A dresser is one of the most satisfying pieces of furniture to chalk paint. It has enough surface area to make the colour really land in a room, enough detail in the drawer fronts and legs to reward good technique, and enough everyday presence in a bedroom or living space to make the transformation feel genuinely significant. It is also forgiving enough for a first-time painter to get a beautiful result without professional experience.
This guide walks you through every stage of chalk painting a dresser, from choosing your colour and preparing the surface through to the final coat of sealer. By the end you will know exactly what to do, what products you need, and what to watch out for at each stage of the process.
What You Will Need Before You Start
Getting everything ready before you open a tin of paint makes the process significantly smoother and helps you avoid the frustration of stopping mid-project to track down a product you did not realise you needed.
For a standard dresser project you will need Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint in your chosen colour, a good quality brush suited to furniture work, fine-grit sandpaper, a clean cloth or tack cloth for wiping down between coats, a degreaser or sugar soap for the initial clean, and a finishing product, either Granny B's wax or Granny B's Armour, depending on how the dresser will be used.
For most dressers a 500ml tin of Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint is sufficient for two full coats. If you are working with a very large dresser, painting a dark colour over a light surface, or want a third coat for extra depth, a litre tin gives you more to work with and avoids running short mid-project. You can check paint quantities and order everything you need from grannyb.co.za.
Choosing the Right Colour
Colour choice is where most people spend the most time before starting a dresser project, and it is worth taking that time rather than rushing the decision. A dresser is a significant piece of furniture and the colour you choose will define how the piece sits in the room for years.
A few practical considerations will help you narrow down your options. Think about the room the dresser lives in and the existing colours on the walls, floor, and other furniture. A colour that works beautifully in isolation may fight with existing elements in the room, while a colour that seems safe on a swatch card may be exactly right once it is on the piece and in the space.
Neutral and soft tones like Granny B's Antique White, Shortbread, and French Linen are the most versatile choices for a dresser because they work with almost any interior palette and give the piece a timeless quality that more trend-driven colours do not always sustain. These tones also show off distressing and wax finishes beautifully, which makes them particularly popular among painters who want to use decorative techniques beyond basic coverage.
Deeper tones like Inkwell, Navy Blue, and Graphite are increasingly popular for dressers in 2026, particularly as statement pieces in otherwise neutral bedrooms. A dark-painted dresser with brushed brass hardware is one of the most effective and relatively straightforward interior upgrades you can achieve with chalk paint.
Warm, nature-inspired tones like Duck Egg, GI Jane, and Sage work beautifully in bedroom and living room settings and give a dresser a character that feels both current and timeless. These mid-tones are also among the most forgiving colours to work with because they cover well, show brush marks less than very dark or very pale tones, and look good across a range of lighting conditions.
You can download colour charts and browse the full range of over 65 colours on the Granny B's tutorials page to help you make your decision before committing to a tin.
Step 1: Remove the Drawers and Hardware
Before you do anything else, remove all the drawers from the dresser and take off all the handles, knobs, and hinges. Painting around hardware rather than removing it is one of the most common shortcuts that produces an unprofessional result. Even the most careful cutting in around a handle leaves paint marks on the hardware and makes the finished piece look like exactly what it is: something that was painted without proper preparation.
Label each drawer and its corresponding opening before removing them, either with a piece of masking tape on the back or a light pencil mark on the underside. Dressers are not always symmetrical internally and drawers that fit perfectly in their own opening may not slide cleanly into a different one.
Set the hardware aside in a safe place. If you are planning to replace the hardware with something new once the dresser is painted, now is the time to order it so it is ready when the paint and sealer are fully cured.
Step 2: Clean the Surface Thoroughly
A clean surface is the single most important preparation step for any chalk paint project, and it matters more on a dresser than on most other pieces because dressers accumulate years of polish, skin oils, dust, and cleaning product residue that sits invisibly on the surface and undermines paint adhesion.
Wipe the entire dresser down with a degreaser or sugar soap solution, including the drawer fronts, the top, the sides, and the insides of the drawer openings. Use a clean cloth and work systematically so you do not miss any areas. Pay particular attention to the top of the dresser and around the drawer handles where the most contact occurs and therefore the most residue accumulates.
Allow the dresser to dry completely after cleaning before moving to the next step. Painting onto a damp surface traps moisture beneath the paint which can cause adhesion problems and a finish that feels soft or tacky after drying.
Step 3: Assess Whether Sanding Is Needed
One of the most appealing characteristics of Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint is that it adheres to most surfaces without sanding. On bare wood, previously painted surfaces in good condition, and most veneered or MDF dressers, you can paint directly after cleaning without any sanding at all.
