If you have a dresser, whether a brand new or an old one, it adds charm & long-lasting storage space that is usually needed in your bedroom. The dresser at your home may not be as stylish as you would like it to be, but don't worry you can make it stylish & freshen it up with a shabby-chic treatment by applying a coat of homemade whitewash. Whitewashing is an easy technique that you can perform yourself & that is why this is a do it yourself project. To perform whitewash, it is very important to remove the already present stain from the dresser as whitewashing can not be done over the pre-existing stain. It is due to the reason that the already present stain or finish will create a hurdle & which in turn will not be able to stick to the wood perfectly.
Step By Step Process & Items Needed To Whitewash A Dresser
To whitewash your dresser & make it look very attractive, you first need to collect some of the items required to perform this task before going through the step by step process carefully:
Items Needed
- Plastic Tablecloth Or Tarp & Newspaper
- Fine-Grit Sanding Block & Softcloths
- Painter's Tape, Bucket & Water
- Flat White Latex Paint
- Stir Stick & Paintbrush
Step By Step Process
- First of all, you need to take care of the surface of work by protecting it from paint. To do this, cover the area with the help of a plastic tablecloth or tarp & then wrap the tarp with a piece of newspaper in order to assist in absorbing liquids & get rid of dust after sanding.
- Now, start the sanding process with the help of fine-grit sanding block & make sure to sand the entire dresser surface including its drawer fronts in order to roughen the already existing finish. Sanding will assist in sticking the whitewash perfectly & then rub the surface with the help of a soft cloth to eliminate the dust.
- Next, if in case you don't want to paint any particular section of the dresser, then wrap that section with the help of a painter's tape. While painting the drawer fronts or the area around it, if you are having difficulty then you can detach the drawer fronts from the dresser & position them on the newspaper & then paint them with ease.
- Then, position the bucket on the newspaper & then mix at least an inch of water & paint in it. Make an ideal paint mixture that you like for your own ideal blend. Open and blend the latex paint with the help of a stir stick. Pour some latex paint into the water in the bucket, but make sure to use twice the paint as water for a sturdy, more non-transparent mixture, or half as much paint as water for a very fine, semi-transparent whitewash.
- Now, saturate a paintbrush in this whitewashed solution & then start painting the entire dresser surface with the help of parallel brush strokes. After this, if you are completely satisfied with the whitewash, then you need to let your dress dry fully. If in case the whitewash looks a little bit sturdy, then cleanse the dresser with the help of a clean, soft cloth, due to the reason that it will reveal the original dresser finish. Give the dresser some time to dry completely.
- Next, if necessary, you can apply one more coat of whitewash, exactly the same way as you applied the first whitewash coat, then make it to dry fully. If you want, you can also perform the sanding process on the corners as well as the edges of the dresser in order to give it a more charming look, however, it is optional.
Useful Tips
- In order to keep the blend consistent during the painting process, make sure to mix the whitewash at a regular interval.
- Before performing the whitewash on the dresser, it is necessary to test it on a piece of cardboard or wood, so that you will be able to know the whitewash ratio whether it is good or you need more paint.
- A clear polyurethane coat safeguards the dresser or you can leave it as it is in order to wear naturally because it will increase the look of the dresser.