Cassie Bustamante

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Furniture Makeover: Black Midcentury Dresser and When Black is Best

September 18, 2017 by Cassie 24 Comments

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Dressers are always my go to pieces for refinishing. They’re the most versatile as they can be used as media consoles, dining room servers, changing tables, and, of course, as dressers.  They make a statement in a room and showcase the style and aesthetics of the homeowner significantly.  For those reasons and then some, refinishing or painting a dresser is the most rewarding kind of furniture makeover I do.  Today I an sharing with you a black midcentury dresser I painted and also talking a little bit about when black is best; to be honest, it wasn’t my first color choice for this guy. (Affiliate links included for supplies).

Black Midcentury Dresser MakeoverPin

I found this dresser when I was out with Emmy during the last weeks of summer, hitting up our favorite thrift shops.  I loved the shape and original hardware, but of course its finish was in need of a lotta love! (Cue Nicolette Larson, and I am really aging myself with that hit which was released the same year I was born.)

Black Midcentury Dresser BeforePinAs you can see, it had several blemishes, as well as a burgundy stain.  I truly thought this piece would have looked amazing in white with those handles really popping, giving it a bit of a glam look.  However, as I began sanding and saw that the red was deep into the wood, I knew that this stain would bleed through, and painting it white would require using at least a few coats of heavy-toxin-laden oil based primer.  I am not opposed to using that primer when needed, but in this case, I decided to take a different route and go with General Finishes Lamp Black.  I knew that the bleed through would be much less significant with a deep dark black.  Black is also a classic color, and although it wouldn’t be the bright modern glam look I thought would be perfect, it would give it a moody glam look I could also appreciate.

To get it all sanded, I removed all the hardware from the drawers, removed the drawers from the body, and used my orbital sander.  If you’ve been around a while you remember my dog Jake who passed away this summer.  He used to be my sidekick when I’d paint, laying right near me ad keeping me company while I worked.  These days, I still have company, but it’s not either of our dogs.

Squeakers in dresser drawer spacePinSqueakers the hen is a Rhode Island Red, and they’re known to be one of the most sociable breeds of chickens.  Whenever I’m outside working, you can bet she’ll be near.  Sometimes she can be a bit of a nuisance, but mostly she makes me laugh.  In the photo above, she’s exploring the body of the dresser while the drawers were out, probably thinking it would make nesting place.  Would it help to sell this dresser if I advertised it comes with free eggs? She’s truly a funny chicken and we already have a collection of Squeakers stories from the year that we’ve owned her.

Anyhow, let’s get back to the dresser.  After one coat of paint, I could still see the bleed through, but after three coats, we were set.  I finished it off with General Finishes Satin Top Coat which is water based and low VOC and gives it a nice hard protective finish.  One thing I want to mention, as well… people have asked about brushes, sprayers, rolling.  I am an old fashioned kind of girl and I hand brush everything.  I don’t use any special furniture painting brushes, and have always loved the smoothness of my Purdy Brush which works beautifully with General Finishes paint.  Everyone has their own individual paint brand and brush brand they love and these are my two favorites.

Once everything was dry, I replaced the hardware and styled it for a little photo shoot.

Black Midcentury Dresser Makeover with lamp BlackPinI love how the awesome original vintage hardware shines against the black.

DIY Lamp Black Painted DresserPinThe shape of this dresser is truly one of the things that makes it unique as well.  The defined angles set it apart from anything I’ve seen.  (Black is the HARDEST color of furniture to photograph, by the way, as the light reflecting on the finish makes it look uneven, but it’s really not!)

