$20 Thrifted Art Deco Waterfall Dresser Makeover

I found this art deco waterfall dresser at a thrift store for $19.99 and decided to do a full furniture makeover using paint and stain. It was pretty difficult restoring the original drawers but I managed to clean them up a bit using a Minwax penetrating stain.
Check out the blog: furnitureflipp...
Materials Used:
Sander - amzn.to/2GPJx0u
Early American Stain - amzn.to/30PjDkA
Ebony Stain - amzn.to/3nExSCr
Wood Conditioner - amzn.to/36RTxRH
Lacquer - amzn.to/34LACpe
Steel Wood - amzn.to/33KYXMo
White Primer - amzn.to/3jT5tGE
Sanding Sponge - amzn.to/3iRnMdU
Black Paint - HomeDepot

[@KatherineTheGr8t]

This is one of the best Chest of Drawers furniture flips I have seen! You highlighted it's signature style and truly brought out it's unique aesthetic, masterful job! (thanks for not slopping on a layer of flat gray, white or black paint and calling it good, you created a piece that I think is better than the original, hurrah for simplicity of the stain & color and letting the quality of workmanship shine - yours and the cabinetmakers') : D

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you for such kind words!

[@elginleebaker4713]

@@FurnitureFlippa beautiful !!!!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

@@elginleebaker4713 Glad you liked it, thanks so much!!

[@michellegordon456]

So tastefully restored, beautiful

[@joannesferrati3076]

Beautiful results, calm voice, camera work! Keep up the good work.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Joanne :)

[@MsRia2u]

Yes, love the calm voice!

[@cleo1034]

Beautiful restoration! 🙂

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks so much!

[@kittykatty2898]

Beautiful job👏The dresser looks better than it did originally. And it still looks like an original Art deco one. What a transformation and what a workmanship !

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you so much for the kind comment!

[@carjam49]

This is inspired. You kept the wood grain but brought it up to date. It's just gorgeous.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks carole!!

[@ellenmcarthur4599]

Well done technically and tasteful decision with the black paint.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you!!

[@markstrahl5399]

Amazing piece restoration

[@sweetds1]

Beautiful job. I love waterfall furniture

[@debraneria4242]

Very handsome turn out👍😊

[@dbird1584]

You give clear and easy to follow instructions.👍 Excellent job with giving this piece new life👍💕

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks D.Bird! glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@stvnixrcks]

It looks stunning!!! I"m so envious you found a dresser like that for only $20!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

I saw it sitting at the thrift store and instantly bought it! What a steal hey!?

[@stvnixrcks]

Furniture Flippa I really enjoy your vids. I hope you make more!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

@@stvnixrcks Of course, many new videos coming in the new year. I am excited to do some cool projects!

[@ithacacomments4811]

I upcycled a piece, 45 years ago, with the black paint and wood grain. My daughter now has it in her home. It was a dining room sideboard that had been used in a garage as a workbench. Trash to treasure!

[@Savvymomsquad1]

This looks wonderful. I just bought a vintage lane waterfall armoire and you gave me an idea thank you!

[@nadmiet7733]

Thank you for keeping the wood look.I have waterfall cabinet and didn't know how to restored. This video help me alot❤

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you, Nad! I am glad it helped you with your own piece :)

[@twinky4_4]

You did an amazing Job! Absolutely gorgeous!! TFS!!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks and no problem!!

[@WatchTashi]

Great job. Also always take off the tape before it dries. Frog Tape (esp the yellow one) is worth the extra money. It doesn’t have as much tack and won’t mess up a fragile surface. Nice job!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Another great tip! Thank you so much!

[@dot2dal]

I agree- removing when the paint is still wet will help a lot!

[@mariannedottl2538]

Exzellente Restaurierung!

[@whitejazwiec]

This is an awesome flip. You give simple, clear instruction and were great (thank you) for not minimizing the amount of time and patience needed to get such a lovely outcome!! Nicely done.

