When we moved into our home, some thought needed to be put into storage and organization. One of the areas that needed attention was the entrance, where shoes, flip flops and sandals resided. Despite the shoe shelves I’d built and installed at the bottom of the closet there, our footwear collection had become unruly… difficult to keep in order and difficult to find.

I began to look through second hand items for sale online and considered cupboards for a while, but found these a bit pricey. Eventually, I came across an old dresser I thought would do the trick, so although I loved the table I already had in place, I bought a dresser as it would definitely help with organization .

When it came to making my choice, of course price was a criteria but then, I looked for a shape I liked. These two criteria were the basis for my choice. Although the colour happened to be one I like, in this case, it made the bureau look too much like a bedroom dresser to me. I decided to paint it and chose grey, which I felt would be classic with a touch or masculinity.

Before painting, I decided to change the drawer pulls. The white existing porcelain ones were nice, but I preferred to look for something a little more formal and a little less country. As the top drawer is shallower than the two others, I purchased two sizes, the smaller pair for the top drawer and of course the bigger ones for the two bottom drawers. I decided on the ones below.

Already I felt, the dresser looked less “bedroomy”.

Next, I painted it.

The painting process was quick as there wasn’t much prep work needed. Chalk paint sticks well to most surfaces without primer and since I wanted a solid colour rather than a wash (through which the wood is visible), I didn’t need to sand much (just a little to scuff up the surface). I painted two coats of paint and then a top coat/sealer (as chalk paint is very dry to the touch, which I don’t enjoy- plus the paint would be more resistant).

The result was what I had hoped for, the look a little more formal, to suit the pattern of the floor. Someday I thought, a marble or quartz top would add a last touch as the existing wooden top was worn and didn’t quite cover the whole dresser top (there was a gap at the back that it didn’t cover).

After using the dresser as it was for a few years, the “someday” came 🙂 I was offered a piece of white quartz, cut from counter remnants, to fit the top of the dresser. Below is the stone I chose.

Afraid the old dresser wouldn’t be sturdy enough to hold the stone, I reinforced it with metal, 90 degree corner brackets and heavy duty construction adhesive (stuffed into the joints) and added a cross piece in the centre.

Then, with the adhesive, I installed the stone on top and let it set. And so, after a few years, the dresser is finally complete!