midcentury dresser makeover

I have a new love, Ikea. Habitat for Humanity Restore. I happened to visit one the other day, and I stumbled upon this mid-century era credenza. And when I tell you how much I paid for it, you’ll fall in love with the Restore, too. And just take a look at this midcentury dresser makeover!

Ten dollars. Solid wood with laminate overlay. One wobbly drawer. And a price tag that works for me. 

I’m currently furnishing a new art studio on a very small budget, and this credenza is perfect for storage. So even though there’s plenty of tutorials to be found on restoring laminate and veneer furniture, I doubt there’s one with as cute of a model. So I must share.

Here’s how it all went down.

step 1 – sanding

This piece was in fairly good shape (except for tightening a few loose screws), so it only required a light sanding.

step 2 – remove doors and drawers

step 3 – prime and paint

Even though most tutorials suggest starting with a coat of Kilz oil-based primer, I like learning from my mistakes. So I used a white paint/primer combo in a satin finish. Although it worked fine, I did have to apply about 4 coats because of slight browns “bleeding through.” Next time, I’ll use an oil-based primer.

The drawers were in good shape, so I simply gave them a good cleaning and polish. 

step 4 – seal the top

Everything in my studio is a workhorse (except the dog), so I coated the top with a thick layer of clear Polyurethane. 

Now that I’ve learned for myself how easy and trans-formative it is to paint laminate, I’m ready to try a more sophisticated project. For now, though, this midcentury dresser makeover is just what my studio needs.

If you’re into great retro finds, check out my midcentury modern series.