The Teal Painted Dresser Makeover
Update your old worn-out antique dresser with some fun teal chalk paint! This teal painted dresser is the perfect teal – not too bright and in your face, and it has the perfect mix of blue to green. So you can paint your old furniture and use it in any room in your home!
Get more of our ideas for DIY dresser makeovers!
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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!
The Teal Painted Dresser Makeover
Give your old worn-out furniture with some fun teal chalk paint! Here's how to recreate this teal painted dresser.
Materials
Instructions
- Check the dresser for any chips and damage and fix them.
- Prep the dresser by cleaning and removing the hardware. Then apply two coats of teal paint onto it. You can either apply or brush it on.
- After the paint dries, lightly distress the edges and details.
- Now, seal the teal painted dresser with three coats of polyurethane.
- Reattach hardware back on the newly painted dresser!
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More Before and After Makeovers
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
I was in love with this dresser from the moment I saw it listed on a buy, trade, sell online group. We had a heck of a time getting it home, and ended up asking the person selling it to deliver it to our home. That was after we tried and tried to fit it into our car. haha! But that’s how badly I wanted it!
Supplies Used for the Teal Painted Dresser
- Antique Dresser to Paint
- Putty Knife to remove trim
- Wood Glue
- Krud Kutter
- Clear Shellac
- Jitterbug from Country Chic Paint
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Paint Sprayer or Paint Brush
- Polyurethane as Topcoat
Fixing Missing Trim on Dresser
If you look closely at the before photo, you can see that some of the bead detailing on the drawers were missing and there were some chips and damage in the wood.
I thought about making more of the beading by making a mold of the old detailing. And then on second thought, I wasn’t sure that I was up for all of that work with tiny details.
So I moved on to plan B. Which was pretty simple. I removed the beading on the third drawer by carefully prying it off where tiny little nails were holding it on. A super thin putty knife is perfect for this.
Then I filled in the missing beading on the 2nd and 4th drawer with the beading I had just removed from the 3rd drawer.
I cut the beading down with plyers, sanded it down a bit, and then glued it in place with wood glue. Easy peasy!!
When working with old furniture, don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit! If you don’t like the detailed trimming, you can usually easily remove it!
Learn more about how to repair broken trim on furniture here.
Painting Dresser Teal
Once the beading was fixed and the chips were repaired it was time to move on to painting the dresser! Yay!!
For this dresser, we used Jitterbug from Country Chic Paint‘s eco-friendly paint line. Thank goodness it only took half a pint of paint so I can use it for another project!
Check out more of the best blue chalk paint for furniture here.
Country Chic Paint offers high-quality no VOC chalk-style paint. They have some of the very best colors and the best part is that all of their products are eco-friendly!
Check out my honest and detailed Country Chic Paint Review here to learn more about this paint and see it in action. You can also check out my list of the top chalk paint brands here for other options.
Before I painted, I made sure to prep the dresser for paint with a few simple steps.
I know that it’s tempting to skip prep and just start painting, but if you want your paint to actually stick and last a long time, you definitely need to prep the dresser for paint.
More on how to prep furniture for a long lasting finish here.
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I sprayed two coats of Jitterbug on the entire piece with my absolute favorite little Wagner paint sprayer.
(Note: The Wagner Double Duty has been discontinued – here’s the new model, the Wagner Control Spray 250 Sprayer. But unlike the Double Duty, it doesn’t come with 2 containers or the viscosity cup. You can get this viscosity cup instead.)
I love love love my sprayer and have a few articles (and videos) on how to use it. It’s so easy and so affordable it will blow your mind!
Here’s how to thin paint for a Wagner sprayer and how to use a Wagner Double Duty paint sprayer. And check out the best Wagner paint sprayers for furniture in this post.
After the paint was dry, I lightly distressed all of the edges and details and then sealed it with three coats of my favorite Varathane polyurethane. Learn the 6 best distressing furniture techniques here!
Sealing Teal Dresser
Chalk-style paint has to be sealed for it to be durable and wipeable. Otherwise, it will act kind of like a chalkboard. Which is great, until you spill something on it and need to wipe it off.
Wax and chalk-style paint have gone together since the beginning of chalk paint, but in my experience, it’s harder to apply, and it isn’t quite as durable. Learn more about what is chalk paint here.
I personally like to spray my polyurethane with my paint sprayer. Learn ALL of my tips and tricks on how to spray polyurethane here! But you can brush it as well.
Country Chic Paint actually makes a painting sponge that is perfect for applying polyurethane. Just remember to not overbrush it (don’t go over it more than 2 times).
The finished product came out perfect and I cannot wait to paint another piece in Jitterbug! Learn more about how to paint furniture here!
Is chalk-style paint durable enough for everyday use on furniture?
Yes, chalk-style paint can be durable enough for everyday use on furniture if it is properly sealed with a topcoat. Without a protective layer, the paint may chip or scratch easily.
However, when sealed with polyurethane, chalk-style paint can withstand daily wear and tear.
It becomes water resistant and can be easily wiped clean, making it a great option for furniture that gets a lot of use.
It’s important to note that the durability of chalk-style paint may vary depending on the brand and type of topcoat used.
Some topcoats may provide a harder, more durable finish than others. You can explore your options for topcoats for painting furniture here.
Can I use chalk-style paint on all types of furniture?
Chalk-style paint is a versatile option for furniture painting and can be used on a variety of surfaces, including wood, metal, and even fabric.
It adheres well to most surfaces without the need for extensive prep work, making it a popular choice among DIYers.
However, we still recommend you to prepare your piece properly before painting to get the best results.
It’s important to consider the style and finish you want for your furniture when deciding whether to use chalk-style paint.
This type of paint for furniture creates a matte, velvety finish, so if you prefer a glossy or shiny look, you may want to opt for a different paint type or add a gloss topcoat over the chalk paint.
More Painted Furniture Resources
- Five Biggest Furniture Painting Mistakes
- Teal Painted Furniture
- Distressed Painted Furniture
- DIY Teal Blue Nightstands
- Blue Nursery Dresser Makeover
Follow us on YouTube to get more tips for painting furniture. Or share your project with us on our Facebook Group and be part of our community. See you there!
Absolutely gorgeous! I was wanting not to like it since I liked the wood before shot. However I love it and would love it in my home. Great job
You can buy 3/16 inch dowels, tape them onto the top of a 2×4, clamp them onto a vice, take a palm or orbital sander and sand them to a half round. Then wood glue them onto the missing trim areas. It did this with my similar dresser and you can’t tell where I replaced the trim.
Beautiful piece of work, great idea with the beading trick, going to purchase a can of teal chalk paint
What a great color, and the beading added a lot. Good idea to leave it off of one drawer. It might have been too much otherwise.
Thank you so very much Nancy!
It’s absolutely gorgeous! ?
Thank you so very much!!
This piece of furniture is beautiful! You did a fantastic job! Just wondering if the middle drawer is the same size as the bottom? If so did you try having the plain (no beading) drawer on the bottom?
Hey Ellie!
You know, I have no idea. But that might have worked, and who knows, maybe the new owner has done this.
Thanks for your insight!
Natalie
Just beautiful.
Oh my, this turned out gorgeous! Love it.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Appreciate it as always Paula, thank you so much!