Re-purposed Goodwill Dresser - Nursery Changing Table

AFTER

BEFORE

I’m a big fan of finding old pieces of furniture at yard sales and thrift shops, and then refinishing them for a new purpose in my home.  Take a look at my project page, and you’ll see that I accumulated a lot of the furniture in my home by doing just that.

Both dressers in the nursery were Goodwill finds.  Today, I want to share a dresser that I purchased from Goodwill for $25.  The dresser is solid wood, and it serves as a duel purpose in the nursery.  It not only stores the babies’ clothes, it also works as their changing table.  I bought a changing pad from Once Upon a Child and found a changing pad cover that I liked from Burlington Coat Factory.  I added a lamp from Goodwill and a cute bin from Home Goods, and I had myself an inexpensive changing station.   And the best part is that when I no longer need a changing table, I can still use the dresser in a little boys room for years to come.

The original dresser was in decent shape, but I really wanted a navy blue dresser.  And because I only spent $25 on this piece, I had no problem feeling bad for giving a perfectly fine dresser a new look.

I refinished this piece the way I refinish most pieces with no sanding required……

1)    I started by cleaning the dresser with TSP cleaner. It can be found at most hardware stores.  I buy mine in a powder and mix it in a spray bottle. 

2)    Using a foam roller I primed the dresser with Zinsser Cover Stain primer.  It took two coats to fully cover this piece of furniture.  I keep this paint on hand for when I find furniture to refinish.

3)    I had leftover navy blue paint (“seaworthy” by Sherwin Williams) from the accent wall in the nursery, and applied two coats of paint to the dresser for full coverage.

4)    I updated the hardware with nickel knobs from Lowes.  The hardware cost just about as much as the dresser, making this dresser cost about $50 when it was all said and done.

5)    Tip:  Always take out the drawers when painting and let paint dry completely before applying a new coat.  The primer and the sponge roller are key to getting a streak free finish without needing to sand, so don't skip those steps.