HOW I TRANSFORMED THIS THRIFT STORE TALLBOY DRESSER WITH A BRAND NEW PAINT COLOR – ACADIA | YOUTUBE VIDEO
Hi, creative #sifamily! Today I’m sharing how I transformed this tallboy dresser using a BRAND NEW PAINT COLOR – ACADIA! It’s one of 7 new colors in the SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint National Park Collection and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
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Here’s the thrift tallboy dresser I started with. Does it look familiar to you? If you’ve been following for the last few years you may remember this makeover I restyled this shiny melamine tallboy dresser back in 2022.
For the first makeover, I removed the jetson panels, stained the top two drawers in all-natural stain, and painted the rest of the dresser in a custom blue. You can see the full makeover here. It was a super cute makeover, buuuut….
I didn’t end up listing it for sale. I sanded the sides to clean up some misbehaving paint and the particle board ended up chipped and messy. I tried fixing it by painting over it but I still didn’t like what I saw. So let’s fix the back of this particle board drawer and create a brand new look with a BRAND NEW PAINT COLOR!
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Thrift Store Tallboy Dresser – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Gorilla Epoxy Stick
Bondo
Wood Filler
Mud Spatula
Bosch Sander
Astro EuroPro Spray Gun 1.7mm
Acadia SILK Mineral Paint
Brushed Brass Dresser Pulls
ACADIA DRESSER MAKEOVER
Here’s how this dresser all came together…
CLEAN & PREP
I gave this dresser a cleaning with White Lightning. making sure to rinse my sponge and wipe with clean water to remove any residue before unscrewing all the hardware.
FILL WITH EPOXY
I removed the original hardware and filled the holes with this Gorilla Epoxy Stick. It is very easy to use and a great alternative to Bondo. It doesn’t require two-part mixing, doesn’t smell as strong as Bondo yet still dries super hard. It comes in a tube (as shown in the pic below) and looks like putty or playdough. You tear off a little piece and knead the putty it until the two colors turn a solid grey. Then it’s ready to use. I press it into the hardware holes and wait for it to dry.
FILL – SAND – PRIME
I gave the entire dresser a scuff sanding to prep it for the new paint. To even out the rough plyboard drawer sides, I used a paint stick to create an ‘edge’. I mixed up some Bondo and using a putty knife, inserted some Bondo between the drawer and the paint stick. After 5 minutes when the Bondo was semi-dry, I removed the paint stick. I waited another 15 minutes for it to dry 100% and then sanded it smooth. Using this Dixie Belle Mudd Filler I applied a little to all the imperfections and sanded again until everything was perfectly smooth. Then it was time to paint!
- Damaged and rough plyboard drawer edge.
- Create a straight edge using a paint stick and insert Bondo.
- Remove the paint stick after 5 minutes when Bondo is semi-dry.
- Wait until 100% dry and sand smooth.
- Fill in any tiny imperfections with wood filler and sand.
- Paint
NEW ACADIA PAINT COLOR
Now for the fun part – getting to try a brand new paint color! When I posted a quick video of this dresser on Facebook, one of my followers Tracy suggested I paint this tallboy in a dark green. Dixie Belle was generous enough to send me their new paint line so I dug into the box and found this Acadia SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint.
Since the DB website has a poetic description of this color, here’s how they describe it…
“Acadia is a dark and moody shade that channels the mystique of the park’s rugged coastlines and dense, pine-covered hills. This deep green hue reflects the natural grandeur and serene ambiance of Acadia National Park, with its hints of melancholic beauty. Acadia adds a touch of timeless elegance and a connection to the park’s atmospheric landscapes.”
HOW TO THIN PAINT FOR SPRAYER
I love spraying SILK All-In-One Mineral paint. It’s a highly pigmented thick paint. To get a flawless smooth finish, I thin it with ten percent water so it sprays beautifully through my spray gun. I’ve included the pic below because I’m often asked how much water to add when using a sprayer. As I mentioned I add around 10% but depending on your sprayer and the settings, you may need a touch more. The key to getting the perfect paint viscosity (or thickness of paint) is to watch the paint run off a paint stick. It should run off the stick in one continuous stream – no drips or breaking up and also still have a lot of “body” to the paint. I like to describe it as the consistency of a thick melted milkshake. I’m sharing more on the YouTube video down below including how I minimize overspray when painting in my paint room/studio aka my basement!
SPRAY PAINTING
Using my Astro EuroPro HVLP Spray Paint Gun, I sprayed two coats of this gorgeous rich green. There was no need for a primer or topcoat because they are included in the paint formula. Once my two coats of paint had dried, I added these gorgeous brushed brass handles I purchased off Amazon.
FINISHED TALLBOY DRESSER
Here’s the finished look. I’m so happy I took Tracys’ suggestion and tried a dark green on this piece! Thanks, Tracy!!!
PIN FOR LATER 🥰
Check out this smooth sprayed finish. What do you think?
This rich moody green is magnificent and elegant. Sometimes a solid color is exactly what a piece needs.
