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Have you ever wanted to buy new bedroom furniture, but just didn’t have the budget?! I totally feel you if you do! The dressers in my bedroom were a bit outdated. I was tired of the dark brown wood look of them. So instead of buying new dressers, I researched how to update the dressers to give them a whole new look! The great thing is that I figured out how to paint them without sanding. Win!
What’s awesome about updating your dressers is that there is no sanding or priming. Double whammy! Also, the process is super easy and it saved me a ton of money! Plus, it took only one day to paint two dressers!
What You Need To Paint Your Dresser Without Sanding
- Krud Kutter or any multipurpose cleaner
- Americana Décor Chalky Finish paint in the color Relic
- Americana Décor Ultra Matte Varnish
- Sanding block
- Paint brushes
Prep Work
First things first, I cleared everything off and out of my dresser, and took the handles off the drawers. I liked the handles that were on the dressers but you could totally update these to give your dressers a brand new look!
Next, I scrubbed the dressers really well. I used Krud Kutter and sprayed it on the dresser and then used a microfiber cloth to really scrub and get both dressers clean. Anywhere where I was going to put paint, I cleaned. I made sure to clean the surface of the dressers as well as I could so that the paint had a good smooth and clean surface to adhere to. This was super important since I didn’t sand or prime the dressers.
Now it was time to take all of the drawers out and doors off. I completed this project in my bedroom, so I placed a plastic barrier on the floor and put the drawers on top with the drawer face facing up. It was easiest to paint them this way.
Time To Paint!
Now’s the time to put on a movie and start painting away! I was watching The Greatest Showman while painting (I looove this movie!). There’s definitely no need to do this, I just like to have background noise while I’m working!
I started painting the drawers first. I used a two inch generic paint brush for this project and it worked great! You don’t need anything fancy to complete this project, whatever kind of paint brush you like. You could use a roller if you like, I personally feel I have more control with a brush. I only painted the front part of the drawer face that you can see when in the dresser.
Once I did my first coat on all the drawers, it was time to work on the actual dressers themselves. I worked my way from one side to the other, painting the sides of the dresser, the front, and the top. Definitely do whatever works for you, it doesn’t matter the order! Since my dresser had two small doors on it, I put those on top of four cans on the kitchen table. This made it way easier to paint.
Once that first initial coat was finished, I let the paint completely dry before going on to the next coat. You could still see a little bit of the wood poking through the paint.
Time For The Second Coat
After the first coat of paint had dried, I ran my hand over it to feel for any bumps or uneven spots. That’s where this handy little sanding block came in! It worked really well to smooth out the surface before putting on the next coat of paint! Once I was satisfied with how the dressers looked, I used a clean paper towel to wipe off any residue from sanding. Once that was all clean, it was time to move on to the next coat!
I did the same exact thing that I had done before with the first coat. I painted the drawers and dressers in the same order. This second coat did the job for me! I was satisfied with how it looked! It covered all of the dark wood, and now the dressers had a beautiful gray look to them!
Let It Dry!
After completing the second coat of paint, it was time to wait for them to completely dry. I waited about an hour and a half to two hours before checking them again. Once they were dry, I felt the surface with my hand again to see if there were any unnecessary bumps. I took the sander block and smoothed out a couple spots very gently! Once I thought the dressers looked good, I wiped off any dust from sanding.
Top Coat Application Is So Important When You Paint Your Dresser Without Sanding!
Now I put the Ultra Matte Varnish as a top coat on the dressers. This is so important when you paint your dresser without sanding! This stuff was awesome because it didn’t change the color and it has helped the dressers uphold the test of time. After this I waited for the varnish to dry completely.
Put Everything Back Together!
Once the dressers were dry it was time to put everything back together! Once I put all the drawers back in and the doors back onto the dresser, it looked so good! Something about it being all put together really made the dressers look awesome! I put the handles back onto the drawers and door, and voila! The dressers were complete! They looked brand new and I am very impressed with how they turned out!
Paint Your Dresser Without Sanding – Final Results!
It has been a little over a year since I painted the dressers, and they still look really good! They have the chalk paint feel to them, but I don’t mind that. I like the vintage and distressed look! They are easy to clean and the paint stays in place when I have to scrub them. I have spilled food and drinks on the dressers, and I have been able to clean both and you can’t tell anything was ever spilled! That’s my kind of paint job!
If you give this ‘how to paint your dresser without sanding’ method a try on your own dressers or any piece of furniture, definitely let me know! I would love to hear how it went, and answer any questions you may have!
Until next time!
ps. Be sure to check out my other DIY painting projects!
