A new life = a new life for this dresser to changing table!
Oh baby, do I love this transformation! Ok, cheesy (I know), but I am SO excited for my client and her husband as they expect their first baby boy. She found this big, wooden, 9-drawer dresser perfect for the job of baby’s changing table!
The Reward of Refinishing
I love way too many aspects about refinishing furniture, but seeing a piece that is overdue for a new life and being able to transform it into something that will be used differently in its new life is so rewarding.
(Like these nightstands I made from an old vanity – so cute and functional now! OR these ones – my absolute favorite!)
Warning: tangent coming…
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen I was recently visiting Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons with my family.
When we left our Airbnb to throw out our trash, we went to a local dump and I was speechless. Call me naive, but I haven’t seen a lot of true dump sites except for those limited to brush or outdoor “waste”.
This was NOT the type we went to. I saw household items piled high in every direction, and I am sure my mouth was wide open as we drove through. (Thankfully, my nose was plugged – nasty!)
So, why do I even bring this up? I guess the purpose/moral of my tangent is sadly, even though I see so many amazing people transforming old pieces all over the world, there are still SOOO many items that people throw away.
It made me think how many could be re-purposed into something else that could help save our landfills. It made me want to transform even more and help people realize what can be done with pieces they think are destined for the dump.
Ok, tangent over…
But, this is another reason why I am excited about the second chance this piece is getting! One piece at a time, right?
Dresser to Changing Table Details!
Prep Process:
I prepped this big ol’ girl like I do almost all of my pieces. This included completely scrubbing it down, inside and out with Krud Kutter and a rag.
Then, I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper using my orbital sander on the flat surfaces and my zip sander on the detailed edges to scuff up the existing finish.
A tack cloth is perfect to help remove all the sanding dust. Sometimes I will do another round of deep cleaning to make sure I get everything off to prepare for the fun part: PAINT!
Paint Process:
Fusion Mineral Paint in midnight blue has quickly become one of my favorite colors!! The buffet below started my love affair with it.
I was pumped my client chose this color. I mean, talk about an awesome blue for this soon-to-be-little guy’s room! The shade is the perfect dark navy, and Fusion applies over wood like a dream. Did I mention the coverage is amazing too? It covers incredibly and is self-leveling. Winning!
I did 1.5-2 coats using my Zibra fan brush. I also used a small detail brush for the tight details. The top of the dresser had a few spots of bleed through. It was a small bummer, but not a big deal! When I noticed this after my first coat of paint, I simply did 2 coats of Zinsser Shellac to seal any of that from coming through.
When I painted my second coat of paint over the top, we were in business! Back to beautiful!
Finish Process:
A dresser to changing table transformation calls for added protection, right? Lot of potential for spills, clean ups, etc. so I wanted to make sure my client had an extra tough topcoat. Fusion has a topcoat built in which is another reason I love this paint and tend to choose it for high traffic pieces!
I wanted even more added protection so I used one of my favorite polys. It’s called Varathane Triple Thick Poly, and we used the matte finish. This poly is amazing because it goes on easy, dries clear, doesn’t yellow, and is tough!
Hardware Details:
The jewelry of the piece! The pulls and knobs my client chose really set this piece off! I love how the antique brass is a subtle pop against the navy, but the style holds so much detail!
The hardware is from D. Lawless Hardware and I love the fact this company stocks different sizes in the same handles. The top drawers had 2.5” center to center holes vs. the lowers were 3”.
Talk about a big time saver not having to fill and re-drill holes! They also send two sets of screws at different lengths – again – a small gesture, but SO amazing to know you'll have the perfect size.
Dresser to Changing Table Recap:
There ya have it! If you want to get the look I highly recommend the brands I used to achieve this finish. (No endorsement or affiliation – they are seriously just my favorites & consistently yield amazing results!)
I hope you love this transformation as much as I do. I hope Mom & Baby love it the most!
Have you repurposed a dresser into something new?! I'd love to hear about it. Leave me a comment!
-Meg
