Easy Vintage Mid-Century Furniture Flip

Are you a fan of vintage mid-century furniture? Today I’m sharing the simple steps we used to update this mid-century flip.

I love clean lines, and when I found this fun dresser at the Thrift Store for cheap, I knew I could make it look fabulous without spending much money.

I visit our Habitat ReStore often to check out the latest donations. This cute dresser really caught my eye. The price was right; wait until you see how it looks now.

What is Mid-Century Furniture?

Furniture manufactured between the 1940s and the 1970s is considered mid-century. You can identify most vintage pieces because of their unique, clean lines.

(Posts on The Ponds Farmhouse may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure details here.)

Why is Mid-Century Furniture Popular?

Mid-Century furniture’s popularity is partly due to the quality of construction and timeless, simple lines. Dressers and chests of drawers provide much-needed storage without overcrowding small spaces.

Although vintage furniture color choices may be less desirable, there is an easy way to update the pieces. Today I’m sharing an easy, inexpensive, vintage mid-century furniture makeover.

Hardware Update

First, consider the hardware. You may decide to update the hardware with a new style. However, if it’s still in great shape, you can save money by reusing the original pieces.

Although the drawer pulls were solid, and structurally in good shape, the finish was tarnished.

In addition, the dresser legs were adorned with metal which was also tarnished.

Instead of replacing, these metal pieces were easy to update with a coat of Rust-oleum Antique Brass Spray Paint.

Tape the leg allowing the metal leg cap to be exposed, and paint with spray paint.

If repainting the dresser legs, you don’t have to worry about paint overspray; however, if you don’t plan to refinish the wooden legs, be sure to cover them entirely before painting.

If the caps are damaged, replacement caps are available to purchase.

To paint the hardware, place each drawer pull on cardboard and spray the entire surface with the spray paint. Allow the paint to dry and reapply if needed.

If painting the hardware isn’t an option, these replacement drawer pulls would also look great.

Prepare the Vintage Dresser

Once all the hardware is removed, you will want to clean the wooden furniture to remove any dirt or wax build-up. I like to use TSP Cleaner for deep cleaning. You will want to use protective gloves and goggles.

Allow the furniture to dry. Repair any damaged areas with wood filler and sand with a sanding block if needed.

Paint Vintage Mid-Century Dresser

This vintage mid-century dresser was in excellent condition and only needed a good cleaning.

I began with a coat of black chalk paint as a primer.

After the chalk paint dried, I applied two coats of Annie Sloan Satin Paint.

Finally, I used a foam roller to provide a smooth surface finish to the drawer fronts and dresser top.

Allow the paint to dry for a few days before reattaching the hardware.

Vintage Mid-Century Furniture Update Reveal

This vintage mid-century furniture update will look amazing as an entry table or console table and, obviously, for its original purpose, a dresser.

The matte black finish gives it a mid-century modern feel.

Although it looks great in our storage building, I can’t wait to see it in a beautiful home. For now, it will serve as a display in my mini-shop.

Pin It To Remember It

Did you find some great ideas you’d like to save for future reference? Hover over the images you’d like to save and pin to your favorite Pinterest Boards when you see the PIN button.