This Thomasville Dresser set’s modern rustic makeover is quite extreme! I stumbled upon this dresser on Facebook Marketplace for $60. Can’t beat that price for a sturdy well made solid oak dresser! Yes the pulls are dated, yes they are covered in spray paint, yes the feet are broken and need replacement and the black oil based finish was not applied correctly and could easily scratch off with your finger nail. But wow… this beast had potential to become quite a beauty.
A few days after purchasing this piece the seller called me back and offered me the two matching nightstands for an additional $40. Of course I 100% took him up on that deal, who wouldn’t? So this one piece project quickly escalated into three pieces. Needing new feet and some new hardware… this flip began to add up on the repair costs and time. However, a complete bedroom set of a large dresser and two night stands always sells well, either separate or as a set.
Removing all that nasty finish!
I haven’t stripped anything in years, I try to avoid these projects! So after some research I decided to try Citristrip.
I applied this liberally and wrapped the units in plastic wrap. I waited a couple of hours for the product to do the work for me. Then I took my putty knife to the surface. I quickly changed to a plastic putty knife as the wood was softer than I expected. A plastic putty knife would help prevent scratches or marks that can occur with a metal one. After I scraped off all I could, I began using a bristle brush to remove the stripping gel in detailed areas. I cleaned the pieces with Low Oder Mineral Spirits and a microfiber cloth.
Completely Naked and Raw
After hours of work, there is something so satisfying when it is at it’s most simplest of forms. The lines and design can clearly be seen when a piece is completely naked and raw. Exactly how the original furniture designer meant for you to see it.
Dresser Set’s Modern Rustic Style
Sealing the raw wood with a matte varnish was necessary. The matte finish allowed me to paint over the top half with chalk paint. Wax would have resisted the water base of the acrylic chalk paint I was using. I asked my Facebook page audience what color I should paint these and you all said Navy! I heard you and I listen… navy was a fantastic choice. However, I had a trick up my sleeve, I knew the style would be funky. I wanted something that would stand out. A juxtaposition of the traditional style and the modern balayage style painting technique. I was waging my bets on this. Hoping that here in Texas this dresser set’s Modern Rustic style would go over well with my customers.
Quality Hardware Choice add Luxury
I can’t stress this enough… DON’T SKIMP on the hardware! You also don’t need to replace it all to make it better. Evaluate your original hardware and see if you like the design style. If you don’t plan on keeping them the hardware should be in your plan from the beginning, not an afterthought.
With this piece I stripped all the silver spray paint on the hardware off and kept all the original knobs. The pulls however were very dated and had to go. I replaced the pulls with on the middle row with some very cool cup pulls in an antique brass finish. The larger drawers on the bottom row that were finished in the matte varnish needed something a bit more modern. I found a bar style pull with an antique brass finish and this was perfect. The old broken wooden feet were removed and new brass adjustable height feet were added. From the top down that juxtaposition I mentioned before with the paint was reflected now in the hardware too.
Fastest sale ever in Uniquely Grace Designs History!
It sold in less than 12 hours! I just can’t believe it…. can you? This entire set sold with only the dresser posted and the nightstands awaiting their photo shoot. I barely had enough time to take a few photos with my new favorite set. I know some people either love it or hate it, and that is okay.
You can satisfy some people all the time and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot satisfy all of the people all the time”?
attributed to John Lydgate, Abe Lincoln and PT Barnum
Thank you so much for joining me for this extreme Dresser set’s modern rustic makeover! It has been quite the ride. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Check out some of my other project flips on my blog links below.
