Our DIY Dresser for the Nursery

As you may remember from a previous post, my husband and I were painting the dresser white to use in the nursery. I had measured and picked the spot for it underneath a window (it doesn't block the light) and in a cut-out that fit perfectly. We got this dresser and another smaller dresser (used now as a cabinet), which you can see in a previous post here, plus a mirror (trash) and 2 standing shelves to be used on top of the dresser (trash) for a whopping total of $30.

Here is the before photo of the dresser:

And, the after:

 (curtains will be replaced)

There are 6 roomy drawers and the 2 doors open to reveal 3 more drawers. It's great having so much storage space (plus the closet) for the baby. We did not paint the inside of the drawers. The prior owner had used contact paper to line the drawers, which was unexpectedly very easy to peel off. I plan to do the same, but make my own liners using either scrapbook paper or wrapping paper.

 

I quickly added a few things and the new "a" & "z" bookends I bought at Home Goods ($5.99 each) to see how it would look. My initial thought was to spray paint the book ends hot pink, but I'll wait to see how much color is still needed in the room when it's complete (I'm liking the silver, too). 

We ended up not using the oil-based paint because of the messy clean up and because I wouldn't be able to handle the fumes (being pregnant). Instead, we used water-based paint and it turned out great. We are very happy with the results. We used 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint (both shown below). After the dresser dried and was placed in the nursery my husband applied another coat of paint to a few minor spots we missed.

We are both so excited this dresser works for the nursery and the fact that it was so inexpensive. We love the style of the dresser and the storage space. It will definitely be needed!