Sometimes I find a fabulous deal at a rummage sale and just have to bring it home even though I have no idea at the time where I will use the piece of furniture or how I will refinish it. This is exactly what happened with this mid-century styled dresser I found for only $20.
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$20 Rummage Sale Makeover
The dresser was a little wonky and was missing the back piece but for that price I knew I could easily find a replacement for the back and remake this dresser in to something new and fabulous.
I just didn’t know exactly how at the time. The reality was that it just went to our own garage to wait for me to get around to it.
Here are a couple of before photos of the dresser.


$20 Rummage Sale Dresser Makeover
For this project you will need:
- 120 and 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Primer
- Polyacrylic
- Paint Brushes
- Latex paint in your choice of colors
The dresser has a thin layer of veneer and not solid wood so I was unable to do a lot of sanding away of the original finish. Instead I just sanded it down enough to give the primer something to stick to using first the 120 grit sandpaper and then a second time with the 220 grit sandpaper.
Decor Steals HUGE Dry Erase Wall Calendar on special!
For the outer surfaces of the dresser I used Behr Moon Rise in semi-gloss and then the drawer fronts are painted in Valspar Mediterranean Caramel in Satin.
After applying two coats of primer, I applied three coats of the Valspar Mediterranean Carmel and three coats of the Polyacrylic finish in Satin.


I loved the look of the old brassy handles for the dresser and really didn’t want to change those out so I used them without any changes to the finish.
This dresser has now found a new home in my daughter’s bedroom.
2021 Update: This dresser was updated again!
Dresser Makeover with MMS Milk Paint
“Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.” Proverbs 11: 14
Very good ^^
Wow! What a transformation — from an ugly duckling into a swan!
IT looks great! Redoing a dresser is on my to do list, hopefully, I’ll get to it soon! #HomeMattersParty
Thanks Emily. Good luck on your own project.
What a great transformation, I love thrifted makeovers and I’ve done a few myself. Thanks for linking up to Waste Not Wednesday Link Party! Come back and share more great projects.
Thanks Toni. I look forward to more linkups. Thanks for hosting.
Fantastic makeover! I love the colour that you used! Thank you so much for sharing your project over at Waste Not Wednesday! Look forward to seeing you again this week 🙂
Thanks Sam. Thanks for hosting the linkup.
Great make over! I too have a dressing in my basement waiting for a makeover and this post inspires!
Thanks for visiting Ali. Sometimes you just have to wait on a piece until inspiration hits you. I always seem to have several in the basement waiting on me too.