Maybe I should have titled this post, “The Best Laid Plans.” My plan was to get this project done over the weekend but Mother Nature simply wouldn’t cooperate. First rain…then wind. Neither one helps when you’re spray painting. But I finally got a finally got a break and we’re all done!
Or maybe I should have called this post, “Bob Villa’s Got Nothin‘ on Me” because I whipped out the power tools for this project. This piece was in rough shape so we’re going to look at a method for repairing veneer.
So here’s the before…If you’re not interested in reading “Girls With Tools”, you can just scroll right on past the repair process to see the finished product.
I called him Great White. He was a $30 Goodwill find.
I loved the detailing on the drawers and on the trim.
It had clearly been painted a couple of times before and top was in really rough shape. The veneer was bubbling in a lot of places and needed to be repaired.
I started by pulling out the power sander and getting the top as smooth as possible. Do you like my safety glasses? A girl just can’t be seen in goggles. 
Like I said, the veneer top was bubbled up in a bunch of places. You can’t tell in this picture, but the dark area is where the veneer was raised.
There is a method where you can just slit the bubbles and put some wood glue inside. They you weight down the top until the glue dries and it flattens the bubbles. I tried that and it didn’t work on this piece. I think the veneer was just too old.
Instead we had to start by cutting out the bubbled pieces of veneer. I used a utility knife to cut a hole in the bubble.
Then I used a putty knife to pry off all the raised veneer.
Now comes the fun part. Get yourself some wood putty. You can find it in the trim section of Lowes or Home Depot or in the woodworking section of the craft store.
This next part is kind of like spackling. Squirt some of the wood putty into the area where you removed the veneer.
Then spread it around until the whole area is filled.
Scrape off the excess and let it dry. It should only take about 30 minutes to dry. There’s no need to worry about getting off every bit of excess wood putty because you’re going to sand it later.
I used this process on all of the damaged parts of the top. Waaaaaay more repair work than I anticipated when I bought this piece.
Then I got the sander back out and went over the entire top again.
Now it kind of looked like a patchwork of painted veneer and wood putty.
Once all the repair work was done, it became a basic (although large) Furniture Rehab 101 project.
Sand
Wash
Prime
Paint
Done!
I still love the detailing.
And I decided to keep the original hardware because it is so unique.
It is definitely not perfect. The top isn’t perfectly smooth and there are still some marks in the paint, but I love it anyway. It looks like it’s lived here forever which I guess it has since we just moved in 2 months ago.
{ 112 comments }
Is that a DeWalt sander I spotted? Nice shades. But remember even big girls can wear masks!
Looks great. Nice rehabin’
wow I love this rehab it looks great!
Julie
Great rehab project Kimba!! I love how it turned out and who cares if it is not perfect…it doesn’t need to be! What a transformation!
Carrie
I looks great Kimba. Lots of stuff in my home is not perfect either…but who cares? It gives it more character.
diane
Love the piece Kimba! It really looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing:)
Looks great!
You are amazing! That is waaayyy too much work for me – but it turned out beautiful!!
Great job on this piece ~ just beautiful. Isn’t furniture rehab so much fun? I’ve been doing some myself lately.
Blessings,
Sher
Very pretty dresser. I love the details. A friend of mine painted a dresser that looks a lot like yours. She rubbed a little antique gold over the details…it gave it a nice look. I admire your ability to use tools…I still shy away from them!
Wowy-wow! You can talk the talk AND walk the walk with the power tools! What a fabulous finished product!
lurking at your blog…I’m Shayla–always interested in your great projects and overall cuteness with your posts! I’m a fellow project gal—VERY impressed at your rehab! What color/brand of paint did you use to restore this beautiful piece? It’s always so hard to find the right color when you don’t use a stain. Thanks! toushay73@gmail.com
this came out beautifully..
you are inspiring..
I used putty to fill the biiiiiig hole on the leg of a table..
it came out great.. altough it took ages to fill it..=) and to wait for the putty to dry..
