Dresser Makeover

So our family is getting ready to move back to America this summer.  You know what that means?  It means that we have NO furniture for our four kids bedrooms.  When we moved here to Japan 6 years ago the government just gave us furniture to use instead of letting us bring any since it cost so much to ship it over here.  Which means that when we leave we have to give back everything and our poor kids will be sleeping on the floor and putting their clothes in laundry baskets.  Anyway since we have a few months I figured that I better start finding some furniture to redo for cheap instead of waiting until we move and add finding new dressers for kids onto the stress of getting a house and cars and moving.

I found this dresser set for my daughters bedroom a few weeks ago for cheap.  Plus it was all wood. Only problem is that it was icky.

It was dirty and had stickers all over it.

Dirty as in I think washing it was almost as good as painting it.  Ick.  The handles were not so great either.  But I loved the pretty rope detailing.

Totally could see the potential even past the ugly pulls, dirt and gold detailing.

So I went and purchased this stuff.  I chose this primer because it was the only can of primer that I could find that was in English.  Plus the internet told me that it would work even on the laminate top part of the dresser.

 

I sanded the top down really well and just washed the rest of the furniture with some ammonia and water to degrease it.

Then I painted one really good coat of the Glidden Gripper Primer.

Followed up with Glidden paint in Antique Classic White.  Do you know why I chose that color?  Because it was the only can of white paint I could find that was in English and I could determine what kind of paint it was.  I'm picky like that.

Love it! It makes me smile every time I walk into her room. I'm always amazed at how much a can of paint and some hard work can totally transform a piece of furniture!  I bought the pulls from a seller on ebay.