Learn How to Paint a Dresser for a BOLD Statement

Last Updated on June 8, 2020

Transform a chest of drawers with an amazing makeover! Learn how to paint a dresser in a graphic geometric pattern to make a bold statement with this simple DIY tutorial. 

I am putting together my new home office/craft space where I can do all of my blogging and that is going to require quite a few paint transformations. The first thing I wanted to transform is this antique dresser that used to live in my twin girls' nursery. Back then, I painted it green on green with a sweet lattice pattern. (For the DIY on how I did this pattern on another piece of furniture check out our girls' IKEA bookshelves.) I loved the lattice for their nursery, but it was not at all what I wanted for my home office.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I didn't have any trouble picking out my paint colors. I chose three bold colors from a collaboration between OPI and Clark+Kensington— My Pointe Exactly, Black Onyx and Suzy Says Feng Shui. I knew I wanted this piece to make a big bold statement!

I grabbed a quart of flat finish in each color and got to work! It took some time to figure this project out, so I am going to share with you the full tutorial of how to paint a dresser with a BOLD geometric pattern, which will make it much easier on you if you decide to tackle this yourself.

HOW TO PAINT A DRESSER TO MAKE IT A STATEMENT PIECE

Materials Needed:

• Three paint colors. You will use two for the geometric pattern and an accent color for the sides of the drawers. (These are My Pointe Exactly, Black Onyx and Suzy Says Feng Shui from a collaboration between OPI and Clark+Kensington that are no longer available). 
• Painter's tape in a  width that you want for your pattern. Honestly, I would recommend Frog Tape for the job, but I could not find the size I needed before I started my project.
• Paint brush {my favorite is the Purcy Angular Trim Brush
• Gold spray paint if you want to change your hardware to gold
• A whole lot of patience :)

Steps:
1) Remove the drawers and line them up on the floor so that they are actually touching each other. Make sure they are lined up perfectly. Using your base color, paint the drawers. Technically, I should have used black for this step since that was my base color, but I knew it would be harder to paint over with the light color, so I painted all of my drawers with the My Pointe Exactly color.

2) Once your base layer dries, tape off your pattern. If you want to use the same pattern I did, just be sure that you use a 90-degree angle so that the corners of the “arrows” are perfectly square. This epiphany occurred to me AFTER I had already taped it up the first time and thought it looked kind of funny. I had to peel all the tape off and start over.

3) Paint your base color over the top of the tape. This will “seal” the tape so that your top color doesn't bleed at all. This step may not be necessary with Frog Tape, but it is absolutely necessary with regular blue painter's tape.

4) After your second base color coat dries, paint over the tape again with your second color. My second color was the Black Onyx and required two coats for good coverage.

5) While your drawers are drying, paint the rest of your dresser. I painted the rest of the dresser the Black Onyx color.

6) Next, paint the sides of your drawers in your accent color. For me, this was the Suzy Says Feng Shui color. It's SO PRETTY. And I love to see that pop of color when I open the drawers.

7-8) Once your paint is dry, you are ready to peel off the tape and admire your work. Be patient and pull gently and slowly.

You will probably have some minor touch up work to do–I did! I also decided to paint the edges of all the drawers black because after the fact I decided that would look better. Oh, and I realized that I made a mistake taping my first time around. I fixed it pretty easily, but check out the photo below to see how I should have done it the first time to get the look I wanted.

To save money, I decided to reuse the drawer pulls, but I didn't love the look of the pewter finish, so I spray painted them with metallic gold spray paint. Once they dried, I reattached them. Here is the finished product!

I am so, so, so in LOVE with my bold dresser! If you are looking for a bold pop of color in your home, you don't have to spend a ton of money! All you have to do is use your imagination and DIY an amazing piece.

If you want other awesome furniture painting tutorials, check out How To Paint a Dresser and How to Paint Furniture With Chalk Decorative Paint: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Wondering how I approach transforming rooms and spaces in our home? Check out Designer in a Binder®.

And if you want exclusive content and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, be sure to subscribe before you head out!