp rag, removed the drawers, and removed all the drawer pulls. that didnt come out of the Mr.s ears), I knew then that the dresser was covered in shellac or lacquer. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. I'd like to receive the free email course. I seem to have the exact same dresser she has, minus the drawer pulls. Even on Craigslist, a good mid century piece can go for hundreds of dollars, so any time I find one for under $100, I have to give it a chance at a new life! I use General Finishes Arm r Seal Urethane, a wipe-on. watch the 13-minute explanation in my YouTube video, taller of the two dressers got a gorgeous makeover with tung oil and white paint, General Finishes ARM-R-SEAL Oil & Urethane, Build a DIY Bathroom Vanity Part 1 Attaching Legs and a Base. Hi, I realise this is a long shot, but any chance you still have this dresser? and in only 3,063 words! http://www.tablelegs.com/Mid-Century-Modern-Furniture-Legs/Metal-Tips-for-Furniture-Legs.aspx, [] But, I couldnt stain the top if it was laminate. zS//Fo )\jVRDt(5!7M 9#-;Vt@Poih_a3MsQ r-=N.tRlf Your email address will not be published. Yes, I still have the dresser (it has moved all over my house). This was a great read and made me giggle in places too! And thanks for mentioning the feather print artist. It just needed a little cosmetic update. I decided to just use what I had on hand, which was a Minwax water-based stain in American Walnut. At this point, my Bad Mamma Jamma flag was starting to waver. Great reference, Renee! But once it dried, the following day it was clear that something has gone awry. Once youve picked out your stain, you need to ready your staining area. There was an error submitting your subscription. I have a similar dressing table base that belonged to my grandmother needing a makeover. The top looked pretty good, but Ill be honestI was a little worried about the quality of the sanding I had done. Thank you so much! Keep in mind that you dont want to be too aggressive with the sanding since the veneer is very thin, and you dont want to sand right through it. and apply even pressure when you wipe off the stain in order to discourage any blotchiness or uneven spots (hopefully the Wood Conditioner helps here). Thank you so much, Cokko! How would it look once I put tung oil on it?? I always dread stripping and finishinground objects. Serena applies 2 more coats of tung oil to try to fix her mistake. Thats pretty good looking. Hey thanks for this advice! If the veneer is really thick, sanding can take a super long time. LOL. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Wow! The wet wood look was emerging and I was ready to wave my Bad Mamma Jamma flag for refinishing such an awesome piece. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Want to stalk us?! Stripping furniture and refinishing is an art, and you really have to know what youre doing to get quality, professional results. If you are going to re-stain, use a stripper (I use SoyGel because its all natural and rinses with water). I have one that is almost identical that Im trying to refinish, but it seems to have a few parts missing that led to it sagging in the middle and Im just wondering if you might help me with how yours is constructed to see if that would work. Flow on a coat on a cool, dry, day (heat and humidity causes finishes to set up much more quickly). But the thought of spending up to 7 days of pulling this bulky piece of furniture out of my garage to apply coat after coatum, yeah, no thanks. Awesome. The veneer on this piece was super thin, and I used a medium grit and the sanding went SO quickly. Nothing worse than opening up a nice re-done dresser drawer and seeing fingerprint stains or overspray or paint drips! I redo these mcm dressers and wood, all the time. I absolutely love what youve done to your mid century dresser. And then I took these steps to get to my final product . For future reference, heres an article from a guy who specializes in it. I couldnt figure out why the drawers looked so ashy. But, I wasnt sold on the idea of using a solvent to strip the dresser. Since water-based stain is pretty runny, it can end up anywhere. So your saying you need to sand the fake wood (veneer)? And also how did you apply the protective coat? Pick from our site , We guaranty after using our furniture they gonna love it. BUT, now that I have the Mr. by my side with his carefree, devil-may-care attitude, Ive learned to loosen up and just go for it. Thinking of sanding flush then filling. Quick question. I used some cotton swabs (we didnt have any cotton balls) and some of the Mr.s nail polish remover to test the top and sides of the dresser. For one, the dust was all white. . Ive been using your fabulous description as Ive been tackling my parents old mid century contemporary dresser and side tables and it has been so useful!!! Thrift Diving inspires women to decorate, improve, and maintain their home themselvesusing paint, power tools, and thrift stores! This is where thingsreally started to go wrong. I did a. Im guessing it was the bad mix of tung oil and urethane. Looks good! Is a veneer finish common? And that is why I rarely start new projectsmy research usually makes me too scared of somehow screwing up and ruining my life (no seriouslysometimes I get that dramatic about it). And you have to admit..ashy or not, thats some pretty doggone grain! But its been a while. Keep sanding. And the price? If your veneer is really thin, I would stick to a medium or even fine grit sandpaper. And from start to finish, it took about a week (that includes all the drying time), but real work time was probably ~14 hours. Lets look at the bright side: the side veneer is rather striking, isnt it?? Before I even started, though, I did some searching and came acrossthis tutorialfrom Bunches of Joy. I found it very helpful: Plus, since I already owned it, it was free. Your blog gave me the information and courage to know that this veneered piece can be refinished instead of painting. But all that does is leave lots of swirly pigtails in your wood: round, annoying, circular scratches that look horrible once you apply any type of stain or finish! :(. Then, let the Wood Conditioner set for at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next step. This gorgeous feather print is from Lucy at Craftberry Bush. This is beautiful, thank you for the inspiration! LOL. Try and do the sides of the drawers as well. Veneer is very common, especially on the top! 3pc sofa set, Whether youre starting from scratch and furnishing an empty space, or youre upgrading a few individual pieces, we also give compiled tips and ideas about how to choose living room furniture for your home. Serena is disappointed that it still doesnt look perfect, but is glad its better. (LogOut/ Plus for $40 you really cant beat it. So there it wasmy plan of attack: sand off the dressers finish to get down to the bare wood veneer, stain it, poly it, and enjoy! How disappointing! You need at least 4 coats to get a good finish. Step 1: Do Your Research When starting any new project, I always Google the hell out of it; meaning I try to research it to within an inch of its life so that, god forbid, I dont make a single mistake, but instead do everything perfectly. Now I knew what the bare wood looked like (the areas on the left above), and that it meant I needed to get rid of all the shiny stuff, not just rough up the shiny stuff (the stain wont be able to penetrate unless its bare wood). Do you, Susan or Serena know who the designer or maker of these dressers were? Heres what it looked like after my sanding attempts: Not quite what I was hoping for . if you want darker, pick a darker shade. By the way, chalk paint can be painted straight on, no sanding or undercoating RESULT!! Of course, that doesnt mean that everything was perfect. Get your Free Watercolor Feather Print. What happened to that rich-looking wood???? Once youve finished with the two coats of polyurethane, allow the pieces to dry and cure for at least 3 daysthat will make sure the surface is good, hard, and strong. When dry, do your top coat. Glad it was helpful! I started on the side tables last summer and am just in the midst of finishing the big dresser this summer. (Even though my inspiration pieces were painted white, I decided initially that I wanted to keep the whole piece natural wood if possible; as youll see, everything didnt quite go as planned . . Super informative for my coffee table project. Seal that baby up. thanks for your thorough and honest listing of the good, bad & ugly parts about this project!! Project 1: Refinishing a *Thinly* Veneered Dresser Bunches []. I got it back when we lived in Erie just before I was about to pop, so its been a little neglected. And Ive definitely passed up a bunch of pieces because I wasnt sure how I could fix it. I also applied the gel stain to the sanded drawer edges where there was no veneer. This is such a beautiful project! The Blue Bear Paint & Urethane Stripper never makes me feel ill and isnt strong-smelling.

Sitemap 31

how to restore mid century veneer furniture