Tutorial: Painted Antique Dresser

I decided to use my grandmother's antique dresser for the nursery. However, before it came into my care it already had some pretty bad watermarks from plants on the top (easily 1/8" deep!), handles were broken and missing, and some of the drawers were coming apart. Overall, it needed a lot of love in order to be able to function on a day-to-day basis. Even now I'm not convinced that the bottom two drawers will be up to the task given that they require two hands to be opened --- but it will look great!

Before

After

Instructions

Prep the dresser

Depending on  the condition of your dresser, some of these steps can be skipped. This is by far the piece of furniture that was in the worst condition of all that I've refinished, so it required all of these steps prior to painting it.

• Use a screwdriver to remove the handles from each drawer. I also had to remove the keyholes using a very small flat screwdriver to pry out the nails without breaking the keyholes.
• Remove each drawer and assess whether the bottom is solid. In my case, the two large bottom drawers were not. Flip each drawer over. The way that this particular dresser is made, the bottom slides out and is tacked in place along the back edge of the drawer using nails. I removed the small nails using the back of a hammer and slid the bottom of the drawer out. I then applied glue to the three other edges. Finally, I slid it back in as tightly as possible and used the hammer to replace the nails along the back edge.
  

  Corner glued back in place

  Nails tacked back in after glueing the drawer

• Fill in any noticeable gaps with wood filler. You can just use your finger to get it into the gap and to ensure that it leaves a smooth surface. Here's a picture of a finished edge along which I used wood filler. The entire side had a gap, you can still see a small spot along the top edge that I missed if you look closely. 

  

  The result of using wood filler

• Smooth out marks using polyfill. I had two big circle watermarks that were very deep, and the wood filler just didn't work well for these. Instead use a large spatula and polyfill, just as if you're filling in a wall dent prior to painting. Once dry, sand it smooth using fine grit sandpaper. You might want to perform this step twice to get a smoother finish.
• Once the wood filler and polyfill are dry, sand the rest of the dresser lightly. This is especially important if it has a shiny finish as mine did. 

Prime

In the past I've skipped the primer, but because this dresser was so shiny I didn't want to risk it. Additionally, given that the dresser is going into the nursery I chose to use a zero VOC primer for this task.

Using a brush, apply primer to all of the detailed edges and gaps. Then, use a foam roller for all of the large surfaces including the front of the drawers.

Only one coat of primer is necessary. Wait an appropriate amount of time according to the primer's directions prior to painting the first coat of paint. I waited overnight.

Paint

Pour paint into a small paint tray which will also work for the foam roller. Using a brush, apply paint to the detailed edges and gaps of one side. Ideally before it dries, use the foam roller to apply paint to the large areas connected to this section. Because the paint I selected is meant for cabinets, it's self levelling, so painting the edges and the large surfaces at the same time creates a smoother finish. Repeat until you've painted all areas of the dresser and drawer.

Don't forget to paint some of the area inside the dresser! Depending on the fit of the drawers, some of it will show. You may want to mark these out with a pencil so you know where to stop. If the inside of your dresser is nice and straight, you can also use painter's tape to get a clean line. In my case, given all of the curves I decide to eyeball it instead of striving for perfection.

Paint inside the dresser to ensure no wood shows when the drawer is closed

Let dry according to paint instructions. If you're not sure, 24 hours is usually a good guess.

Sand very lightly between coats using very fine sandpaper. Wipe with a clean damp cloth and let dry prior to applying the next coat of paint.

Paint the second coat of paint similarly to the first. If you notice any spots you missed the first time, paint them first so that you can go over them again as you complete your second coat.

Bringing it all together

One of the knobs was broken, so I had to replace both of them. I went to every antique store relatively close to downtown Ottawa, and the only store I was able to find which had any handles was Yardley's Antiques. It took scouring through multiple drawers, but I landed upon these knobs, which are a little lighter in colour than the original but I decided I would tolerate anyway.

New knob to replace broken one

Additionally, I was missing a handle for one of the large drawers, so I chose to replace two of them (but not all!) to get a more consistent look. Luckily I still have the pull holders for either end, so I only needed to find the dangling handle part which proved to make the task easier, though not as straightforward as I'd hoped. I found knobs that I thought would work at Yardley's, but they were too large by a mere 1/8". We tried to drill the hole a tad bit larger to make it fit, but there was no way that it would be possible to pull the handle up, so we decided to look for another alternative.

My parents were kind enough to try a store in Montreal, Spazio Antiquités Architecturales, where they came upon these two options:

Option 1 on the top: Preferred because of the detail and the color to help pull in the new knobs, but slightly large

Option 2 on the right: Simpler and more likely to fit the dresser

Since the 1/8" of an inch made a difference the first time, they purchased both with the promise that they could return the set that didn't fit. Turns out only Option 2 fit, so there was no decision to be made! Below you can see the new handles on the middle drawer, alongside the old handles on the bottom drawer.

Above: Installed replacement handle
Below: The original handle

If the inside of your drawers needs a lift, you can also make drawer liners as I did.

Et voila! a beautiful dresser and change table to be!

