Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

View Original

Refacing Drawer Fronts For An Updated Look

Nicole Culbertson | Thirteen Hundred North

Using Wooden Pole Wrap To Reface Drawer Fronts

One of the things I love the most about refinishing furniture is the fact that I get to explore colors I would not normally get to try out in my own home. It allows me to experiment with all kinds of design styles that might not be my personal style but that I love.

Mid-century furniture is one of my favorite styles to get my hands on and rework, because it lets me play with a sleek and more contemporary design style than what I have in my own 1870’s farmhouse. Mid-century pieces are a little more difficult to come by in my area of the country, so I try to find pieces with clean lines and rework them to fit a more MCM (mid-century modern) aesthetic.

Inspiration

About a year ago, I refinished a mid-century style dresser using half-round trim pieces to flute the top drawer, and it was something I had been thinking about doing again when the right piece came along.

I found this solid wood dresser, and I loved the simple lines and the price was right, but it was in rough shape. The drawer fronts were chipped, there were huge pieces of veneer missing, and the legs were in much worse shape than I realized when I had picked it up.

I could have taken the time to use Bondo® and wood fill each and every issue on the drawer fronts and legs, but I thought this would be the perfect candidate to try a fluted refacing technique using pole wrap. I had seen a few examples of people using a flexible wood wrap that was intended for wrapping basement support poles and applying them to their drawer fronts, and I wanted to give it a shot. I ran to Home Depot and found a similar wood wrap to what I had seen, and I got to work!

Materials And Supplies

Cleaning and Repairs:

  • Dawn Dish Soap

  • Scrubbing Sponge

  • Vacuum

  • Microfiber towels

  • 220 grit sandpaper 

  • Orbital Sander

  • Putty knife

  • Drill

  • Wood glue

Painting and Finishing:

Finishing Touches:

  • Gold draw pulls with mother of pearl detail

  • Gold furniture legs

  • Peel and stick wallpaper for drawer lining

Cleaning And Repairs

I started work on this piece by removing the old hardware, and then I removed the veneer from the drawer fronts using a putty knife. The veneer came off easily, but that is not always the case.

I could have just refaced the drawers right over the top of the old drawer fronts; however, there were some large areas of veneer missing, and I was worried it might be uneven, so I opted to remove it. Removing the veneer also left me with a very dry and rough surface which provided a great surface to glue the pole wrap to. If you are not going to be removing veneer before gluing on your new facing, I would suggest sanding with 60-grit sandpaper to really give the surface some "teeth" and ensure your wood glue lasts a very long time.

Then, I vacuumed out the interior of the dresser and drawers. I removed the old base and legs using a drill. I then scrubbed the entire piece down inside and out using warm soapy water, a sponge, and microfiber washcloths. There were a few areas of veneer on the sides that needed a bit of wood glue and a few deeper scratches that I filled with wood putty before sanding.

Sanding

Sanding this piece was fairly simple. It had very clean lines, and I only needed to scuff sand, so I used a 220-grit paper on my orbital sander. I did an all-over sand of the body and drawers, and I also sanded the base of the piece, so I had a perfectly flat surface for my new furniture legs. I wiped everything clean with a damp rag and let it dry before starting to paint.

Painting

I was so excited to get my hands on the new Miss Mustard Seed's® MilkPaint™ in Carolina Dune! I LOVE a good neutral, and it did not disappoint!! I really thought the color would compliment the raw oak wood tone on the drawer fronts.

I mixed the paint as directed using 1:1 MilkPaint™ powder to warm water. I did add a few drops of the anti-foaming agent MilkMix-EZ™ to eliminate any foaming for a perfectly smooth finish. I let my paint sit and cool for a few minutes, gave it another stir, and added MilkGrip™ Bonding Agent because I wanted zero chipping for a sleek and modern finish.

I applied the paint using a synthetic brush in smooth and even strokes. It is very hot and humid here this week, so I lightly misted the paint with water to smooth my brush strokes after I had the paint applied to the entire flat surface I was working on.

I ended up using two coats of paint for this piece.

Refacing Using Pole Wrap

I have seen many brilliant ways to reface dresser drawers, but the fluted look of the pole wrap product really caught my eye. It ended up being incredibly easy to work with and apply. I started out by measuring my drawer fronts and using my miter saw to cut the pole wrap to length. Before applying each section, I rolled out the wrap and cut them to width using a utility knife. The bendable backing was very easy to cut through with the knife. I applied each new drawer front using a very liberal amount of wood glue, clamping, then placing a few heavy objects on top to make sure the surfaces pressed into each other.

After the glue had dried, I went over all of the edges with a 220-grit sanding block to eliminate any splintered wood from the saw, and to scuff the surface a bit before sealing the wood.

Sealing

I lightly sanded the painted body of the dresser using 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the finish. Then, I sealed the entire piece using Miss Mustard Seed's® MilkCoat™ in Matte. I used a paintbrush to apply the finish using two coats on the painted body and on the drawer fronts. I applied three coats to the top of the piece for added durability. 

The Details

I wanted a knob that would really pop against the wood fronts, and that would blend well with the paint color. I settled on a gold pull with a mother of pearl center. It really added a feminine touch to the piece.

I then added new gold legs with a sleek design. The base of this piece did not need any modifications to add the legs, which was such a nice change! I sometimes must build out the base to make the new legs work. I then added a peel-and-stick wallpaper for the drawer liners, and the piece was ready for staging! 

Staging

There was a very subtle hint of pink in the drawer pulls, so I brought in a little color with a framed picture and a fun patterned pot. I wanted lots of neutral texture for a more boho feel, so I created a small basket wall and added some dried grasses. A beautiful vining plant added a little drama and balanced out my photos!

Conclusion

Overall, this was a very straightforward furniture makeover. That rarely happens! There were next to no repairs, the veneer removal was simple, and the added legs needed no extra work. The paint and finish went on seamlessly. It has been a while since I have had a flip go that smoothly if I am being honest.

I think by simply refacing the drawers, adding paint, new hardware, and new legs, this piece is nearly unrecognizable from the before pictures. This is a look that is beginner-friendly, and I encourage you to try this out on your next project!