[@gigistephens8130]

New subscriber. It's calming to watch and listen to you. Love your work! 💜

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks GiGi!! :)

[@petinathomas6096]

In the UK we use cellulose thinners to help get paint off . Well I do and its brilliant its what they use in car body shops for thinning paint

[@TheOKkittyfarm]

Oxalis acid is a wood bleach it will take out almost all discoloration for staining. Mix around 8 parts water to 1 part powder. PaInt on let it sit wipe with vinegar to neutralize you can do it a couple of times it was the golden ticket for me!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks for this tip! will definitely give this a try next time around, the discoloration was making me mad haha much appreciated

[@JD-qf6zl]

Beautiful. You could always paint the top black. It would match/continue the black strip above the bottom drawer and along the bottom of the dresser. This is the first waterfall chest of drawers I have seen that I would love to have in my home!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

@@JD-qf6zl I agree, black totally would have worked on top too! And thanks so much! I appreciate the kind words :)

[@ianh9871]

From the UK, you've done a great job on this, nice combo of wood to paint.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you, Ian! Glad you liked the final piece.

[@andrearoth2669]

Not bad for a first timer it looks very nice

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks!!

[@brittanyrosetta]

Beautifully done. Don't be shy when using stripper. Sometimes u need quite a bit and plastic wrap works wonders

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks! and totally the more the better with stripper I have quickly come to realize

[@AC-ff1cn]

Wow, what a beautiful outcome. I love Art Deco , thank you for keeping it

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks for watching!

[@dot2dal]

Very cool! I like how the stain colour blends with the paint 🎨

[@ginamccrudden5816]

Looks great!!! Thank you for speeding up the film when you're doing the work. I love to watch when someone is refinishing a piece but when they film as they are doing it....OMG!! Good Luck.

[@kimpm2117]

I always use a wood conditioner. Especially on Pine, Maple and Oak.

[@suecox2308]

I love this waterfall style of furniture and you gave it a really lovely new life.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Sue :)

[@cindygrzechowiak6997]

Nice Job. Thanks for the video. I just completed my 1st waterfall dresser this week. Very similar to yours.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Awesome!

[@joec783]

Wow!So much work and patience. LOOKS GREAT!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you! 😊

[@markahearn1]

One of the beauties of using lacquer is that unlike polyurethane you shouldn't have to sand too much between coats like that. With lacquer you can keep building multiple top coats within minutes of each other. This aids in keeping runs and dust nibs to a minimum as each new layer melds into the previous one. Unfortunately due to much state regulations lacquer can be a bit difficult to get here in Southern California. And as for mineral spirits? Denatured alcohol? They have been taken off of our woodworking shelves as well. For give me if I am rambling too much. You do beautiful work, keep it up and thanks for sharing your methods.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Totally! I like lacquer but is definitely harsh on the lungs if not properly protected. I used it a lot but I am trying to spray wb-poly more just to save my lungs haha Thanks for the nice comment and thanks for watching.

[@markahearn1]

@@FurnitureFlippa I just subscribed to your channel. But yea, most definitely, stay healthy. Unrelated, I just got a killer deal on 6 authentic red oak Craftsman/Mission style dinning chairs. I'm guessing early 20th century. They were all creaky and wobbly, one of them was even missing a stretcher bar. So I made a new one, painstakingly dismantled, reglued and clamped everything up. They turned out beautiful and are like new. My wife loves them and I'm figuring that they should last us another good 20 years. profit

[@markahearn1]

A true labor of love. But after 20-30 hours of labor how could I possibly make a profit here?

[@FurnitureFlippa]

@@markahearn1 chairs are difficult, they take a lot of time. I try to avoid them unless they don't need work. Hard to make a profit when they take so long to fix up. Thanks for subbing though!

[@markahearn1]

@@FurnitureFlippa Thanks for your professional advice. A real killer deal on the chairs, lol. On the bright side it was a great learning experience, after all if I now can restore a chair, a table wouldn't be that much different. Plus I got save a few beautiful pieces of antique furniture from the going to the land fill. Thanks again

[@hephzibah1966]

It’s gorgeous

[@lauradiaz-autin3178]

Well done and for it to b your first time using these methods out is absolutely gorgeous and anyone that is into Art Deco would be over the moon to find a piece that was revamped the way you chose to give it that black and stain look.

[@marge1538]

That really turned out to be a pretty piece of furniture!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks Marge!

[@sarahkelly4026]

Excellent work! It's a challenge to get veneer to do anything new after its first life yet you had the patience. Hope you don't mind that I bite on your design ... have a similar piece which is a curb find.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Sarah! and yup... this project was not a quick one but looking back I learned a lot and I like how it turned out. But of course not! Go for it :)

[@lilmsmetal]

A silver pinstripe in the grooves would lift the dresser even more. Beautiful work.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

nice idea! And thank you, Carrie!!