Black Midcentury Modern Dresser with Angled FrontPin

As I worked to photograph this dresser, my sidekick was not far away, always ready to help or jump in the photo, or drawer.Squeakers and dresserPin

This piece is one of the dressers that I will have at my October sale at Sweet Clover as it didn’t sell this month.  I did, however, have a fantastic first month back and sold 3 other dressers, so I feel back in the game and felt like it was a sign that I’d made the right choice for myself. I also had so much fun on Friday when I worked at the sale, and loved being back among the people who inspire me creatively and make me laugh.  The weekend came to an end with me feeling like I had filled a little void in my life, and I am a little more complete now. 🙂

 

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Filed Under: Dresser, furniture transformations

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Comments

  1. laura janning says

    September 18, 2017 at 5:42 am

    yay for fulfillment! glad the weekend sale was a success. you are amazing…and so are your pieces. have a great week.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 18, 2017 at 7:11 am

      thank you so much, laura! glad you are all safe and well!

      Reply
  2. Kim says

    September 18, 2017 at 6:51 am

    Glad to hear you had a wonderful weekend!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 18, 2017 at 7:11 am

      thank you so much, kim!

      Reply
  3. Anna-Ruth Taynton says

    September 18, 2017 at 7:17 am

    It looks great! Congrats on a successful “re-entry”! 😉

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 18, 2017 at 7:39 am

      thank you so much, anna-ruth! i appreciate your support as always!

      Reply
  4. Jamala says

    September 18, 2017 at 10:00 am

    wow wow and a double wha wow! I love this in black… that hardware is awesome! Great find on this

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:25 pm

      thank you so much, jamala! i just loved that hardware so much!

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    September 18, 2017 at 10:16 am

    The dresser looks so amazing and I’m in love with Squeakers. So cute!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:25 pm

      she is something! you will have to meet her one day. 😉

      Reply
  6. Jill Catrinel says

    September 18, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    It’s a beautiful piece. The hardware is so stunning and unique – I’d have thought it was brand new! How cute is Squakers?!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      thank you so much, jill! i just loved the hardware which is what drew me to it!

      Reply
  7. Emy says

    September 18, 2017 at 6:52 pm

    Those handles are amazing! And Squeakers is so cool. Love this dresser!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      she is one of a kind! thanks, emy!

      Reply
  8. Lauren says

    September 18, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    I love the dresser AND Squeakers! I’d take them both in a heartbeat 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      thank you so much, lauren! squeakers is truly unique!

      Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    September 19, 2017 at 8:44 am

    That hardware is so cool! And now that I’ve seen the dresser in black, I can’t picture any other color. More chicken pictures, please!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      haha! i am sure squeakers will work her way into as many posts as she can. 😉

      Reply
  10. Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says

    September 19, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    Well then that is one successful weekend!! The black is so pretty on this piece! Squeakers is cracking me up. Don’t mind me. I’m just a chicken, touring a dresser.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 21, 2017 at 7:37 am

      squeakers is a HOOT! it’s all fun and games though until yesterday when i was shooting my porch and she had been walking around and i stepped right in fresh chicken poop. insert eye roll emoji. luckily, she makes us laugh so much that she’s worth keeping around. 😉

      Reply
  11. Kathy says

    September 20, 2017 at 5:53 am

    I’m so glad you’re having success at Sweet Clover. This dresser makeover is so chic!! i adore the hardware. Can you believe we don’t have a single dresser in our house? They are all in the long term storage. I miss having their amazing storage but when in Rome I guess…. lol

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      September 21, 2017 at 7:36 am

      thank you so much, kathy! i hope it continues! 🙂 and that is so crazy that you don’t have dressers! they’re seriously my favorite kind of furniture!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Furniture Makeover: Black & Brass Vintage Nightstand - Cassie Bustamante says:
    October 3, 2017 at 5:02 am

    […] to the midcentury and sleeker pieces.  You may recall just a couple of weeks ago I shared a midcentury dresser I painted with the same color, but the overall look and treatment was completely different in […]

    Reply
  2. Natural Glam Eclectic Dining Tablescape Plus My October Sweet Clover Space - Cassie Bustamante says:
    October 18, 2017 at 5:00 am

    […] behind the dining table is a stack of two midcentury dressers in black and white.  I shared the black one here, and the white one won’t be getting a post… it started out white when I got […]

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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