Painted French Dresser Makeover

Yes, another dresser makeover! I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands these days and so lots of time to paint things. I purchased two different solid wood dressers off of Facebook marketplace. The first dresser I painted a soft bluish gray and blended two colors together on the drawer front. I sold that dresser within 10 minutes of posting it! This dresser I haven’t decided whether I want to keep or sell just yet. Either way, it turned out beautifully so here’s a full tutorial for my latest painted French dresser makeover.

Chalk Paint Dragged Technique

French Antique Dresser BEFORE

The dresser was actually in good shape overall. A few scratches and stains on its original finish, but otherwise ready to paint! I think I feel in love with in the second I saw the beautiful onlays on the drawers….

How to Create a Dragged Look

Supplies:

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• Mineral Spirits
• Wood Putty or Bondo
• Dixie Belle Slick Stick (optional)
• Annie Sloan French Linen Chalk Paint
• Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint (the new formula)
• Annie Sloan Paris Grey Chalk Paint (the new formula)
• Annie Sloan Clear Wax
• Round Wax Brush
• Flat Paint Brush
• Misting Bottle
• Lint Free Rags
• Rub ‘n Buff – European Gold (optional)

Step 1: Clean, Fill, Sand, Tape, Prime

Step 2: Paint Base Color

Pro Tip:

As you’re painting, keep a misting bottle handle to spray the paint if it starts to dry and drag on the brush. This is especially helpful when doing a large surface area, like the top, and you need to paint all the way across without stopping on the final pass.

Step 3: Prepare Your Paint Mix

The next coat of paint is a 50/50 mix of Paris Grey and Old White. A little goes a long way so I used 4 oz. of each for this dresser and still had way too much! You can use a tupperware, cup, bucket, bowl, etc. to mix your paint. Once you mix the two paints together, dilute the mixture by adding water until the consistency is much like water.

Pro Tip:

• If you add too little water, your paint will stick the the surface and be hard to wipe off in Step 4. If that’s the case, add more water.
• If you add too much water, leave your mixture outside in the sun so that some water evaporates. You can also cover it and leave it in the refridgerator for a couple of hours.

Step 4: Wax

Step 5: Paint Mixture

Using a flat brush, apply your 50/50 paint mixture to the wet wax area. You don’t need to section the piece completely. I found that I liked to paint more in the middle and not the edges. Only paint in one direction and one section at a time.

Step 6: Wipe

Step 7: Add Gold Details

I squeezed a dime-sized amount of Rub ‘n Buff European Gold onto a paper plate and applied it using a Q-Tip. A little goes a long way.

Step 7: Wax

Once the paint is dry, add a coat of Clear Wax to seal the entire piece. If this is something that will get a lot of wear on the top, consider using a top coat such as Dixie Belle Clear Coat or Dixie Belle Gator Hide.

Painted French Dresser – AFTER

With its new neutral paint job, it’ll fit in with my house better (or someone else’s if I decide to sell it). What I love about the color French Linen is that although it is gray, it’s a warm brown-gray and so it looks beautiful with other wood tones, or in this case, it’s gold accents.

Below, you can better see the 50/50 paint mix. Again, I used a subtle amount but I am on the hunt for another piece of furniture that I can be heavier-handed with!

The Rub ‘n Buff is so easy to use for a worn glimmer of gold detailing. I chose European Gold which has more brown to it, but there are tons of shade options available!

I love a good vignette so this was a great opportunity to put together something fun using ironstone, antique books, and my magnifying glass collection! And let’s talk about the plant….that is a faux plant from Pottery Barn and it was totally worth the price! It’s the absolute best faux plant I own.

I originally planned to replace all of the hardware, but then decided to keep the big drawer handles and just tone them down with a quick wash of the 50/50 paint mix. I did replace the knobs, though, but also gave them a paint wash.

This technique truly is super easy and give more depth and character to the piece than if I had simply painted it French Linen. Next time, I might add a bit more of the 50/50 and might try out some Dark Wax on it!