Give Your Old Dresser A Stunning New Finish Without Paint

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Whether you just brought home an old dresser from the thrift store, or you have one at home you desperately want to update, you may feel overwhelmed by the task. Most refurbished furniture hacks include stripping back — and then adding back on — layers of stain or paint. It's a laborious task, and too much finish can take away from the unique design of a vintage credenza. Instead of resorting to standard stain or paint, which eventually need updating anyway, there's another, subtler option. First, you strip the paint from the wood the right way, then you sand and clean the dresser. After that, you finish the raw wood with a protective and aesthetic homemade whitewash.

TikTok creator and furniture flipper Jessica May Smith (theteddyjamesco) is an expert at breathing new life into secondhand homewares. She has a knack for highlighting unique details using simple renovation techniques. Smith is a fan of the natural wood look, and much of her time is spent removing layers of paint and stain from old furniture. In this particular video tutorial, she transforms a preloved credenza into a modern light-washed statement piece in a few easy-to-follow steps. To do it yourself, get some liquid or spray-foam heavy-duty paint stripper, like Max Strip Paint & Varnish Citrus Stripper, and a scraping tool. You'll also need some 150-grit and 220-grit sandpaper and Klean-Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits. For the finish, get a pail of Rust-Oleum Linen White Chalked All-in-One Ultra Matte Paint and some household bleach.

Stripping a vintage credenza of old paint or stain, as renovator and TikToker Jessica May Smith does, is a beginner DIY task — as long as you have the right products and tools. After donning some gloves and eye protection and reading the manufacturer's instructions on the container, apply the paint stripper over the entire piece using an old paintbrush. Want a simple tip to make stripping paint a breeze? Wait at least 15 minutes before going in with your scraping tool. You can use a Tpyx Scraper Small Plastic Scraper Tool for detailed areas.

@theteddyjamesco

you dont have to paint everything! ❤️🥰 Check out my "Raw Wood Look Essentials" in my amazon storefront to do it yourself ❤️❤️ #furnituredesign #rawwoodfurniture #rawwoodlook #furnitureflip #frenchbuffett #strippedfurniture #furniturestriphack

♬ original sound – Jessica

Once you've removed all of the old finish, give your dresser a quick clean with soap and water. You need to get rid of any remaining paint stripper residue. Leave the piece to air-dry naturally, or do as Smith does and use a leaf blower to speed up the drying process. Sand the wood using 150 grit sandpaper, then move onto 220 grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface. Finally, put your gloves on again, then soak a clean cloth in mineral spirits and rub it all over the credenza to remove the dust from sanding.

To give your refurbished dresser a rustic whitewashed look, apply three to five coats of household bleach to your dresser and leave it to dry outside in the bright sun. Mix one part white chalk paint with one part water and wipe the mixture onto your dresser. Before the paint dries, quickly wipe it off again to reveal the wood grain and detailing underneath. If you already have some leftover white paint, make a DIY chalk paint with one simple addition: baking soda. You can leave your credenza as is or add a layer of Jolie Clear Finishing Wax.