There’s nothing more satisfying than turning a forgotten curbside find into a stunning statement piece! This salvaged dresser had seen better days, but with a little creativity and the right products, it now has a fresh, sophisticated look. Denise from Salvaged Inspirations is sharing how she transformed this worn-out piece into a timeless two-toned beauty using Bleached Cypress Voodoo Gel Stain and Umber Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint. If you love the mix of rich, earthy tones and natural wood grain, you won’t want to miss this makeover! 

(The following is an excerpt from Salvaged Inspirations. Read the full article here.) 

Here’s the dresser I found roadside.  It’s a nice solid piece and all the drawers work well. 

Before photo of brown wooden dresser sitting on a brown wooden floor in front of a white wall

The top was a little beat up but nothing that a good sanding couldn’t fix. 

Side view of Before brown wooden dresser sitting on a brown wooden floor in front of a white wall

WHAT YOU’LL NEED 

HOW TO UPDATE A TRASHED DRESSER 

Here’s how I salvaged and upcycled this trashed 8-drawer dresser. 

CLEAN & PREP 

A good cleaning was needed. I used my go-to heavy-duty cleaner and gave it a couple of scrubdowns inside and out. Then using a sponge with clean water, I wiped off all the residue. 

I removed the dated hardware and filled the hardware holes with Bondo. 

A hand holding a yellow electric screwdriver, unscrewing a handle from the inside of a wooden drawer

SAND 

To remove the orange-dated finish, I used my Bosch sander. I started with an 80 grit and worked my way up to a 220 for a nice smooth finish. 

A hand holding a Bosch sander on a wooden drawer

NEW BLEACHED CYPRESS 

Now for the fun part, giving this curb-shopped dresser a new look. Dixie Belle was super kind and generous to send me their NEW Voodoo Gel Stain colors. I decided to go with Bleached Cypress to cut down on all the orange undertones this wood dresser has. 

Bottles of Voodoo Gel Stain in Fireside Ash, Whiskey Barrel, Bleached Cypress, and Charred Hickory sit on a white countertop in front of a dark colored wall; a container of Wood Conditioner sits on the counter in front of the stain

Check out the gorgeous stains below.  I’m looking forward to trying the other three stains on upcoming projects. The stains are modern ‘colors’ that can update wood nicely. Below is a sample of what they look like on this wood dresser. Keep in mind that depending on the wood variety, the stain may differ in tone/color. For instance, mahogany will read more warm/red because of the undertones, whereas a birch or oak wood will read less warm and probably much lighter. 

A piece of wood stained with Voodoo Gel Stan in Fireside Ash, Whiskey Barrel, Bleached Cypress, and Charred Hickory sits on a wooden table in front of each bottle of stain

To apply the gel stain, I like to use an applicator pad. This is a water-based product so water can be misted on the applicator or even on the wood before applying the stain. Water acts like a wood conditioner to get a more even application. 

A bottle of Bleached Cypress Voodoo Gel stain sits on a table with stain being applied to it 

PAINT 

To add contrast and give this dresser an updated look, I masked off the top and painted the bottom in Umber All-In-One Silk Paint. Omygosh I LOVE this paint color. It was my first time using this rich dark brown and I’m definitely going to order more. Once the two coats had dried, I removed the masking tape. I should also mention, I used this brush and roll technique to get a smooth spray like finish. 

A paintbrush painting dark brown paint onto a wooden surface

To get my perfectly crisp paint line, I used a little bit of sealer on the tape, let it dry, and then painted so no paint would seep under the painter’s tape. I’ll share this in this weekend’s YouTube video so you can see how well it works in action! 

A hand pulling green masking tape off of a two-toned dresser

TOPCOAT AND HARDWARE 

The Umber All-In-One Silk paint doesn’t need a topcoat but the water-based gel stain does. I masked off the bottom portion of the dresser and sprayed three coats of Gator Hide tinted with a little Bleached Cypress. A tiny bit goes a long way and I never add too much because I don’t want to dilute the heavy-duty topcoat properties. I add about a 1:10 ratio or 10% stain to 90% topcoat. I also like giving the top a light sanding between coats of sealer. The very last coat of sealer, I don’t sand. 

A hand holding a green paint sprayer pointed at a brown wooden surface

THE BIG REVEAL 

Here’s the finished look… 

The end of a two-toned painted dresser with gold handles sits on a white floor with a brown and black rug in front of a white wall with a brass candle holder and a beachy picture hanging on the wall. A green potted plat is to the left of the dresser

I love the contrast between the Bleached Cypress top and Umber bottom. They look so elegant and striking paired together. 

A two-toned painted dresser with gold handles sits on a white floor with a brown and black rug in front of a white wall with a brass candle holder and a beachy picture hanging on the wall. A green potted plat is to the left of the dresser

And check out how nice and clean this paint line turned out. The masking with a super light coat of sealer works like magic! 

Close up of the end of a two-toned painted dresser with gold handles sits on a white floor with a brown and black rug in front of a white wall with a brass candle holder and a beachy picture hanging on the wall. A green potted plat is to the left of the dresser

The gel stain does an awesome job of covering all the orange and red tones in the wood. 

The end of a two-toned painted dresser with gold handles sits on a white floor with a brown and black rug in front of a white wall with a brass candle holder and a beachy picture hanging on the wall. A green potted plat is to the left of the dresser

I’m super pleased I saved this from going to the landfill. It’s a beautiful solid piece and will hopefully be enjoyed for a good few more years. 

From curbside discard to showstopping furniture, this dresser makeover proves that a little paint and stain can work wonders! The contrast between Umber Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint and Bleached Cypress Voodoo Gel Stain gives this piece a fresh, updated look while still letting the wood’s natural beauty shine through. Have you ever rescued a piece of furniture and given it a second chance? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear about your favorite salvaged makeovers! For another beautiful project completed by Salvaged Inspirations, check out our blog, Thrifted Tallboy Restyled with Dixie Belle Paint.

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About the Author

Salvaged Inspirations

Denise is a blogger, self-taught furniture artist, writer, photographer and the owner/creator of Salvaged Inspirations. She is a lover of all things vintage, repurposed and restyled. A thrift enthusiast, she’s always in pursuit of the next creative upcycle.

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