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7 DIY Solutions to Update a Dresser

 

7 DIY Solutions to Update a Dresser
By Satinder Haer of Zillow

Remember that feeling when you first moved into your new home? The empty space meant endless décor and furniture options. After you’ve lived in the same place for a while, seeing the same décor day after day can get dull. You might start itching to find a new house, but if moving isn’t in the cards, sometimes just updating key pieces of your décor can alleviate the itch. New furniture can be costly though. Sprucing up more classic items, such as antiques, can be just as effective as buying a new one, but much cheaper.

Try these do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions to update your current dresser for just a few bucks. In less than a day or at the most, a weekend, you can take an ordinary piece of furniture and turn it into designer bedroom décor.

1. Improve with Paint

Undoubtedly, paint is one of the easiest ways to spruce up a dresser on a budget. If you’re interested in an overall transformation, paint the entire dresser a new, solid color. It’s astounding how much a solid shade of white or a peppy turquoise can liven up a formerly stained wood dresser.

To prep a dresser for paint, you’ll want to sand down any uneven surfaces and remove all the hardware. Then, coat the dresser with a quality primer. Once dry, you’re ready for the paint.

2. Color Blocks or Patterns

For something more visually interesting, paint the frame of the dresser a solid color, and make all the drawers an accent shade. Similarly, you can use painter’s tape to create a chevron pattern or painting stencils on the drawers for a dynamic twist.

3. Style with Ombre

To achieve a more dramatic look with paint, an ombre effect can quickly make your dresser the centerpiece of a room. Paint the frame one solid color and each drawer a progressively darker shade of that initial hue. The ombre technique introduces a spectrum of accents to a room or heightens the effect of a monochromatic scheme. For example, a grey-toned room is complemented by using shades of progressively darkening grey on the dresser. Experiment with paint samples for the perfect final product.

dresser2-zillow
Source: Deborah Bettcher Decorating Den of Zillow Digs™

4. Swap Your Hardware

New drawer knobs can radically alter the look of a dresser and the upgrade options are endless. After painting your dresser you may realize the style of your previous hardware no longer fits your dresser’s fresh, new look. Even if you decide not to paint your dresser, sparkly new hardware can give it a face-lift.

While it’s easy to find hundreds of different knobs online or at home improvement stores, you can also get creative and use old card catalog pulls, rope or metal address numbers. If you find the right hardware, but it’s the wrong color, a quick spritz of spray paint can help you achieve your desired effect.

5. Use non-traditional items

For a more artful touch, use vintage luggage stacked and add a mirrored top like this!

Related post: How to Make Chalk Finish Paint

6. Add Design to Drawers, inside and out

Consider adding design to the entire outer area of the dresser. Also drawer interiors for discrete pops of color or the exterior-facing sides of your drawers for bold flair. Instead of opening the drawer to the same repetitive color, line the inside or sides with patterned wallpaper. If you don’t have any wallpaper handy, paint the sides and inside of the drawers a contrasting or deeper shade of the exterior color. The unexpected pop will make digging around your drawers more exciting.

7. Ditch the Drawers

Remove the drawers if paint or wallpaper just doesn’t seem like enough of a transformation for your dresser. Take your drawers out of the dresser frame and replace them with appropriately-sized baskets. You can match the style of the baskets to the rest of your room and enjoy the same storage benefits of drawers. Or, just use the drawer frame like a shelf for an exposed, unique look. The raw look sometimes requires the installation of wood boards to create shelves in place of the drawers.

Updating home décor pieces can be a fantastic way to freshen up the look and feel of your home. If these DIY dresser solutions have you in a home improvement mood, check out Zillow Digs for more home project inspiration.

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