Upcycled Chest of Drawers Before and After
This post contains affiliate links.
We have had this chest of drawers for almost 25 years and couldn’t part with it for sentimental reasons.
Our ancient pine chest of drawers
The Inspo
It no longer fitted in any of the bedrooms so I thought I would try to turn it into this style of unit that I spied online.
The Process
The Cabinet
Step 1 - I removed the drawers and gave all of the surfaces a clean with a sugar soap solution. Sugar soap removes all grease that can prevent paint finishes adhering.
Step 2 - Once I rinsed off the sugar soap I then scuff sanded the frame and top of the unit. ( Scuff sanding means a light sand to break the surface you are going to paint. It helps the paint adhere to the surface). I then vacuumed off the dust and gave it another clean to ensure all dust was removed.
Step 3 – As I used Frenchic Paint I didn’t have to prime the surface first. If you choose to use a different type of paint, then you should follow the directions of that paint. Primer helps paint go onto the surface smoothly and ensures it lasts. Frenchic Paint is formulated so that no primer is needed. The first coat of Frenchic should be loosened slightly with some water. I used Frenchic Alfresco in the colour Black Jack and used a brush for the small areas and a foam roller for the top.
Step 4 – Once the paint is dry (typically one hour should suffice) then complete a second coat. I ended up doing three coats.
Step 5 – I used a Tuff coat on this piece as I knew that a TV would be sat on the surface and I wanted to protect the paint surface. I used a brush to apply the Frenchic Tuff Coat, but would recommend using a sponge roller instead.
Step 6 – Leave to cure as directed by your paint manufacturer as this will ensure you don’t damage the paint when you start using the piece.
Step 7 – I removed the existing feet and added new metal feet that had a more industrial look. This step can be completed at any stage as long as you’re careful not to damage the painted surfaces.
The Drawers
Step 1 – After cleaning and scuff sanding I painted the bevelled edges of the drawers with the black paint.
Step 2 – I then sanded in the direction of the grain to remove the varnish from the front section of each drawer. It was important the get back to the raw wood so that any future stain or wax that I used would penetrate into the wood.
Step 3 - I removed all dust and then used Frenchic dark brown wax to enhance the wood grain and protect the wood. The wax is applied with a wax brush and then rubbed back with a cloth to remove all excess wax. It was so easy to do!
Step 4 – Once the wax was fully dry I then added the hardware I had chosen to replicate the industrial look I was after.
The hardware and feet that I used can be found here in my Amazon Store.
End result
The completed TV unit
I ended up removing one of the top drawers and painting it internally so that I could use this section for our Sky box. I have the completed drawer in the loft though should I ever want to use the cabinet as a side board instead.
Hopefully this chest of drawers before and after will let you see how you can transform boring pine drawers into something a bit more interesting. Feel free to ask any questions.
Nicky x