Didn’t everyone (over 40) have a dresser like this somewhere in their house when they were growing up? 
The old reliable, brown, sturdy, dresser with the laminate top. I think they only manufactured one style of drawer pull hardware during this period as well! This dresser was in great shape–it was just dated.
Laminate tops–although some DIYers shy away from them–can be a blessing. Granted, they can’t be stained, but they are incredibly durable and rarely have a scratch on them. The trick to laminate tops is to sand them to abrade the finish and then apply an oil-based primer. From there you can paint it however you prefer and finish it with a durable top coat.
Since this piece couldn’t be stained– and you all know how much I love two-toned furniture–I decided to paint the drawers a contrasting color to the body. For the body, I selected Sugar Cookie by Benjamin Moore, and for the drawers, I picked Mineral by Waverly. I was able to reuse the knob drawer pulls but replaced the handle pulls with new ones from my stash. A quick spray with a blend of metallic spray paint had them looking like a set in no time.
I did some very light distressing on the body of the dresser and sealed the entire piece with Minwax Polycrylic Satin Finish.
With a little extra work, laminate finishes can really be transformed into durable treasures.
Hold my wine, I’ve got this…
Amy
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