Vintage Dresser Makeover with Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint

Hey guys! A few weeks ago Amy Howard at Home reached out to me and asked if I wanted to test drive some of their One-Step Paints and waxes. Amy Howard at Home has an incredible line of paint, waxes and specialty finishes for tackling any painting project, so of course I said yes!

The piece I chose for this project is a dresser that belonged to my late uncle. I don’t know much about the piece except that it is old – not an antique (over 100 years old) but definitely vintage. If I had to guessimate, I’d say it was probably made in the mid-century. It’s been sitting in my furniture bone pile out in our shop for a few years now, so it was overdue for a makeover!

For this project I chose the color Stella out of the Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint color line. I would describe Stella as a soft, muted lavender. I love anything in the purple color realm and I immediately fell in love with this gorgeous color! I also received their Clear Wax, Dark Antique Wax, Clean Slate furniture and cabinet cleaner and One-Step Paint Color Guide. I highly recommend the One-Step Paint Color Guide as it is created by applying each One-Step Paint color by hand to provide you with the truest color representation.

I started the project by dusting off the inch of dust that the dresser collected from sitting out in our shop for a few years. I followed up with the Clean Slate furniture and cabinet cleaner applied to a soft cloth to remove any wax, grease and oily residue. It only took one application to clean off years of grease and grime off the dresser and get it ready to paint! Be sure to use Clean Slate in a well ventilated area.

Once the dresser was completely dry, I taped around the mirror and the sides of the drawers with painting tape to prevent paint from getting on those areas.

Before I started painting, I jazzed up the dresser by adding these gorgeous wood scroll onlays in two different sizes. I love working dark antiquing wax into furniture with a lot of details like onlays as it really makes those details pop!

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I used Gorilla Wood Glue to glue the scrolls onto the dresser. I glued the smaller scroll over the mirror and the larger scroll on the top drawer.

Once the glue for the onlays was completely dry, I was ready to start painting. When I cracked open the One-Step Paint can, I was immediately enveloped by the most amazing smell! That’s because Amy Howard at Home mixes essential oils in their paints! Yes, you read that right – it’s paint that actually smells great, which makes it all that more enjoyable to to work with!

But the biggest surprise was yet to come! I’ve worked with a lot of paint brands in the past that claim to be “one-step” or “one coat”, but it was more like 2-3 coats to get complete coverage. I figured the reason was I favor light colored paints which make it harder to get good coverage on stained wood project pieces. But after one coat of the One-Step Paint and a few small touch ups here and there, I was done! Having a paint that actually covers in one coat is such a huge time saver!!!

Once the paint was completely dry, I applied the Amy Howard at Home Clear Wax over all the painted parts of the dresser. I used a soft, lint-free cotton cloth to apply the wax to the smooth parts of the dresser and a brush to work the wax into the onlays, wiping off any excess wax using the cloth.

Once the Clear Wax was completely dry, I lightly distressed the entire dresser using 220 grit sandpaper. There is a lot of debate on whether you should distress your project before or after waxing. The rule of thumb I use is that if I’m going to use antiquing wax, I distress AFTER the clear wax so the antiquing wax will grab onto the distressed places. It is also much less dusty if you distress after waxing. If I don’t plan on using antiquing wax on my project, I distress BEFORE waxing to protect the entire piece and prevent the paint from chipping or peeling away from the distressed areas.

After I finished distressing, I applied the Amy Howard at Home Dark Antique Wax. I used a small wax brush to work the wax into the crevices of the onlays, then used a bigger wax brush to remove any excess. I then lightly worked the wax into the corners and edges of the dresser, then blending it outward over the rest of the dresser using a large wax brush. I finished it off by using a soft cloth over the entire dresser to gently polish the wax finish into a beautiful sheen.

Once everything was completely dry, I styled it used some thrift shop finds, jewelry I bought on one of our trips to Maui and some faux peonies.

I gotta be honest – although I adore this paint color, I normally stick with very light, neutral colors for furniture. I chose this paint color because I wanted to try something that was outside of the box for me as far as painting furniture. When I finished painting the dresser, I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. I definitely loved the color, but I wasn’t sure if I loved the color on this dresser. But once I decorated it, I was totally in love!

My final thoughts: I absolutely loved working with the Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint and waxes! The One-Step paint applies evenly, smells heavenly and (really!) covers in one coat! Their Clear Wax applies smoothly and leaves a beautiful satin finish. Their Dark Antique Wax applies evenly and is easy and blends beautifully. I am so happy Amy Howard at Home reached out and gave me the opportunity to work with their awesome products! I highly recommend Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint, waxes and Clean Slate and I can’t wait to try out some of their other paint and finishing products!

Thank you so much for checking out my vintage dresser makeover with Amy Howard at Home One-Step Paint! If you have any thoughts or questions, please leave them in the comments section below!

Happy painting!