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Opinion

Kids' room: DIY dresser makeover

Cityline's Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault shares how she turned a plain pine dresser she found at a yard sale into a fabulous storage unit for her son's room.

By Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault
Kids' room: DIY dresser makeover

Photo: Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault

Now that spring has finally sprung, those joyous yard sale signs have been popping up in my neighbourhood weekly (insert happy dance here). I love the thrill of the hunt for a fabulously frugal furniture find to work a little DIY magic on.

During a quick expedition last weekend to a local sale, I spotted a sweet little pine number that yelled across the lawn: “Hey you, buy me!”

Besides missing a knob and needing a minor drawer readjustment, this petite dresser had my two favourite Ps written all over it: potential and price. After a little friendly negotiation, I walked away with a $16 steal of a deal that was about to get a refresh.

We had redecorated my six-year-old son Nolan's bedroom back in December (which was what he requested as a Christmas gift – he’s so my son). But after investing in new furniture, I realized that his night stands were useless. Sure they looked great, but they didn't offer any storage.

Since this fab yard sale piece is smaller than a typical dresser, I decided to use it in place of one of his night stands to house his over-abundance of art supplies and mini masterpieces.

I gave the dresser a light sanding, a coat of primer and a fresh coat of white paint to the top and sides. To make this piece truly fit for a budding artist, I added tintable chalkboard paint in a stacked ombre to the drawer fronts, which is a great way to keep supplies organized. He thought it was pretty nifty, and I was pretty happy to have all of his art paraphernalia housed in one place!

Note: If you’re on the hunt for a great yard sale this weekend, be sure to check out Yard Sale for the Cure.  On May 25, you can support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation while hunting for great deals.

This article was originally published on May 23, 2013

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