If you’re into thrifting furniture, you know that it’s tough to make some of that old, outdated furniture look fresh, modern, and up-to-date. Fortunately, one creator called Furniture Flipping Teacher is here to give us a great example of how to do it right.
You can check out the video right here:
First, she explained that she found a nice little chest at her local Goodwill for just $30. At that price, you really can’t go wrong, especially when it’s a functional piece of furniture like this. Anything with drawers is already a great piece to add to your home’s collection since you can use it in almost any room, not just the bedroom.
She said that she started by cleaning the entire piece thoroughly using a product called Simple Green (you can find this at most retailers.) Next, she noted that the bottom drawer slide wasn’t working, so she pried it out and replaced it. This step was really quick, but you can see her using a drill to re-attach the new piece securely to the bottom portion.
After that step was done, she used a product called QCS to strip the old finish off of the chest’s top drawer only. The product comes in a spray bottle, so it looks pretty easy to apply (and non-messy, too). She said it’s safe to use indoors and has no chemicals in it, which is a bonus for sure.
She then sanded all of the surfaces of the piece that she planned to paint so that it had a nice, smooth, even finish using an electric sander and 120 grit sandpaper. This step is crucial since it preps the wood for stain or paint and ensures a good bond and a nice look.
She painted the chest in a gorgeous deep blue-gray color called “ocean shore” and used it on the base (or main cabinet) and the bottom three drawers of the chest. She also noted that she removed old contact paper from the drawers (yuck!).
Once the contact paper was out, she sanded the bottom of the drawers to make them nice and smooth. Once the drawers were ready, she removed the chest legs and stained them in a deep, rich dark brown color to match the top drawer.
And now for my favorite part of almost every furniture makeover – the hardware! She removed the old, outdated drawer pulls and replaced them with some gorgeous burnished gold hardware in a sleek elongated shape that really makes the chest pop.
Once the hardware is on, she panned out so viewers could see the final result and boy, oh boy, is it beautiful! Not only do I personally love the color she chose and her hardware, but I like how she left the top drawer and the legs in the original brown color.
It really goes well against the bluish-gray paint and makes it look like a mid-century modern piece. What’s even wilder is that after she completed it, she said that it sold for $300 in just three hours after she was done! That’s quite a good profit for a $30 investment and a little bit of elbow grease.
Viewer ZezaMix loved the video and said, “Your work is very inspiring and motivates me to restore my furniture! Greetings from Croatia!” Several other viewers were also impressed by the finished product.
This YouTube Short video proves that you don’t have to be an expert furniture refinisher to make something beautiful. And of course, you don’t have to sell yours once you finish it, either.
Head out to your local thrift store, visit a yard sale or estate sale, or check out a few vintage furniture stores to see what you can find. With a little bit of practice and some patience, you can find a solid, high-quality piece of furniture for a great price and put your own personal stamp on it.
