Trendy Neutral Painted Dresser DIY.
Do you love the idea of using trendy colours in your space? Painting furniture is a great way to have fun trying out new colour trends without the cost or long term commitment.
Some of 2022 big design trends are grounded earthy tones, warm neutrals, texture and curved furniture. I had this dresser that no longer worked in my space. It’s the perfect project to try out some of these trends.
Here are the materials you need and the steps to create this retro, warm toned dresser.
Materials
Shop rags
Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Sand Bar, Pine Cone and Gold Digger in Moonshine Metallic.
Vinyl grasscloth wallpaper
Exacto knife
Step One
First, get started off on the right foot and use White Lightning to clean and remove any residue or oil. Then, give the whole dresser a quick scuff sand with 220 sandpaper. Next, use a damp shop rag to remove any residue.
Step Two
If your surface is solid wood, move on to step three. If your surface is laminate like my dresser or very glossy, apply a thin coat of Slick Stick over the whole surface and let it dry for approximately two hours. Next apply another coat of Slick Stick and let it dry overnight. Slick Stick is a great problem solver and will ensure your paint will adhere to the surface.
Step Three
Curved furniture is a big 2022 trend. Since this dresser was very square I decided to add curves to it by adding a circular pattern on the drawers.
A pro tip to help plan out your design is to do a quick sketch, adding your potential colour palette. ( You don’t have to be an artist, drawing is not one of my strengths) This will help you visualize your design.
Step Four
To help create patterns on your furniture look for items around your house to use as an outline. I used a round clock stencil that was the perfect shape for the outline of the half circles on the drawers. Use painters tape to keep the stencil in place and draw an outline over the 3 drawers. I left the middle drawers and created the same outline on the last three drawers (the opposite side) of the dresser.
Use Dixie Bellle Mud in white to fill in the holes from the previous set of hardware and let it dry.
Step Five
Next, use a synthetic brush to apply the paint for a smooth finish, painting the body and top of the dresser in Sandbar. Use the Continuous Spray Mister to help smooth out the paint if needed. After approximately 45 minutes, apply another coat and let it dry.
Use Dixie Belle fine artist brushes to outline the half circle with Pine Cone chalk mineral paint. Once it is outlined, use a larger brush to fill in the circle. Complete this on both circles. After 45 minutes apply another coa
Add some metallic to the base and feet with two coats of Gold Digger Moonshine Metallic.
Step Six
Next use the blue sponge applicator to apply a coat of satin Clear Coat for some durability and sheen. Make sure to apply a thin coat in long strokes to avoid streaking. After approximately 45 minutes when it's dry, apply another coat.
Step Seven (optional)
To add more texture I applied vinyl grasscloth wallpaper.
Roll out the wallpaper and place the drawer on the underside (adhesive side) of the wallpaper.
Use an exacto knife to cut out the outline, using the edge of the drawer as your guide.
Pull off the adhesive backing, place it on the drawer and smooth out any wrinkles. Add some modern hardware to update the dresser.
I love how this dresser turned out. Painting furniture is such a great way to have fun with trends. The warm tones, textured wallpaper and circular patterns on this dresser check all of the boxes for some of this year’s biggest designs. Try this out on one of your next projects. Happy painting!