[@markmitchell5870]

I've done a number of art deco furniture refinishes (as well as some turn of the century tiger striped oak stuff) and did the stripper/mineral spirits method one time...and never again. Forget it. Grab your orbital sander, some medium grit sandpaper and go to town. Once you're got all the finish off, sand with fine grit and stain, polyurethane, whatever.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

I think that will be my plan next time, this stuff isn't easy to strip!!

[@carolwright4051]

Very nice! Wow factor with finishes you used. Love art deco.

[@janinetapp6482]

If you put the stripper on thicker So it doesn’t dry out and then cover with plastic so it doesn’t dry out even more the finish will definitely come off easier, I do these old pieces and if you do it that way it comes off quite easily, and try remove your tape before the last coat is dry I always remove the tape straight after I have put the final coat on then you don’t risk pulling the paint off and as the paint underneath your last coat has “softened” you won’t get the problem where the paint and tape had fused together, nice job by the way

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks nice tips! And I started using Klean stripper and its way better, that cheap stuff wasn't cutting it!

[@honeyharmon6571]

Beautiful.

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

Looks very nice. Thank you.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Glad you like it! Thanks holly :)

[@larrylane7709]

Hi! I wanted to recommend FrogTape's 280220 Delicate Surface Painting Tape in Yellow. It's amazing!

[@rhonda6082]

Absolutely beautiful!! Great job!

[@justsaying3594]

My heart sank when you put the ebony on the top but it worked out pretty good. I've tried it on veneer top and it never turned out like the denser solid wood material. Great job

[@WatchTashi]

Use Citri-Strip for these old pieces. Leave it on longer. No plastic. That just mixes with the chemicals and like melts into it.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Nice tip, I don't think I can purchase citristrip locally where I live but I can test it out by ordering it! Thanks!

[@dot2dal]

@@FurnitureFlippa we don’t have citrus strip in Canada. Home Depot does have an eco-friendly stripper. I find it still takes multiple coats. But I have had pretty good success with it.

[@brigidadebarros1720]

Great job on a difficult piece. Love it!

[@martyclack8782]

I had one of those chest of drawes when i was a kid my grand mother gave it to me my younger brother still uses, hes 50 and they where built to last. it you did an awsome job

[@FurnitureFlippa]

They are certainly tough pieces of furniture! And thank you Marty.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

They are certainly tough pieces of furniture! And thank you Marty.

[@ebonist3860]

Old furniture finisher 40 + years here, I sand old walnut to 220 and use a Minmax Puritan Pine to enhance the natural amber in walnut that has been oxidizing for 70+ years. A blotchy affect is generally inconsistent or not enough sanding. Also I am not sure why you use an Ebony stain if you want to bring out the walnut in a high contrast against your paint. The Ebony stain suppresses the walnut whereas the Puritan Pine coaxes walnut's best colours to the fore. Just two centsing here.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

good info! Thank you!

[@ebonist3860]

@@FurnitureFlippa Pardon my manners, I should have stated that the high contrast is very stylish looking. I like high contrasts but stick to wood tones. Against walnut I like to blend Varathene stains like Kona which leans to black and add it to any of the walnut tones. If I need it a deeper tone I add up to 20% of the stain to the lacquer or Varathene (Flecto) and spray it to the tone I want and top coat with a final clear coat. This stuff gets in your blood don't it?

[@elginleebaker4713]

love love love !!!

[@alioria9673]

Bello trabajo. Pero considero que el mueble merecía regresarle su gloria con pulido con laca. Obteniendo brillo tipo piano o pulitura francesa. Bello trabajo y gran esfuerzo. Exito

[@tracykehoe8292]

It turned out amazing! Great find.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Tracy and thanks for watching :)

[@Cradley684]

You did a great job , Brian UK Stay Safe !!!.

[@kaycox5555]

Outstanding~

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you!!

[@annmccue4431]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thank you!!

[@larrylane7709]

Get the yellow Frog tape. It's much better than the green. Easier to remove and crisp, clean lines. 😀

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks I’ll try it out!!

[@sindyalefebre7858]

Amazing work. Explanation is over the top. I subscribe to your channel. Good luck

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks for such a kind comment. And thanks for the sub, many more videos coming this new year!

[@foos.998]

Beautiful restoration!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thank you!!