Finished dresser

Material and Tools

Paint, I used Benjamin Moore ADVANCE® Waterborne Interior Alkyd Paint in Bahama Green because its Low VOC. An alternative I've used in the past which is slightly higher VOC but claims to be very resilient and prevents chipping is CIL Smart3 for Furniture and Cabinets.

Primer, I used CIL Premium Primer Sealer for Interiors because its Zero VOC. 

Replacement knobs and handles for any that are broken or missing

Screwdriver

Wood filler (optional)
Polyfill (optional)

Medium and fine grit sandpaper
Hammer (optional)
Wood glue (optional)

Using BabyList for your Baby Registry

After realizing how much stuff you need when you have a baby, I decided to have a traditional baby shower. Also, the older I get the more I appreciate reasons for bringing my friends and family together for a party they can't make excuses to get out of!

I immediately knew that registering at Toys'R'Us wasn't going to work for me, since they don't always have the best prices and they don't carry every brand. That's when I stumbled onto BabyList.

About BabyList

BabyList allows you to put anything onto your baby registry from any store. It can also link to other baby registries.

If you decide to go with this option, you really need to decide the best way to use it for you. There are two main options, of which I chose a hybrid.

Option 1: Use it to link to other registries

Don't include any individual items on the BabyList registry, just link to multiple other registries as you create them on each individual site.

The upside to this approach is that you benefit from any perks that these other registries might have. for instance, Toys'R'Us gives you a welcome package with samples, coupons and even a bottle to use when baby is born. Moreover, some registries have completion discounts, so you can purchase anything you don't receive at your shower for a discount, usually about 10%.

The downside is that people have to wade through multiple registries to decide what to get you, and they can't just print off a single list. But they can decide on a store that conveniently located for them and head off to that store and get the staff there to help them, which some people will appreciate.

This is what this option looks like. You'll see that you can optionally add comments for each registry, as I did for Amazon.ca.

Option 2: Individually list each item on BabyList

With this approach, each item is listed on your BabyList registry, so people have one single consolidated list to print and purchase from. Additionally, you can list up to two stores for a single item, so people can decide where its most convenient to buy that item and watch out for sales.

An additional benefit is that you can be more generic with your items. Want 10 onesies size 0-3 but don't care exactly which ones you get or which store they are from? Create a generic posting and let your friends and family decide for you. You can even upload any picture you like for it.

The drawback of this approach is that you don't benefit from any of the baby registry perks you would have had you used their baby registries. Also, if you go in store to select items, you then need to manually add them to BabyList. For well known stores like Toys'R'Us they do offer one-time import options which can help with this process, but there is no ability to continuously sync between registries.

This is what this option looks like. You can see that items can be listed by category, and you can even reorganize the entire list to determine the order each item should show in.

Adding items to your registry is easy. I've added a button at the top of my browser which allows me to add any web link to my registry. Additionally, they have iPhone, iPad and Android apps that can be used. It's a little more complex, as you need to copy and paste the link into the app or browse for products directly from the app in order to add them to your registry, but it definitely works as I've used it on multiple occasions.

The hybrid approach

BabyList doesn't impose either of the above options. You can add items and list them as a baby registry or as an item in a particular category, which makes it very easy to use a hybrid approach.

If you choose to use this option, I recommend limiting the number of other baby registries you maintain to 1 or 2 as well as double listing some of the important items you want to ensure you receive, such as your car seat and crib.

For double listings, you'll need to ensure that you update the duplicate registry if the item gets purchased. For instance, if you receive a notification that an item was Reserved on BabyList, and this item is also on your Toys'R'Us registry, you'll need to log into your Toys'R'Us registry to mark it as purchased.

I originally set out to use Option 1, with a few items individually listed on BabyList. Family members had difficulty navigating the list and the feedback was that I have "nothing on my registry." I suspect in some cases they didn't understand that there were many big items on the Amazon registry that weren't listed on BabyList, so they only saw what was on the main BabyList page.

Which option should I select?

If you want the very simple approach, I'd recommend option 1. You can shop in store, manage each registry individually, and never have to log back into BabyList once you've set it up to link to your registries.

If you want to make it dead easy for family and friends to buy stuff for you and see it all on one place, I'd go with option #2. Alternatively, you could do a very simple hybrid: link to the Toys'R'Us registry and option #2. Then you get the Toys'R'Us perks and your older relatives can go in store and get a printout which they'll be happy about.

And if you want to provide the best experience to your friends and family and get the perks, go with a hybrid approach and manually sync purchased items between registries. This option is not for everyone, so be careful if deciding to do so as if you don't keep it up, you could end up with duplicate gifts.

Some other perks

Invitation Insert Cards
If you fill out the form on their website, BabyList will send you free cards to include in your invitations. These are really cute, and though I used Evite to invite people to the baby shower, I kept a few on hand to help answer questions when people asked about the registry. It really does help to make it feel official.

Customer Support
BabyList has truly outstanding customer support. They answer questions via email very quickly (always within 24 hours) and are even willing to do some of the manual porting of your registries to your BabyList registry if you're having trouble.

