dresser reveal

In my last post, I gave you a teaser of the dresser Justin and I were working on over the weekend. Justin finished up the dresser today, and it looks amazing. In fact, we are so pleased with the results, that we will use the same process to refinish my childhood toy box.

Here is the before shot:

And the after:

I am thrilled with the results- I think it is quite the transformation! It is amazing what a few coats of stain and new hardware can do! The project cost about $80, $20 for the hardware, the rest for paint, stain, and supplies. The most expensive part was painting the top white, as that required primer, paint, and polyurethane... but I think it was worth splurging for the two tone look.

Here is a quick rundown of the process:

1. Give the dresser a thorough wipe down with a damp paper towel.
2. Apply one coat of primer (we used kilz).
3. Apply 3 coats of white paint.
4. Apply 3 coats clear poly to the painted part of the dresser (we used minwax)
5. Apply 2 coats of minwax stain and poly in one. The stain and poly in one was perfect for us novice refinishers- it was applied in thin layers with a paintbrush- no wiping down with a rag required!
6. Add hardware and admire handiwork.

I was inspired by this tutorial at Young House Love. We didn't follow the exact steps that they did, but it was an extremely helpful guide. Justin did all of the labor-intensive work on the dresser, but I like to think that since I picked the design I can say that I had a hand in the project too.

Justin will be painting the nursery next weekend, so I will add more pictures after that project is complete. I think the dresser will really pop once there is color on the walls. I am so impressed with the dresser that it is almost embarrassing- I often go into the nursery just to gaze at it. I'm sure the situation will be completely out of hand after the cribs arrive and the decor is in place.