It still works OK after 8 years =P..
Wow Kimba,
That turned out GREAT!! It absolutely looks BEAUTIFUL now! Thanks for showing us step by step what you did on this beauty!
This is beautiful! You did a wonderful job.
I so need to have my husband read your blog. He doesn’t believe in spray paint. He thinks all painting must be done with a paint can and brush…..oh and I would so love to find cool stuff like that at our local goodwill. Ours is mostly filled with j.u.n.k.
“Oh, wow”, is what I said when I saw the finished result, although I actually liked the original too (minus the crackling veneer), which made hubby come over and have a look too. He thought it was a bargain too.
Don’t you love being a girl that can do the “man” stuff. I’m the only one out of my sisters who can use power tools (although I hate power saws – they feel a little too dangerous)and so I always feel a little “tough” when I do.
It is good knowing that I don’t always have to depend on my man to do things for me (because he wouldn’t bother with most of my projects probably). Good on you.
Kimba,
That piece turned out beautiful! Why oh why am I never lucky enough to find such great deals at our local thrift/junk stores? They truly have just junk. Bummer. I never find those great deals!
When you spray paint (or just paint) furniture does it ever end up sticky? I mean, do the drawers roll out smoothly or do they kind of stick? That’s the one thing I’ve had a problem with in the past with painting cabinets and furniture- the doors and drawers seem to stick.
OH! I about lost it when I saw my skis on your blog! How funny; it made my day!!! I still need to get some spray paint and go to town on them.
Be still my heart!!! That turned out gorgeous. You can be so proud of that piece. And thanks so much for the tutorial–really…I have about 3 pieces of furniture that need a rehab job.
M.L.
Great buy. It would not have been 30.OO at our Goodwill, it probably would have been close to 70.00. That was a great buy and well worth it. Jackie
That looks awesome! I still have not found anything like that at any of our thrift stores. I think I just might need to go more often or something. Maybe other people are taking the good stuff.
Looks great!
Beautiful, Kimba! Wood filler is great, isn’t it? I found a pretty piece like that at my Goodwill yesterday, but it had a sold sign on it. sniff, sniff.
~Heather
Hey – I’m a new reader. Love your blog and helpful tips. This is crazy. I own this exact dresser. It was my grandmothers. My parents used it for a changing table when my baby brother was born and we have done the same with all four of our kids. Its now white up in my daughters room but I’m loving this re-do. Might be easier just to find her a different dresser. THanks again.
Fantastic rehab and great instructions on ‘how to’…Thanks!
Bo
Wow..that looks great! I am totally impressed!
-Sandy Toes
L.O.V.E. It looks WAY more expensive than the 30 bucks you paid!
~Stacy
Wow! This is amazing. I really do need to get better at thrifting. I’m still waiting to find an amazing piece…
I can’t believe you only paid $30 for that!!! I’m so jealous. Of the deal you got AND your rehab skills!
) Way to go! It looks beautiful.
WOW! I have in my short lived career of furniture refinishing done one chest of drawers I got at a yard sale for my daughter’s room and stripping possible 20 layers of paint from yet another yard sale find and sanding until I thought my arms felt like they would drop off. Both items are now in use in my home but wow at the work it took to get them finished. Kudos! Your dresser looks wonderful!
Blessings
I like it! Don’t you just love Goodwill? This may be a dumb question but did you spray paint it?
Oh, you are soooo good.
Great piece.
thanks for the step by step.
Kimba,great rehab project! And what a treasure you found, it turned out beautiful.
Blessings, Virginia
Looks great. I check a bunch ofr times yesterday. You did a great job. I love the finished project. Soon you will be selling this stuff out of your workshop.
Beautiful! I learn a lot about furniture rehabbing from you, you clever girl!
Beautiful!!
oh. my. stars. gorgeous – you don’t even know how BADLY i need this in my house!!!
love it!!!!!
Kimba, this is fabulous. I always think that an imperfect top (of which I have many in my “vintage” collection) is just an excuse to get out some of those thrifted lacy linens.
