Dated Goodwill Dresser Turned Vintage Inspired Chest

An easy way to update a dated Goodwill dresser into a vintage inspired chest.

How about a thrift store transformation to start off your Tuesday?

I recently came across a petite three drawer dresser from Goodwill that I couldn't pass up.   It wasn't my style, but it had everything I look for when searching for used furniture and was perfect for a makeover.  I knew with a little tweaking I could easily transform it into a stylish vintage inspired chest.

The size and style of the dresser was very similar to the chest I have in my entryway, which was where I pulled my inspiration.  It's amazing what a little DIY work, paint and hardware can do for a piece of furniture. 

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO UPDATE A DATED GOODWILL DRESSER

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- Ryobi Corner Cat or Dewalt Orbital Sander
- 80 and 120 grit sandpaper
- Rubber mallet
- Drill
- Nail gun
- Minwax High-Performance wood filler
- Putty knife
- General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint
- Minwax Water Based satin polycrylic
-  Paintbrush
- Tape measure
- Simple Green
- Paper Towels
- Drill bits
- Fine grit sandpaper (for distressing)
- Wood glue
- Clamps
- Chalk
- Hardware

HOW TO UPDATE A DATED GOODWILL DRESSER

The dresser wasn't in bad shape, but the curves and batwing drawer pulls definitely dated the piece and had to go.  

The bottom curved piece of the dresser was super easy to remove with a rubber mallet.  It popped right off and I was able to cut a new piece of wood, which I attached with a nail gun.

I filled all the nail holes with my favorite wood filler, repaired a loose joint with wood glue and clamps then gave the entire piece a good sanding with my Ryobi Corner Cat sander and 80 and 120 grit sandpaper.

After sanding, I cleaned the dresser with Simple Green, applied 2 coats of General Finishes Lamp Black milk paint, lightly distressed around the edges then sealed the dresser with satin waterbased poly.

I shared a trick in the past for measuring and drilling new hardware holes, but since the drawers in this little chest were all different sizes I decided to use the chalk trick. 

I rubbed chalk on the back of the hardware, measured for the new holes then pressed the hardware into the dresser.   This left a perfect chalk print exactly where I needed to drill the new holes, limiting mistakes. 

Removing and rebuilding the base, adding a fresh coat of paint and new stylish pulls made all the difference in this little dresser turned vintage inspired chest.  

 - HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR UPDATING AND REPAIRING FURNITURE -

- Beginner's guide to repairing and painting furniture

- What to look for in used furniture 

- The best sources for buying used furniture and decor

- How to repair broken furniture corners

- How to repair damaged veneer

- How to repair and replace hardware holes

- How to repair damaged dovetail joints

- The best way to paint over dark stained furniture

     

   

    

The Best Sources For Buying Used Furniture and Decor

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