Here’s a look at the seven (7) colors in this NEW release National Park Collection.
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
Here’s the full step-by-step video for you. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 43.3K so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already! So exciting, thank YOU!
Here’s another look at this tallboy dresser before and after. I hope it has inspired you and given you some ideas for your upcoming furniture painting projects.
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS ACADIA GREEN PAINT COLOR AND FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂
Happy painting my friends!
Denise x
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Your dresser came out just beautiful!!
I really love the color.
Thank you Gini!🤗
The dresser is gorgeous in Arcadia with those gold handles!!! And removing the front drawer panels sure made a difference. Another amazing transformation. Your YouTube video is so helpful showing how you fixed the edges of the drawers. And how you did the spray with very little overspray. That was impressive. Thanks for doing that.
My pleasure Joanne! It took me a lot of time to get ‘comfy’ doing video (and if I’m honest I’m still not 100% comfy…lol) so I really appreciate the feedback. So happy it’s helpful!
Wow! That turned out very nice. I love the pop of gold.
Thank you Lorrie! 🙂
Love the new makeover with the green paint!
Thank you Cindy!
I liked it the first time around, but like it even better now. Those pulls though! And the color is great with gold leg bottoms too. Nice how you fixed the fiberboard so well. Tell me something, watching your video, I noticed the mask you were wearing as you applied Bondo is different from your paint spraying mask, & was wondering what the difference is. Could you please clarify both types as I need to replace filters on mine & filters are almost as pricey a a new mask. Thanks in advance,
I was wearing my 3M Pro Sanding Mask while applying Bondo which was out of sheer laziness to swap masks. It cuts down on the fumes some but not sufficiently. When I shoot paint, I have three different respirator masks including a full face cover but I’ve been wearing this 1/2 face mask respirator because its the most comfy. And you’re so right the filters cost more than the respirator.🤔
Thanks for the info D, much appreciated.
My pleasure! 🙂
Hi Denise! Such a pretty color. It looks Z little teal on my phone but still gorgeous,. Like you.😊
It does have a slight blue’ish undertone to this green! Thanks Cheryl! 🙂
DEFINITELY the dark green!! Lovely results!! 🥰
I like the dark green better as well. Thanks Susan!
I like your decision to remove the handles and go with a modern look and to remove the raised panels on the front of the drawers. Paint sprayers sound scary. I don’t think cleaning them would be worth the hassle. Am I wr0ng?
I used to HATE cleaning out my sprayer…lol, but like anything, once you get the hang of it its super easy if using water based products. 🙂
LADY, you have a GREAT eye! I love this MCM piece and I’m not normally a fan of that style–EXCEPT when YOU do it. I love those handles. Aren’t they they ones that you cautioned us on a few weeks ago and making sure there was enough room between the drawers for them to fit?
Have a great weekend! XXOO
YES, these ARE the same ones. I love them so much I ordered more from Amazon. I also cautioned you on not using the gold/brass screws that come with them because the metal is so soft, they strip down easily and then you can’t get them out…ugggh. I swap them out for heavy duty scews and then paint the heads. 🙂 And thanks Caye, very sweet. XOXO
I emailed you about a piece I am trying to redo and I think this might be the color I go with!
YAY!! It’s a gorgeous color. XOXO
What a beautiful color 💚 and the gold hardware is the perfect complement to this MCM beauty. Well done! xo 😘
Thanks my friend! I’m always a huge fan of green. 😉
Hi Denise. Acadia looks like it was made to be on this dresser. GORGEOUS
Awww, thank you! I think it makes this dresser feel more sophisticated for sure!
The dresser was beautiful in both colors. Thanks for the tutorial on fixing with Bondo. My Frenchie has been chewing all the corners of my furniture! Looking forward to the video.
You have a Frenchie?!!!… omgosh, soooo cute!🐾
Now THAT’S a transformation! Between the paint color (is there a hint of blue or just my screen?), and the choice of hardware, this piece went from unappealing to ultra striking and beautiful. I don’t generally like anything suggestive of mid-century style, but I can see this complementing a wide range of furnishings. Well done. P.S. How much difference is there between Acadia and Smoky Mountain?
Yay, thanks Cyndel! Yes, there are blue/grey undertones in the Acadia. I haven’t used Smoky Mountain on anything yet but in the jar, it looks like a smokey grey with maybe green undertones.
Beautiful makeover. I love the gold accents.
Patricia
Thanks Patricia!
Just gorgeous! So classy! As usual, your work is outstanding! You are, by far, my favorite designer!
Thank you for sharing your methods to make everyday pieces works of art!
I so appreciate this Lana, thank YOUUUU! XOXO
WOW just WOW!
Julie xo
Hey my friend, thank YOU!!! XOXO
This is a sophisticated green. It looks beautiful paired with those handles!
I love these handles with this color too, thanks Nicki!
I loved the old hardware. That is what made it different than a dresser you can buy anywhere. I like the dark green and the old hardware in gold would have been unique and beautiful.
The hardware is unique to that era! I’ve kept it and will hopefully find a great match down the road. 🙂