I have a sideboard in the dining room that a friend pulled out of a pile of trash for me. I haven’t painted it yet, but I do have a beautiful embroidered piece on top of it! No one notices all the dings …
I have a question for you. Why do you choose spray paint for a job like this? Why not paint and brush?
And do you find that when you paint furniture you get issues with drawers or doors closing properly afterwards?
That is incredible!! I have a dresser that I had in my childhood home that looks awful but it’s an antique, with all sort of fancy-ness. There is a veneer top on it that’s been cracked and broken off. It’s sitting in my garage right now because dh says it will take too much work to fix it (well the drawers don’t have any rollers or easy way to roll either). I am going to suggest your method to him!
It looks great! My that looks like my actual dresser…. hmm maybe I should paint it black…
Love it! Especially the legs and little wheels on it.
Great rehab!
I had a friend redo a piece and put wallpaper on top and then a piece of glass. I thought that was a unique way to hide imperfections.
Yours looks great by the way! I can imagine the work you put into it, which I always find makes it more enjoyable.
I love it!! You have inspired me to look past ugly furniture!
I want to see it all decorated pretty.
That dresser looks great! I love seeing furniture transformed like that and such a deal too!
In the words of the Nester, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” Love the original hardware on it!
I just kept thinking, She did NOT get that for $30.00!” I love, love, love what you did with it!
It looks great! I like your attitude of not having to have in perfect to love it!
LOVE this rehab project! What a fabulous find–can’t believe you scored such an amazing piece! You made it look so beautiful, looks quite at home in your new house
Blessings,
Stacey
Cute piece, Kimba! It really looks great now & I'm with you…love the detailing and the hardware.
I love how you just jump in and get to work! I would be so overwhelmed by this big project that I would put it off for months. In fact, I’ve been meaning to paint my bedroom furniture for a couple years now…
Did you spray paint this one or brush?
Thank you for this recipe for refinishing. I have a piece here that has a veneer issue, and you just solved it for me!
Isn’t it amazing how much better that piece looks for your house now that it’s black? You really did a nice job.
Good going!
Sheila (who has found her way to your blog and is enjoying it)
I love it when woman use power tools!!!! My mouth dropped open literally, when I saw the finished piece. I was not prepared…it looks amazing…wow. You did an amazing job.
Blessings,
Debbie
You have got to be the furniture rehab queen! Great job!
Wow, I love this dresser! Thanks for the tips in repairing veneer. I’m glad you kept the original hardware, because it is lovely.
SO worth the work! I absolutely love it. The finished project looks so stately and elegant. Great Job!
You are so inspiring! I really need to get moving on my projects.
It turned out marvelously! I really enjoyed the “how to” on fixing the veneer. It looks like it’s not hard to do and I’m almost hoping to find a piece thats damaged so I can try it! Thanks for the always enlightening posts!
That is a beautiful piece of furniture. I bet it is nice and well built besides the bubbled wood.
Great job!
All your hard work paid off – it’s stunning and looks like a perfect fit – is that your foyer?
Wow, that is very beautiful and elegant! Great job!
Nice job! Thanks so much for the tutorial, it’s a keeper!
I have to say…. because of you..and your blog.. I am officially addicted to the thrift find makeovers! I’ve got completed projects and MANY more in the garage waiting to be done… Not sure if I should admit this or not, but even when I was on my vaca in CA I went through the phone book and found the local thrift stores…
it was a blast! So many great projects.. so little room in my house, maybe I will do a give away! Thanks for the inspiration!
that is fabulous! Excellent work! What a great find too. How I LOVE goodwill!
i definitely need to make my way to the thrift store. Hopefully my finds will be as good as yours!
=0D
Kimba —
You did a fab job as always.
Question: Did you use spray paint or regular can paint with brush?
I am really curious.
Thanks for doing this for us. I picked up a thing or two.
Oh my – you are wonderful.
How inspiring!
I love how it turned out!
