Drexel Blue & Stain Dresser (Judah's Dresser)

We bought this awesome Drexel dresser from a lady in Winston-Salem, NC. It had been in a storage shed behind her house for a long time, and we were able to provide some much-needed love to it and give it a second life. The Drexel dresser is now being used in our Son Judah's room (Check out this blog post on some of the design elements in Judah's Room). ​

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Materials

We used the following supplies on this dresser:

• Purdy 3-Pack Polyester-Nylon Blend Angle Sash Paint Brush Variety Pack

Purdy Syntox Finish Brush

• You will need a special brush for the Polycrylic finish. The Purdy Syntox brush will do the trick.

Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Paint

• This paint goes on smoothly and eliminates most brush strokes. The color was a custom color that we had Lowe's create for us based on the crib that we got for Judah. 

Minwax Red Oak Stain

Staining Pads

• There are many options for applying stain to the wood.  However, we have found that using a staining pads allows for more control over the application process.  Please make sure that you have an old rag around so you can wipe up any excess stain that may have dripped on to areas of the dresser that you do not wish to have stained and any stain that may have dripped on to the floor.  

Original 1 qt. White Oil-Based Interior Primer, Sealer, and Stain Blocker

​Minwax Polycrylic Satin Base 32 fl oz Polyurethane

•  Unlike oil-based poly that goes on clear, this will go on milky, but honestly we have been very satisfied with the result thus far.

Bosch 2.5-Amp Orbital Sander

• Just remember, this is a staple item that will continually be used, so you can utilize this on a ton of DIY projects after you make the purchase.  We decided on the Bosch sander because of the quality of the Bosch brand; however, you can probably get away with a cheaper option if you don't want to invest in a nicer sander, and if you only plan on doing a few DIY projects with it.  

​Gator 50-Pack 80-Grit 5-in W x 5-in L 8-Hole Hook and Loop Sanding Disc Sandpaper

• Depending on the type of stain that the original manufacturer of the dresser used, you may be able to get away with just sanding down the dresser without using any type of stain remover (This is huge, because stain removers are a pain).  Just keep in mind that if the dresser is not solid wood, then you may want to go with a more gentle approach; i.e., a combination of stain remover and hand sanding. 

• Gator 50-Pack 5-in W x 5-in L 120-Grit Commercial 8-Hole Hook and Loop Sanding Disc Sandpaper

Pro Grade Precision 9 in. x 11 in. 60 Grit Coarse Advanced Sanding Sheets

• You will need to purchase some sandpaper for hand sanding purposes. We like the 60 grit sandpaper for more precision stripping, and it seems to be more effective than 80 grit (in terms of hand sanding, not to be confused with what we use on our orbital sander). Make sure to get a pro-grade because it will last much longer than the cheap sandpaper, and the price difference is truly just a few dollars. We also recommend that you purchase the sandpaper in sheets because you can cut them in half and double the amount of sandpaper per purchase (this is preferred over purchasing the thinner strips of sandpaper; most hardware stores will sell both options). Finally, if you plan on doing many DIY projects, then buy the contractors pack (bulk pack); this will save you money over time and the frustrations of having to go back and forth to the hardware store for sandpaper. 

Pro Grade Precision 9 in. x 11 in. 120 Grit Medium Advanced Sanding Sheets 

• A lot of what we said for the 60 grit sanding sheets apply here. However, we use the 120 to smooth out the wood after being stripped to give it a smoother surface before applying the stain. 

Pro Grade Precision 9 in. x 11 in. 320 Grit X-Fine Advanced Sanding Sheets  

• This sandpaper will be necessary for smoothing out the surface between coats of polyurethane.  This will definitely help you to accomplish a great final product.  

3-2/3 in. x 9 in. Imperial Wet or dry 800-Grit Sandpaper Sheets

• You want to use 800-grit sandpaper for wet sanding after the polyurethane has been applied to give the piece a silky smooth finish.

​​Frog Tape Trim Painter's Tape

• Frog Tape is a lifesaver if you are going for a more professional look. Generally speaking, it is a time-consuming task to tape up the dresser, but you will be happy that you did when you see the finished product. ​

​Before pictures

Mid-Century Modern dressers are hard to find for reasonable prices due to the popularity of the style. So anytime we find a good deal on one, we find it hard to turn down. We also got a little carried away with this one and didn't take before pictures before sanding the top. 

step 1: removing the original stain

On this project, we only sanded the top down. As we usually do, we start our sanding process with our orbital sander using 60 grit sandpaper. Then, we use 80 grit sandpaper to make sure all of the original finish has been properly removed. Finally, we hand sand with 120 grit sandpaper to get a smoother wood before applying paint and stain. This process seems to be extremely effective in putting the top in its bare-bones state. Make sure you wash it off with a damp cloth so that there is no dust or residue left on it. Once it is dry, it is time to tape around the edges! ​​​ Just to note, we ended up using primer on this project instead of sanding the entire dresser down because we were concerned about the thickness of some of the veneers on the sides of the dresser. 

step 2: tape

Before we stained the top of the dresser, we taped just under the top to avoid getting a sticky stain on the surface area that we primed and painted. This step is to prevent some possible issues later on. ​

step 3: stain and tape

We went ahead and stained the top of the dresser because stain generally takes longer to dry than paint. We apply our stain with a stain pad because its a little bit cleaner, but you can get a similar result using a stain brush. 

After we stained the top and before we primed/painted the dresser's body and drawers, we made sure to tape the inside of the body and the inside of the drawers. It is always important to remember to tape the inside of the body where the drawers slide in and out, and the inside portions of the drawers where paint might drip/or the paintbrush might touch. We will admit that this is not a necessary step, but if you want to have a re-purposed dresser that looks professional-grade, then every detail matters.

step 4: primer

We opted to use primer on the areas (the body of the dresser and the drawers) that we would be painting. This step was primarily due to our concern about sanding through some of the veneers on the dresser. This step is not necessary for every project, so you will have to use your best judgment. In this instance, the dresser had a slight odor from being stored in a shed, so the primer blocked most of that smell. ​

step 5: paint

After we finished priming the dresser, we painted the dresser using Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Paint. We usually do at least two or three coats of paint to make sure that everything is sufficiently covered. We generally use Purdy paint brushes so that we can ensure that we get an excellent finish. ​​

step 6: apply finish

After the paint was dry, we were ready to apply a coat of water-based Polycrylic to both the dresser's body and the drawers with a Purdy Syntox brush. After the first coat, we sanded down the dresser using 320 grit sandpaper; then, we applied a second coat of Polycrylic​.  ​

the end.

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