Notifications for Reserved Items
You can opt to receive emails when someone reserves an item for you. You can choose to check which item was purchased, and also from whom, but you don't have to. I've been choosing to see what gets purchased so I don't buy it, but not checking who purchased it so I am still surprised at the baby shower!

Tips and Tricks
BabyList sends a few emails with tips and tricks, only about one a month, which is great. At that rate, I've actually bothered to read them. They sent me one in particular which saved me $300, informing me that my insurance might cover the cost of my breast pump. As it turns out, it did. Thank you BabyList!

Discounts
If you're in the US, or willing to order products from the US, they also on occasion provide discounts for some of their partners. Americans can also benefit from the BabyList Registry Completion Discount.

Tutorial: Fabric Drawer Liners for Curved Drawers

I refinished my grandmother's dresser for the nursery, but being completely handmade and 100 years old, the bottom of the drawers wasn't very smooth for storing clothing. Hence these lovely liners!

There are various ways of making liners, I selected this one because it didn't require the liners to be glued to the bottom of each drawer in order for the liners to stay in place. This tutorial was my inspiration -- you should take a look at it for additional pictures of the stiffening step!

Completed project - Elephant drawer liners

Instructions

Create a template for each type of drawer

This dresser has two small drawers, one medium one and two very large ones. Each drawer is curved uniquely. I decided to create templates for each type, but ensured not to follow it too closely to allow for variation between the drawers.

Using newspaper, line up a square edge with the back and side of the drawer as best you can. In my case, the corner of the drawer wasn't square, so I pushed it into the corner using a fingernail and then used an exacto to cut along the seam. 

Newspaper line up to the back of the drawer, showing a small gap on the side edge

Using a fingernail to press newspaper into the edge to cut it down to the right size

For a small drawer, just press the opposite side edge of the newspaper in with a fingernail then trim with an exacto or scissors. 

If the drawer is larger than a single sheet of newspaper, take a second piece of newspaper and repeat the above for the other back corner, than tape the two together in the middle after lining up the side edges. 

At this point, you should have a large rectangular base. 

Making sure the back two corners of the newspaper are nicely aligned to the inside back of the drawer, use a pencil and your nails to press the paper into the front of the drawer to trace out the shape.

Once traced, cut to measure. I recommend leaving a little extra as you cut, its easier to remove than to add. Test it out inside the drawer and trim until it fits.

Cut the fabric into rectangles which are almost the right size

Using the templates you've created, cut rectangular pieces of fabric to just barely fit the template. Make sure to cut enough for all of the drawers, in my case I ended up with 5 rectangles. 

Use the stiffener to stiffen the fabric

Set yourself up in an easy to wipe down and well ventilated area, with rags ready to wipe up any mess. Ideally, if you have a clothes line, you'll want to do this step outside. I did it in our spare washroom, with hangers and pins lined up above the bathtub ready to hang each piece of fabric.

• Mix equal parts water and stiffener in a large bowl. Note: The bottle says to use only stiffener and to brush it on, but I followed Nalle's advice on this one.

• One liner at a time, place the full amount of fabric in the bowl and ensure its fully submerged. I didn't fold it neatly because it didn't fit in the bowl I was using. 

• Rinse the liner, trying to ring out as much of the water and stiffener as possible, while also smoothing out the fabric to prevent it from stiffening.

• Hang it or lay it flat to dry. If you hang these, you may find the top dries faster then the bottom, so you might want to rotate them half way through dying to ensure even drying speed of the entire liner.

• Before any part of the fabric is completely dry, iron the liner! I actually waited a little too long on a couple and as a result there are a few spots I couldn't iron completely flat.

• Tip: I placed an old pillow case on the ironing board to protect the ironing board cover just in case.

• Hang it back up to dry, perhaps rotating it again to ensure even drying. For the smaller liners, I laid them flat at this point. Notice below that one edge is dryer and more wavy than the other, that's from originally hanging it to dry which doesn't allow for even dying speed.

Almost dry! 

Cut to exact size

You now have large stiff rectangles of fabric to trim down to size.

• Using the correct newspaper template you created, carefully cut out the fabric with a sharp pair of scissors. Make sure the right side is up on both the template and liner! On the curved edge, you might want to allow for a bit of extra, as I found my templates to be imperfect, and each drawer to be slightly unique.

• Place the liner in the drawer, and use your fingernail to mark the exact position of the curved edge before cutting with a pair of scissors. This might take a few times to get right, just cut a little at a time

• Iron one last time before finally placing in the drawer.

A drawer and liner

Completed Project

Because I let the liners dry a little too much prior to ironing, my liners didn't turn out as perfectly ironed as Nalle's look. Luckily, no one seems to have noticed but me. :)

I simply love the extra pop these give against the bright colour of the dresser. 

Material and Tools

Fabric. I used Premier Prints Elephant Twill White/Storm.
Mod Podge Fabric Stiffener. I was able to find it at Michaels. 
Newspaper
Scissors and/or exacto knife
Iron and ironing board
Large mixing bowl
Rags

References

Nalle's House - DIY FABRIC DRAWER LINERS