Heirloom Dresser Makeover

Last year, I inherited my Mom’s childhood dresser. I was so excited to get this piece and I knew that it would be perfect for our daughter Pinky’s bedroom. It certainly had it’s flaws, with the old paint being pretty chippy and one handle practically missing, but I knew I could give this heirloom dresser a makeover.

I remember when my cousins, Emily, and I would all play Barbies at our Grandma’s house as children. (Who am I kidding? We played Barbies EVERYWHERE we went!) One of my favorite places to build/decorate my Barbie house was on top of this dresser that sat in an unused upstairs bedroom. I always pretended like the little shelf on top was the bedroom and bathroom and the larger bottom space was living room/kitchen. Of course, there was an invisible elevator that would take Barbie, Ken, and Skipper up and down, so they could all travel to visit their friends who were placed in various other locations around Grandma’s house.

To update this dresser, I used the same paint and technique I used for this desk. Just some white paint and new library pulls that were left over.

The updated versions of this dresser is by no means perfect. There are still dings and dents and cracks that I could probably fill. The drawers are not perfectly straight, but I actually like the character it adds. Speaking of character, look at the awesome details in the wood.

What do you think about the possibility of either adding a mirror or cork board to the back part of the dresser? There haven’t been any decisions made yet and Pinky hasn’t really mentioned a preference either way, so for now it is just how it was.

We inserted some little labels into the library drawer pulls that have the words Tops, Bottoms, and Pajamas on them, so that Pinky can keep everything organized.

This is probably one of my favorite pieces in our home right now. Besides the fact that it has sentimental meaning, I just love the crispness of the white paint, the pretty details in the wood, and all of the little imperfections. Now we just need to add some color to this room! What do you think of this heirloom dresser makeover? Let us know in the comments below, connect with us on Facebook, or chit-chat with us Instagram (Erin’s Instagram/Emily’s Instagram).

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