Black Vintage Farmhouse Dresser

Today we’re talking all about how to paint a dresser black and how to replace a dresser top with this black vintage farmhouse dresser makeover.

Get more Black Painted Furniture Ideas here!

wood dresser before painting and replacing the top

I was in search of a dresser to replace an adorable little desk in our room. Then I found this dresser just a week later! It was close to perfect! All real wood, except for the top. Ugh! Why why why do manufacturers do that?!

I could have simply painted the pressed wood top. But I wanted a beautiful wood-stained top and I wasn’t going to get that with a pressed wood fake top.

Plus I try to stay away from pressed wood as much as possible! It just doesn’t hold up as well as good ole real wood does.

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Table of Contents

Supplies Used:

Black Dresser with Wood Top

I ran to Home Depot to grab an edge-glued wood panel.

I love this stuff because it’s beautiful wood all the way through, unlike plywood. And it looks farmhouse with different wood slats put together! Win-win!

I asked an employee there to cut the wood down for me so I wouldn’t have to do it when I got home.

When I got back home I unscrewed the old top off and then went to work prepping and painting the base of the dresser.

How to Paint a Dresser Black

I chose Liquorice by Country Chic Paint even though I feel like I’m constantly using this stuff these days! I LOVE it!

Check out the best matte black paint for furniture.

I used the Painting Sponge from Country Chic Paint to paint on thin layers. It also created a weathered finish where the wood slightly shows through in just a few places.

Then I distressed the edges and sealed the paint with Varethane Polyurethane in Satin.

That thing is the best tool if you are looking for a brush-free finish without the use of a paint sprayer. See the painting sponge in action here.

Check out the Best HVLP Paint Sprayers for Furniture here.

If you have a paint sprayer, and want an easier way to paint black furniture with a topcoat built into the paint, check out The Easiest way to Paint Black Furniture.

black painted dresser with the top removed

Replacing a Dresser Top

I used the router and my favorite router bit to give the new top some detail around the edges.

Then I sanded and stained the wood with Special Walnut wood stain. Then sealed it up with more polyurethane for extra durability.

Learn what’s the best polyurethane for furniture here.

You could use this natural homemade weathered wood stain to give your wood a weathered wood look!

Once everything was dry, my husband helped me screw the new top back in place. We used the old screws and screw holes in the dresser.

That’s probably the trickiest part!

Make sure it stays exactly where it needs to be by putting a lot of weight on the top and screwing it in. But it’s sooo worth it!

close view of black vintage dresser with wood top

black painted dresser with weathered wood top finish

To finish it all up I replaced the old hardware with fresh new gold hardware that I found at Tjmaxx.

To me, the hardware is what gives neutral furniture its own personality. I love picking hot and trendy hardware to give it an updated modern flair.

full view of black farmhouse dresser with wood top

And hey, when that trend has passed, it’s easy to switch the hardware to something fresh!

Thankfully these drawers were set up for knobs already! But if I needed to replace two-hole hardware, I would have filled in the old hardware holes!

I’m so excited for the extra storage space since we never actually used the desk as a desk like we thought we would.