[@nicoleshupe2313]

Very nice

[@lfuentes4098]

Looks great. I like that you kept the wood grain. Curious if you sold it fast? I think it would have. I think that the veneer on the top and front drawers might have been two different types of wood. They took the stain so differently. But I still lob the wood grain, great job as always.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks! and yes they took differently so I couldn't do much.

[@MsRia2u]

That looks beautiful!!! great to watch.. :)

[@lullakay1276]

Amazing

[@jenniferkilgore9967]

Looks amazing, were our own worst critics! Really really nice

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks, Jennifer!!

[@NEILZEE11]

You should paint the small strip of wood black right above the drawers. I have a dresser similar to this w/a big round mirror on top, but I’m a little scared to attempt this myself. Great job... 👍

[@FurnitureFlippa]

That would have looked good! and give it a shot, but this dresser did take a long time lol! I would sand instead of using stripper to speed things up.

[@BillizMuzic]

Pull your tape when the paint still wet. That's helps alot

[@FurnitureFlippa]

good tip!

[@kringles65]

I did a lot of reinvent finishing. It sold well.

[@rose-hope]

Peel the tape when paint is wet and it is less likely to peel back any paint

[@lorrainewhitlock5377]

😍 I really liked how it turned out. But I feel that it was good enough piece of furniture to restore it instead of painted. But overall it looks really really nice

[@FurnitureFlippa]

thanks Lorraine!

[@kiwisteppa]

Beautiful job🤗

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you so much :)

[@kimstanymyr6049]

Superb result Sir!!!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you Kim!!

[@henryjbonilla730]

It looks so nice I like the colors 👌🏻

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Henry!

[@justjen3216]

Fandamntastic job!!!! Love it!!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Jen! :)

[@debretaevans8049]

I think that is beautiful you did a great job if I wanted something done on my furniture it would be yours to do

[@jenidouthit7980]

Looks amazing!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks for the kind comment Jeni :)

[@Maitree15]

WOW, nicee

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you!

[@manuelag2128]

Good Job, Son.😄

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks Manuela :)

[@michellecabasal2963]

Great job

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you michelle!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you michelle!

[@CorkyKneivel]

It looks fantastic. I really appreciate your mix of paint and stain designs. It looks like there's a veneer chip in the corner of a drawer. If so, how did you fix that?

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thank you! Based on time I didn't fix any chips because it wouldn't be worth my ROI when selling. You could do a few things, cut new veneer to fit and glue, or add filler and paint it to match wood grain, and other ways. That's really a step towards restoration which I may get more into in the future!

[@markphillips6154]

Do you use tack cloth

[@Sarah-mh5ez]

Thank you for sharing this! I just picked up an Art Deco dresser for $25 and want to try something similar. Your video is very helpful! Q: for the Behr paint, is it regular paint or chalk paint? Thanks!

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Thanks for watching! And it was regular, but I recommend using fusion mineral paint or another decent quality paint. Behr likely wont hold up as long. Cheers!

[@Sarah-mh5ez]

@@FurnitureFlippa Thank you so much! I got Fusion in Midnight Blue. Painted the legs to test the colour- it looks great!!

[@rebeccaperkins3609]

How long between each coat do you wait to sand?

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Hi Rebecca, I wait until the paint or finish is completely dry to touch. If it's wet at all sanding will not work properly and you could ruin the piece. Thanks for watching!!

[@doddnejadfard3251]

B

[@mcm.walnuter3479]

That stripper is crap! Purchase Klean stripper ...it's the best out there so far

[@FurnitureFlippa]

Totally! I used it in my last video and it works so much better. I have been missing out... Thanks Jodi!

[@mcm.walnuter3479]

I used so many - they sit on the shelf now lol

[@bogumiamachowska480]

👏👏👍👍🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[@trackrunner11]

Your pronunciation of your "ou" s gives you away as being from Canada. I would say Calgary? Somewhere in the mid part of your fine country.

[@FurnitureFlippa]

I am from Newfoundland, I lived in NS for a few years - when this video was made. I am now in Vancouver!

[@trackrunner11]

We are all richer and smarter for your videos. Stay warm up there!

[@patricksterling7389]

You ruined it

[@Thaylotus]

Thanks. Thinking the same. I'm seeing so much painted art deco waterfall furniture. Ruined! Restore the wood veneer, make watermarks go. Leave it as brand new. Then put it in your house among new furniture. Stop ruining furniture. So yes, if it's going to end in landfill but no as restoring it all was possible in this case.

[@ellenokeefe9905]

The black really makes the veneer pop!!