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How to paint and upcycle your old chest of drawers

Newly fitted brass handles on a teal chest of drawers in a neutral living room setting

Overview

Before throwing out your old chest of drawers, why not give it a quick revamp instead. You’ll not only save money, it will come up looking as good as new.

Steps

1Sanding

If your chest of drawers is made of timber, you'll need to give it a quick sand before painting. The easiest way is to pull out all the drawers and remove the handles first. For some quick tips on how to sand timber, check out our D.I.Y. video.

Sanded timber drawers sitting on a drop sheet.

2Paint your chest of drawers

Now your chest of drawers has been sanded, it's ready to paint. You might want to go with something modern like a chalkboard paint, a classic white or deep blue, even multicolour if you want to really liven things up. Have a look at our how to paint D.I.Y. video if you want some help to get started.

3Add some new handles

New handles or knobs can make all the difference to your new set of drawers. Again, you could go for something modern or stick with something classic. We have hundreds of knobs and handles to choose from, just head in-store or jump online.

4Best dresser

Once you've finished, why not give your revamped chest of drawers pride of place in your bedroom.

5Find out more

To find the tools and materials you need for this project, visit our website or pop in to your local Bunnings. 

Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.