Learn how to prime and paint laminate furniture and sand veneer with this Mid-Century Modern two-tone Dresser makeover!
Two furniture makeover posts in one week? Who even am I?
Last week, I shared how I turned a FREE Facebook Marketplace find into the perfect entertainment stand for my daughter's new basement bedroom and today, I'm sharing a stunning two-tone MCM dresser makeover.
As soon as I saw this basic Mid-Century Modern dresser, I knew it would be the perfect candidate for a two-tone makeover. White and wood MCM furniture is my favorite and I couldn't wait to get started transforming this six-drawer dresser.
The top of the dresser is laminate and the drawers are veneer, so I'm going to share the best way to prime and paint laminate and sand and stain veneer. The result is a classic and beautiful white and wood two-tone dresser.
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO UPDATE A BASIC MID-CENTURY MODERN DRESSER
(Affiliate links have been used)
- Dresser
- Cleaner (LA's Totally Awesome from Dollar Tree is my favorite)
- Two inexpensive foam paint brushes (One for primer and one for applying wood conditioner and stain)
- Drill bit set (for drilling new hardware holes)
- Metal putty knife (for applying wood filler)
- Varathane Wood Stain (I used Special Walnut)
-Tape Measure
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HOW TO PAINT A BASIC WOOD DRESSER
I've painted, updated and transformed countless pieces of furniture, but some tips and tricks are always worth repeating. If you are looking for a full step-by-step guide to refinishing, repairing and painting furniture then head over to my Beginner's Guide To Painting Furniture.
Today, I'm going to focus on...
-HOW TO PAINT LAMINATE FURNITURE
-HOW TO PAINT DARK WOOD A LIGHT COLOR
-WHAT IS THE BEST FURNITURE PRIMER
-HOW TO SAND VENEER
Mid-Century Modern furniture is known for its sleek tapered legs and simple and clean lines that can be described as both futuristic and timeless. A lot of authentic MCM furniture was made with Teak, which was popular due to its durability and rich color. It wasn't the only wood used though, Rosewood, Oak and other woods were commonly used.
Many Mid-Century-Modern furniture pieces are also known to have laminate wood tops. Laminate may not be ideal style wise, but its durability, affordability and scratch resistant surface made it ideal for the tops of tables and dressers.
Laminate furniture may be regarded as lesser quality, but they are still fantastic candidates for updating and modernizing.
HOW TO PAINT LAMINATE FURNITURE
A major con of laminate furniture is that it can't be sanded or stained, because of this, laminate needs to be properly primed and prepped before being painted.
My go-to primer for laminate furniture is Zinsser BIN primer. It's shellac based, blocks stains, sticks to anything and can be sanded.
The downside of this primer is that it's thin, dries quickly and can be tricky to apply. My preferred method for applying Bin primer is to use a 4-inch foam roller on the majority of a piece then an inexpensive foam brush to get into the hard to reach areas.
If I'm painting wood furniture a light color then I tend to apply one or two coats of primer to all surfaces, regardless if they are laminate or not. This will prevent wood tannins from bleeding through the paint. If I'm painting a piece white then I typically apply three coats of primer, sanding in between each coat with 320 grit sandpaper.
After the final coat of primer is applied, I give the entire piece a good standing with 320 grit sandpaper. This leaves the furniture surface extremely smooth and ready for paint.
For this dresser, I applied three coats of Zinsser Shellac primer and two coats of General Finishes Snow White milk paint.
HOW TO SAND WOOD VENEER
Wood Veneer is a thin slice of natural wood that is applied over manufactured wood, typically particleboard or fiberboard. Because veneer is natural wood, it can be sanded, stained or painted.
The tricky part about veneer is that it's thin and can be easily damaged, especially if sanding with a low grit sandpaper.
The best way to sand wood veneer is to start with medium-high grit sandpaper then go slow and be patient. To avoid damaging the veneer or sanding through the thin layer, don't use coarse sandpaper, press hard or rush the process.
I typically start with 120 grit sandpaper and end with 320 grit sandpaper.
After the original stain has been completely sanded and removed, wipe clean with a good cleaner, let dry completely then apply wood conditioner. Wood conditioner helps even out wood and helps prevent blotchiness, leaving a smooth and uniform stain finish.
For this dresser, after I sanded the original stain off the veneer, I cleaned the drawers with. my favorite cleaner, applied a coat of Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, applied two coats of Varathane Special Walnut wood stain then sealed the wood with two coats of water-based poly.
I finished off the dresser with two coats of General Finish Snow White Milk Paint, two coats of Water-Based Poly and new sleek black hardware.
As much as I love Iron Ore and painting furniture Ash by Fusion Mineral Paint, the combination of white and wood on Mid-Century Modern furniture will always be my favorite!
Love your posts on furniture refinishing!! You inspire me to work on some of my pieces.
ReplyDeleteThat turned out gorgous!!
ReplyDeleteLove the two-tone color.
ReplyDelete