I’m impressed! Great project!
You are just amazing! Why again did you not move in next door to me? I could kept you in a steady stream of cash
Where did you end up putting this? Looks like a beautiful sideboard…
I love it black! It’s amazing what paint can do to furniture. Nice job.
http://www.thetopiarylady.blogspot.com
This is beautiful! You did a great job!
She is gorgeous:)
Kimba, what an AMAZING piece that is… and for $30!!! Who is ever going to believe you spent $30 for that. You did an awesome job on it.
I love it!! I never would have guessed the “after” would look so lovely…I have trouble seeing the potential in those rehab projects. Thanks for sharing.
I love this!!! It is awesome, Good Job Kimba. It had good bones that is for sure, you can spot them..
Love it! You are awesome!
Beautiful…..
You go, Girl! It seems to me like you can do anything you put your mind to. And I love how this piece turned out. It’s gorgeous.
Hey, I just moved my blog to its own domain over the weekend. My address is now http://hookedonhouses.net.
If you don’t mind updating it in your blogroll, I’d appreciate it. To say thanks for your trouble, I’m giving away an Amazon gift card on Friday to one of the bloggers who has my link changed by then.
Thanks, Kimba!! -Julia
So many of you have asked and I can’t believe that I didn’t tell you…I used regular old Krylon black satin spray paint for this project. It was this project that made me wish I had a real spray gun that attaches to an air compressor. Christmas anyone?
Wow! It turned out beautiful! The details are just so great on that piece! What a wonderful find.
It looks amazing!
I bet my husband could even tell me what kind of glasses they are. Hey, they might even be his glasses since they have a branch about an hour and a half from you.
The dresser/chest looks gorgeous! And it not being perfect gives it personality!
What did you do to spruce up the hardware?
That is incredible!!!!!!!!! Wow…Wow…and WOW!
Love it Kimba. Did you use spray primer and paint for this (I am assuming so). It turned out gorgeous. I am looking for a dresser similiar to that for my entryway. $30 is a steal. Love it, thanks for sharing.
Luv your makeovers. I will add you to my list of favorites. Feel free to stop by and check out mine!
Caroline
wow Kimba!!!!
what a makeover, it is fantastic!
I love the filler idea, I wouldn’t have thought of that, I have a little trolley that I left in the rain after I painted it, duh, and it’s bubbled I’m gonna try it…
and I am after a power sander like that, I’ve been hankering one for a while and now I’ve seen this I’ve made the decision to go get it
thanks for the inspiration
great post as ever
Sarah
nice job.
I had to let you know I love reading about your rehabing and painting things black. It made me try it on some things and I love the finished product. I did post about it on my blog
Oh and when we sanded our table, my husband made me wear goggles and a mask. I’m actually glad he did after seeing all the crud in the air.
That piece is just beautiful. Great rehab.
Fabulous rehab! I have a few on my blog today!
Kimba!!!
I just wanted to echo what everyone has already said. This dresser looks fabulous! I love how it turned out and I adore the original hardware…awesome choice to keep it.
Now where oh where did you put this piece in your new house and what will you put on top of it?
~Blessings~
Amanda
Man alive, you put some LUV into that piece! It looks fabulous!
beautiful! exquisite! lovely! glad i found your soft place here.
blessings…lylah
this is a beau-ti-mus piece! I love that you left the original hardware. perfect-o! I am about to paint a nightstand black…what kind of paint do you use/recommend?
Oops. Didn’t read the comments before I posted my question about the paint. Saw that you already answered that. Great minds all think alike huh? Guess we have some really smart gals here! hehe
Nice work! Looks good, so worth all the effort!
*Heidi*
Holy cow – 95 people have come out of lurkdom to crown you the diva of all spray paint divas…unbelievable!!
WOW! Just stunning!!
WoW you did an absolutely amazing job! I love coming to your blog to get inspiring ideas. Thanks for sharing them all!
Gorgeous!!!!
Wow!! Turned out so nice! Good job!
Love it!