diy dresser with rustic wooden top

Ready for the sequel to the nighstand project? This one is my personal favorite! Perhaps because I now have a new dresser for the first time in my life! I love that I can picture this dresser sitting in an overly priced home store with a gigantic budget-busting price on it. But it's not from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Anthrolopie or West Elm, we transformed it! It might have taken some time to complete, but the finished product is exactly the look we were hoping to create!

Here's a look at the before picture - your standard 70s dresser ready for a makeover!

Dresser step-by-step:
1. Clean the dresser and drawers with a cloth and remove the old hardware. Do you think anyone will buy the hardware at a garage sale??
2. Apply a coat of Behr Hazelnut Creme on the dresser and outside of the drawers and let it dry overnight. Note: not the best idea to paint in the grass on newspaper, but spring fever was calling...

3. Apply a second coat of paint.
4. Lightly sand the corners and edges of the dresser and drawers and remove any sanding dust. Use a fine grit paper.

5. Apply a coat of Zinnser Clear Shellac Traditional Finish and Sealer (the same shellac we used in the nightstand project).

6. Replace the old knobs and pulls with new hardware from Home Depot.

And the icing on top of the cake - the dark rustic wooden top:
1. We picked up two 2x6x10s and had the Home Depot man cut them in half for us.
2. We wanted the wooden top to hang over the original dresser top by an 1 1/2" on each side, so we cut the 2x6s to be 53" long. And by "we," I mean my dad and hubster - I draw the line at super fast spinning metal blades. I'd like to keep all my fingers...
3. One board was also cut to be 3 1/2" wide so  it would sit flush with the back of the dresser against the wall.
4. After making the cuts, remove all the sawdust. Leftover sawdust + stain = not the best idea
5. Then apply a coat of Old Masters Spanish Oak Wiping Stain to the boards. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes then remove most of the stain with a cloth. Turn the boards over after they are dry to touch and coat the other side. Allow the boards to dry overnight.
6. Apply a coat of shellac to all sides of the 2x6s (flip the boards after a half hour to coat the other side).
7. Use a biscuit cutter and wood glue to attach the four boards to each other. The biscuits allowed us to attach the boards to each other without any visible nails or screws.
9. Place the 2x6 board on top on the dresser. It's currently resting on a drawer liner we bought at the dollar store to keep it from scratching the top of the dresser. If you have kids and are thinking about doing this project, you might want to screw the boards into the dresser.

I absolutely love the rustic top mixed with a sleek dresser. Can't wait until we get to work on our headboard and footboard in a few weeks! I promise I'll try to capture each step in the diy process next time!

P.S. If you liked what we did with this dresser, check out how we upcycled an old dresser into a kitchen storage cabinet for our tiny kitchen. 

diy rustic nightstand

After four Saturdays of painting, staining, sanding, and shellacing, we've finally completed our two furniture projects! The nightstand and dresser had been waiting in storage for someone to dust them off, pretty them up, and use them again. Along came some semi-frugal sort-of-newlyweds who desperately needed some bedroom furniture in their abode and the rest is history. 

Today, let's talk about this nightstand:

The color is a little off in the first picture, but you get the idea - it's dated and desperately in need of some tlc.

Here's what we did:
1. Dusted/cleaned with a rag.
2. Applied a coat of Silver Strand Behr paint. We actually bought two little samples in flat and barely even needed the second sample. Tip: buying samples instead of a quart saves precious $$!
3. Applied a coat of Zinnser Clear Shellac Traditional Finish and Sealer
4. Sanded in areas of typical wear on "old" pieces
5. Removed the sanding debris
6. Applied a coat of Old Master's Spanish Oak Wiping Stain. Let it sit for five to ten minutes then wiped most of it off. Let it dry overnight.
7. Applied another coat of Zinnser Shellac.
8. Added a new drawer pull (not sure the name/model, but we got it Home Depot) and viola! Done!

Lessons learned:

1. Have some sort idea of the overall look you want to achieve in the end. Ask the experts for help- there's no way we would of known which products to use without the help of my brother! If you want to see what a real master can do with wood, paint, and stain, check out his website and prepare to be amazed!
3. Sand carefully and with the grain. I got a little overzealous a few times...
4. Don't expect perfection on your first try! I can see some of the places that need a bit more stain, but no one else is going to notice unless they get down on the floor scrutinize all its flaws (and if that's the case, then you probably don't want them in your bedroom anyway!)
5. The most expensive item to buy was the wiping stain ($20). Thankfully, we also used the wiping stain and shellac for our dresser. and there is still plenty left for future projects!

I really love having a nightstand for the first time in my life! Yes, that's right. The first time in my life! I've always had a basket, desk, or hutch next to my bed, but now I feel like I'm officially an adult! If only we could find one for the hubster's side of the bed - this weekend we begin our yard sale search!

Coming soon: the dresser's transformation! 

DIY sneak peek

A little teaser of the furniture makeover that's been captivating our weekends lately...

If you're wondering about the shadows and grass...we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and had a painting party outside. Yay spring!

Only a few more finishing touches left! Before and after shots coming soon!