A Dresser Makeover: No More Orange
“This will be easy…”
Isn’t that one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves when jumping into a new DIY project? Week Two of the One Room Challenge had me starting a dresser makeover, but not finishing. Ugh.
The Before
You know I love showing off before photos…especially ones that showcase that gorgeous, tangerine stain that was–apparently–the height of home design a couple decades ago…
And, no. I didn’t get a before with the drawers. What is wrong with me?
This orange stain has GOT TO GO.
Paint & Stain Remover
I used Citri Strip, a product I’ve seen countless people use. I’ve *heard* people say that the smell is not too bad. Don’t believe it. It’s horrible. Maybe my nose is sensitive, but I can’t imagine using this inside my house.
The Materials
Paint brush (one time use)
Rubber gloves
Small container
Cling wrap
Drop cloth
Several old rags
*I ended up going through multiple pairs of gloves–removing the product. Cheap paintbrush to apply, along with a disposable container to pour the Citri Strip into.
The Process
- Remove any hardware you don’t want discolored.
- Apply the Citri Strip liberally–not too thick that it would drip, but thick enough to have an impact. It paints on kind of like glue.
- Use cling wrap to cover and keep air from drying fully.
- Remove the cling wrap, small areas at a time.
- Scrape the residue off with a plastic scraping tool. Like this one.
- After all the residue has been scraped, you’ll want to clean it up with mineral spirits and rags.
I waited about 18 hours to remove the cling wrap. The directions say to return to it less than 24 hours later, or it will begin to dry.
The Results
The mug says it all. This is just a couple days after finishing the process above.
It definitely took off layers of clear coat and a bit of the stain. It muted the orange, from bright to dull, but the stain is still there. So, I did what any maniac…I mean, DIYer…would do. I started sanding. And spray painting.
Stay Tuned for My Dresser Makeover
I’m not done. I had to glare–I mean, stare–at it for a few days before I could figure out what I want to do. I think I’m on the right track now, just finding the time to sand and sand and sand has been a challenge. I have hopes that it’s going to look amazing. I’m going to be adding updates for the dresser makeover here and on Instagram. For now, it’s just taking up space in the garage. A lot of space.
UPDATE: I ended up bleaching it! See the process I went through to bleach it.
