Kling Solid Cherry Dresser (AKA The New York Beast)

This was a Craigslist find, and we have to say (and I think you will agree when you review the before pictures) that we took a leap of faith on this project. There was nothing pretty about this dresser when we got it, but we knew that a solid cherry piece could have a ton of potential behind the ugly facade known as wallpaper. We ended up having to replace all of the hardware, which was a bit expensive but was totally worth the investment when you look at the finished product.

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This was one of the first pieces that we didn't have a lot of expectations for.  Not that we didn't have faith in our process, but because we didn't know what would be found behind the wallpaper.  Sometimes a bit of mystery adds some excitement to life, and sometimes that mystery makes you appreciate the outcome even more.  That was definitely the case here!

We used the following supplies on this dresser:

• Purdy 3-Pack Polyester-Nylon Blend Angle Sash Paint Brush Variety Pack
• Minwax Red Mahogany Oil-Based Interior Stain
• HGTV Sherwin Williams Mercer White - HGSW4054
•  Minwax Polycrylic Satin Base 32 fl oz Polyurethane
  • This was one of the first projects that we used Polycrylic on, and we have to say that the result was pretty great.  Unlike oil-based poly that goes on clear, this will go on milky, but honestly we have been more satisfied with the result thus far.
•  Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane Semi-Gloss Base 11.5 fl oz Polyurethane
  • We like to use the spray-on polyurethane on a lot of projects because it dries so quickly, it doesn’t leave bubbles, and we know that we get an even finish without too much work. It’s a little more money, but it’s worth it sometimes
• Stain and Polyurethane Brush
  • There are many options for applying stain to the wood.  However, we have found that using a stain brush 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.  
• 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.  
• 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 sand paper 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 sale both options).  Finally, if you plan on doing a lot of 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 it has been stripped to give it a smoother surface before applying 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 wetsanding after the polyerathane has been applied in order to give the piece a silky smooth finish.
• Frog Tape Trim Painter's Tape
  • Frog tape is a life saver 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. 
• CitriStrip 32 fl oz Paste Multi-Surface Paint Remover
  • CitriStrip is extremely effective, but we must give a warning; due to the fact that CitriStrip is thick and sticky it requires a little extra work to ensure that all of it has been removed from the wood, and it can be a headache later on if it is not properly removed (for us,  a combination of mineral spirits and steel wool seems to do the trick).  
• Chomp 32 oz. Wallpaper Stripper
• Clear Watermelon Drawer Pulls
  • We purchased the upper drawers' dresser pulls from World Market.  As you may have seen from some of our other posts, we do not have a particular allegiance to one company over another when purchasing drawer pulls.  We generally pick a style and then try to find a drawer pull that will help us to accomplish that style.
• Bail Pulls
  • We purchased antique drawer pulls for the lower drawers.  However, bail pulls are fairly common, and we hyperlinked a website that seems to have pretty good prices on its hardware compared to some of its competitors.

Staging Item:
We are Blessed Sign

The first step for us was to remove the wallpaper so that we could get an idea what we were working with.  We started this process by applying CitriStrip to the body and the drawers using a super cheap paint brush (think dollar bin at Home Depot).  The CitriStrip was extremely effective in removing the top layer of the wallpaper. Next we turned to Chomp's Wallpaper Stripper.  This effectively pulled away the bottom layer of the wallpaper, so that we could start sanding it down. 

After the stripping process we sanded the body and the drawers down.  The top looks a little funky in the picture because we had just cleaned off the dust using a wet rag.  As we usually do, we start our sanding process with our orbital sander using an 80 grit sandpaper.  Then we use 60 grit sandpaper to make sure all of the original finish has been properly removed.  Finally, we hand sand with a 120 grit sandpaper to get a smoother wood before applying stain or paint.  ​

After we sanded the dresser down we went ahead and stained the top using red mahogany stain.  Stain generally takes longer to dry, so we generally do the stained surface areas first before we start any painting. ​

Before we painted the body of the buffet we made sure to tape the inside of the 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 paint brush 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.

After we were finished with staining the top of the buffet we painted the body.  We usually do two coats of paint to make sure that everything is sufficiently covered. However, we ended up doing three coats on this project.  

Paint generally dries pretty fast, so we were ready to apply a coat of water based Polycrylic to both the body of the dresser and the drawers after a couple of hours (a couple of hours is not indicative of how long it takes to dry, it's more us playing it safe). ​

Poly does two things: (1) it creates a layer of protection for the drawers from everyday abuse; and (2) it creates a smooth finish.  We typically apply two coats of poly, but some projects may require more. After the poly has dried we use a wet sanding technique with extremely fine sand paper to ensure that the stained areas are smooth to touch.  The wet sanding process is really simple, just spray on some lemon oil and lightly sand over the stained areas with an 800 grit sandpaper (you can also do this over the painted areas, but you need to be careful not to sand too aggressively over the painted areas or you will end up with a distressed look).  

We were very pleased with the result!