Painting furniture is a great way to add a personalized touch to your furniture Here’s a great grey painted dressers idea if you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to give your dresser a makeover.

Get more gray painted furniture ideas here.

dressers before they were painted with grey chalk paint

This tutorial will walk you through the steps for how to transform two different dressers with homemade chalk paint and glaze. Keep reading for more information!

Table of Contents

Supplies Used for Grey Painted Dressers

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Electric Screwdriver
Krud Kutter and An Old Rag
220 Grit Sandpaper
Shop Vacuum and Tack Cloth
Clear Shellac
Respirator
Behr Latex Paint tinted to Urbane Bronze from Sherwin Williams
Calcium Carbonate Powder
Paint Filters
Wagner Double Duty Paint Sprayer
Waterbased Polyurethane
Black Glaze
Cheap Paint Brush
Lint Free Rags

Get my must-have list for painting furniture supplies here.

Prepping Before Painting Dressers

Before you start painting, there are some important steps you should take to ensure that the paint looks its best when it’s finished.

First, remove all of the hardware from the dresser. I love my little electric screwdriver for this. It makes it so easy and painless.

Then give it a good cleaning with Krud Kutter. Learn more about cleaning furniture before painting here.

Once the dresser is clean, lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper, then clean up the dust with a shop vacuum and a tack cloth. Learn all about the importance of sanding before painting here.

To prevent bleedthrough stains from ruining the paint job, prime with two coats of clear shellac to prevent any bleedthrough while painting.

If you want to spray like I did, here is how to prevent overspray when spray painting furniture. Learn everything you need to know about how to prepare furniture for paint here.

Painting Dressers with Chalk Paint

Now that the prep work is out of the way, it’s time to get started on painting your dresser! Check out more painted dresser ideas here.

For this project, we used Urbane Bronze from Sherwin Williams as our color of choice. I used cheap Behr latex paint and mixed it with calcium carbonate powder to turn it into homemade chalk paint.

Alternatively, you can use BB Frosch Paint Transformer Powder to make chalk paint from latex paint. It is amazing and much better than my homemade chalk paint recipe.

Check out my honest BB Frosch Paint Transformer Review to learn more about the features, and pros and cons of this product.

I sprayed it on using my Wagner Double Duty paint sprayer for a smooth brush-free finish. Read through this post on painting furniture with a sprayer to learn more.

**Update: I’ve tried a lot of sprayers since I painted these dressers. Here’s my list of the best HVLP paint sprayers for furniture.

Sealing Chalk Paint with Polyurethane

Once you have applied two coats of paint, it’s time to seal it with waterbased polyurethane. This will protect the paint from scratches and dirt while also giving it an extra shine.

But, since I wanted to add some black glaze over the chalk paint, the coat of waterbased polyurethane was used to help the glaze not soak into the paint too fast.

I sprayed a coat or two of the waterbased polyurethane onto the dressers with my paint sprayer. Learn how to spray polyurethane here.

Glazing Over Chalk Paint

If you want your finished product to have an extra pop of depth and detail, consider adding a black glaze over the chalk paint.

Check out my comparison between glaze vs wax over chalk paint to learn more.

closeup of the urbane bronze painted dresser with black glaze

To learn more about how this technique works, check out our YouTube video on glazing over chalk paint below!

Learn more about how to glaze over chalk paint here!

Sealing the Glaze

Once you have added the glaze, seal your glaze with waterbased polyurethane so that the glaze doesn’t easily get scratched or ruined over time.

Then let everything dry before enjoying your grey painted dressers! We painted the hardware in the same finish as the dresser, removing the hardware and painting them separately.

closeup of the gray painted dressers with black glaze

full view of the grey painted dressers side by side

More Before And After Makeovers

Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

sideview of the grey chalk painted dressers

Glazing furniture is the perfect way to bring out the character and add even more charm to the finish. I couldn’t be happier with these mismatched nightstands!

Learn more about the finishing touches of painting furniture here.

Does Chalk Paint Have to Be Sealed?

Applying a coating of waterbased polyurethane when you finish painting with chalk paint is an important step for any DIY project. Here’s how to apply polycrylic to painted furniture.

Chalk paint has a matte, porous finish that can easily get dirty and stains from spills may be impossible to remove if left unsealed.

Taking the time to seal your painted surface not only enhances the look but also makes it washable and more durable.

With just one extra step in the process, you can be sure that after all your hard work, your project will last and you won’t be frustrated by dirt and messes.

Learn more about topcoats for painting furniture here.

How to Paint Furniture without Brush Marks

Painting furniture without leaving brush marks doesn’t have to mean splurging on a paint sprayer.

To get great results, invest in a high quality paint brush, such as a Cling On, Country Chic, or Staalmeester paint brush.

If the paint you are using is water-based, thin it out with 5-10% of water before brushing it onto the furniture in thin layers.

This approach will give you a nice finish, free of brush marks – and all without having to break the bank! Learn more tips for how to paint furniture without brush marks here.

Whether you’ve been wanting to repurpose old furniture or just add some color and texture into your home decor, painting furniture is one of the most fun ways to do so!

And by following these easy steps for how to paint a grey painted dresser you now have all of the necessary tools for creating something timeless that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Happy painting!