Should I paint my dresser?

Bridgette Baddeley

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

I have a dresser in my dining room, can not decide to paint it or not

also which parts to paint as I'd like to leave some wood exposed

the room it's in is country cottage style room with exposed beams and log fire

Featured Answer

cazie6

7 years ago

I would paint it all apart from the wooden top and varnish/stain that a darker colour, or a colour matching your other wood maybe. Here's what I did with a dresser left over when we bought our house. I used rustoleum chalk white from b&q. It's half the price of annie sloan and gives the same effect.

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Comments (20)

A B
7 years ago
How about painting it in elephants breath and leaving the surface (with the glass on) as wood. Are you changing the handles too?
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
Jen's got a great idea there. It's a great colour for it and the wooden top will still give it a great effect not loosing its charm.

I would change the handles too.
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Paint it white. Start with watered down chalk paint, and build it up until you're happy with the depth of white. If you're really uncertain, leave it a day or two between coats so you can keep an eye on it when it's dry. It's only a small area, so it won't take long to paint, or scrub it off if you went too far! I'd also put a wooden shelf/mantleshelf along the top, in an aged oak or pine, which would look lovely with the blue walls (judging by the tester marks in your photo!), or black/grey to coordinate with any furniture pieces. Oh, and don't touch the metal bit, unless you're blacking it! :)
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Looks like a lovely home. I like a bit of ‘messiness’ anyway. 😊 No concrete ideas from me but while you’re painting, perhaps you can paint the legs (the wooden X frame) of your other table as well. But leave the ones of the stool as they are. I think this will show off the stool better. Oh and I like the legs of the table in question as they are.
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Bridgette Baddeley
Original Author
7 years ago
Love the colour of that paint, I think it's perfect thankyou :)

Would you paint all the inside of the top cupboards too or just the doors?

i am going to change the handles too
Pamela Gibbons
7 years ago
Inside as well
PRO
La Di Da Interiors, Luxuries & Gifts
7 years ago
Hi, I would paint inside the cupboards too. As a colour suggestions, Annie Sloan Old Ochre is a classic for country cottages. Or Chateau Grey would tone in with the wall colour nicely too.
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
Yes, it's the insides too :) good luck and do post pictures.
wilmet45
7 years ago
I would leave it. Pine is a knotty wood and that is part of its charm. It's quite difficult to get a good effect by repainting. You could sand off the old varnish and revarnish in a matt polyurethane, then change the handles and knobs. I think pine is probably due for a comeback!
PRO
User
7 years ago
Hi Bridgette, I would paint the dresser and change the handles as well. If you want to keep some original wood, I think the top surface is what you should not paint. And maybe you could leave the space between door and drawer wooden as well (as seen in the second picture). Just an idea... Maybe the pictures below can give you some inspiration. I personally would paint the entire dresser. :) Best, Nele | Yndlingsting

Row House Interiors Bedroom · More Info

Inverness Circle · More Info
PRO
Faux Fini Interiors
7 years ago
Paint it without a doubt. It is a new-ish pine (no offence but nicer painted!) and thus will be transformed if you paint it. However, and much though I love elephants breath, why don't you use a chalk paint. Much easier to do, faster drying, cheaper and if a little wood peeps through it just adds to the effect. It's a casein type paint (like the old buttermilk paints) and so easy to layer on. Annie Sloane does lovely soft greys and taupe. Paint a darker colour on the entire thing and paint a paler or contrast colour on the back of the shelves both in the doors and below - on the tongue and groove sections. This will give you a dual effect of changes of tone and to earmark the different areas. Done it myself over many years of doing Paint Effects as a professional business and it works a treat.
Kyle Barrett
7 years ago
Please be careful with what Yndlingsting says, as much as I agree the pictures look lovely, I dont agree with the suggestion. I think unless you can get it done professionally with a fine finish (which would cost an awful lot) trying to get a 'lux' look can be really difficult, and especially trying to recreate the pictures posted would take some serious expertise. I've seen it work, but especially on pine Im sure we've all seen some diabolical upcycling projects.

There's lots of suggestions here that take into account the style of the furniture and your country cottage look and I think they're both the path of least resistance and will probably net you the best results. I'd also echo the chalk paint, fits comfortably with the country style.
diane3639
7 years ago
Have you seen Autentico paints two coats top with wax- same make job done. My daughter went to a four hour lesson with this paint great results. If you are thinking of it you want it go for it!
iolosdad
7 years ago
I'm an Annie Sloan convert I wish i found her years ago ! go for it
cazie6
7 years ago
paint it all apart from the top, maybe give that a darker stain/varnish? here's what I did with the dresser that was left when we bought our house..
Mary Mary
7 years ago
I would paint it in Elephants breath and change the handles, here's my before and after.
Jan Brett
7 years ago
Elephants Breath and Zoffany 'Smoke' work well together.
Impossible Bebong
7 years ago
I'm always against painting wood but if you must a distressed shabby chic style in secret garden green, shadow, duck egg blue, eggshell or white. This picture is taken from my hallway.
PRO
Walk Interior Architecture & Design
7 years ago
paint it! stripped pine can be OK and was a fashion. but pine specifically was originally a cheap wood with flaws etc and so was generally intended to be painted. now what colour!
PRO
Equilibrando... Space Planning with Feng Shui
7 years ago
Hi Bridgette, can you post some pictures of entire room please. I would say it depends where it will be standing. Personally I like the original look. / Marcin
PRO
Inkmill Vinyl
7 years ago
Hi Bridgette,

It would look great painted in Elephant's Breath as suggested earlier. One thing to consider may be covering the inside of the top glass panels with a frosted window film. The translucent panels would glow beautifully with the lights. Also the film would hide items in the side displays meaning that the centre display would be the star of the show!

Should I paint my dresser?

cazie6

Comments (20)

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Should I paint my dresser?

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