Easy Dresser Flip

Furniture is expensive. There is no way around it, buying new furniture adds up, and getting quality pieces of furniture that will hold up year after year is tough- especially online! After moving from our one-bedroom apartment we had to buy furniture for most of the rooms in our house. The only things we did have were our living room and bedroom furniture. Still, it was time for a change which led me to think of ways to change up our older furniture. That is how I decided to easily flip our dresser!

If you don’t have a piece of furniture to flip at home, there are a ton of places to find great furniture that just needs a new coat of paint! Try Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, or even neighborhood garage sales.

I’m not afraid of a DIY project, but I know my limits. I figured a coat of paint wouldn’t be too difficult and it seemed hard to mess up, so I decided to give it a go! I did do a bunch of research to see how much work and time I needed to put into this project. Our bathroom definitely took longer than I thought it would! While time estimation seems to be a running challenge, this project was much less intensive than the cabinets. The biggest difference I found was that the original paint was intact and was still pretty even, so there was no sanding or painting necessary. Below I’ll share a step-by-step guide on how to easily flip a dresser, or any other type of furniture and have it look professional!

Easy Dresser Flip

Our dresser wasn’t in terrible shape, but it was old. I got it when I was living alone, it was an upgrade on my small 3 drawer dresser that was shakey and unstable. I needed something to fit more clothes! This one was solid wood from Nebraska Furniture Mart. In the early 2010s it was a trend to use different knobs and drawer pulls, so of course that’s what I did, and that alone really dated the piece. On top of everything the dresser had been moved at least twice and was not in the best shape, the paint was chipped, the dresser was scratched, and ultimately it just didn’t look great given the white showed every flaw.

What You Will Need

Luckily as this is an easy dresser makeover, you will only need essential tools and likely have many on hand!

• Cleaning rag
• Tac cloth
• Drop cloth
• Paint
• Cabinet rollers and brushes
• Paint tray and stirrer
• Hardware

Shop the list here!

How To Flip A Dresser

Step 1: Clear out the Dresser

Start by clearing off the top of the dresser of jewelry boxes, photos, perfumes, and more. Then pull everything out from the dresser and move it to another room. You don’t want to risk splashing paint on any of your clothes!

At this time you can pull out the drawers and remove the hardware as well. It will be easier to clean the entire dresser with each piece separate.

Step 2: Time to Clean

Grab your cleaning cloth and spray and get to cleaning. You wouldn’t believe how much of a difference this made already! It is tempting to skip this step, you are painting over it anyway, but there is so much dust buildup in the nooks and crannies of the dresser that you have to get out before painting. Otherwise, the dust will mix with the paint and it will not leave a smooth finish.

Step 3: Let’s Paint

It’s time to paint! I did some research and talked to the guy at the hardware store and he suggested this cabinet paint for longevity and to wear well. I chose a matte finish in a color called Patience by Sherwin Williams. But the cabinet paint was Valspar brand.

I did two full coats and a third for spot coverage. I was surprised how many it needed, but you only have to wait a few hours between coats until the paint is dry, so this is definitely doable over a weekend!

Step 4: Add Hardware

I went for a midcentury-modern style drawer pull I found on Amazon. I loved the texture style and thought it pulled together the look I was going for really well. The hardware you choose can make the most significant difference when flipping furniture!