There are two situations where a light sand before painting is worthwhile. If the existing finish on the dresser is very high gloss, a light scuff with fine-grit sandpaper dulls the surface enough to improve adhesion and give you a more even first coat. If the existing paint or varnish is chipping or flaking in any areas, sanding those areas back to a stable surface prevents the chalk paint from lifting along with the loose material beneath it.
If you do sand, wipe away all dust with a tack cloth or a slightly damp cloth before painting. Dust particles trapped in the first coat create a rough, grainy finish that is visible in the final result.
Step 4: Fill Any Damage
Before painting is the right time to address any chips, dents, or holes in the dresser surface. A small amount of wood filler pressed into any damaged areas and sanded smooth once dry gives you a clean, even surface to paint onto and a much more professional final result.
This step is particularly important on older or thrifted dressers where the surface may have accumulated damage over years of use. Chalk paint does not hide surface imperfections the way a high-build primer might. If anything, the matte finish of chalk paint can make imperfections slightly more visible than a gloss finish would, so addressing them before painting is time well spent.
Step 5: Apply the First Coat of Paint
Shake or stir your Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint thoroughly before starting. The pigment can settle during storage and a paint that has not been mixed properly will give you uneven colour, particularly in the first coat.
Decant a small amount of paint onto a palette or disposable plate rather than dipping your brush directly into the tin. Working from a palette gives you better control over how much paint is on the brush, makes it easier to thin the paint slightly if needed, and keeps the tin clean for storage between coats.
Load your brush with a moderate amount of paint and begin applying it to the dresser in long, even strokes. For the main surfaces like the top and sides, work in the direction of the wood grain where possible. For drawer fronts, work from edge to edge in a single consistent direction rather than changing direction mid-stroke.
The first coat of chalk paint on a new project rarely looks perfect, and it is not supposed to. Coverage may be slightly uneven, the colour may look different to what you expected, and you may be able to see the surface beneath in thin areas. This is normal. The first coat is about getting paint onto the surface and establishing adhesion. The second coat is where the finish comes together.
Apply the first coat to the dresser frame first, then to each drawer front individually. Working from largest to smallest surface area, and painting the parts that are less visible first, gives you the opportunity to refine your technique before you get to the most prominent surfaces.
Allow the first coat to dry fully before applying the second. Granny B's paint dries to touch within thirty to sixty minutes depending on temperature and humidity, but waiting at least two hours between coats in a well-ventilated space gives you the best result. Do not rush this step. Applying a second coat over a first coat that is not yet fully dry causes the paint to lift and drag, which damages both coats and requires the area to be sanded back before repainting.
Step 6: Sand Lightly Between Coats
Once the first coat is fully dry, run a piece of fine-grit sandpaper very lightly over the entire surface. You are not trying to remove the paint or rough up the surface significantly. You are smoothing out any raised grain, dust particles, or brush marks that the first coat has picked up. The surface should feel noticeably smoother after this step than it did before.
Wipe away all sanding dust with a tack cloth before applying the second coat. This is a step that many first-time painters skip and it makes a visible difference to the quality of the final finish.
Step 7: Apply the Second Coat
Apply the second coat in the same direction as the first, with the same consistent stroke direction on each surface. The second coat should give you full, even coverage across the entire dresser, with no areas where the surface beneath is visible and no significant variation in colour across the painted area.
If you are happy with the coverage after two coats, you are ready to move on to finishing. If there are any areas where coverage feels thin or uneven, a targeted third coat on those areas rather than a full third coat across the whole piece is the most efficient approach.
Allow the second coat to dry fully before assessing the coverage and moving to the finishing stage. In warm, dry conditions like those common in South Africa for much of the year, two hours is usually sufficient. In humid or cool conditions, allow longer.
Step 8: Distressing (Optional)
If you want a vintage or aged look on your dresser, distressing after the final paint coat is fully dry is the most straightforward way to achieve it. Chalk paint distresses easily and naturally because of its matte, porous finish, which is one of the reasons it became the paint of choice for furniture with a vintage or farmhouse aesthetic.
To distress, use a piece of fine-grit sandpaper or a pot scourer and sand lightly on the edges, corners, and raised details of the dresser where natural wear would occur over time. The goal is to remove a small amount of paint to reveal either the wood beneath or a previous coat of paint if you have used two colours. Work gradually and step back regularly to assess the effect. It is much easier to remove more paint than it is to undo over-distressing.
The amount of distressing you apply is entirely a matter of personal preference. A light touch on just the most prominent edges gives a subtly aged look. More aggressive distressing across larger areas creates a heavily weathered effect that suits rustic and vintage interiors.
Step 9: Seal the Dresser
Sealing is not optional on a dresser. A dresser is handled constantly, the top surface is used as a working surface and display area, and the drawer fronts are touched multiple times a day. Unsealed chalk paint will mark, scuff, and wear through quickly on a piece that sees this level of daily use.
Granny B's wax is the traditional sealer for chalk paint and gives a soft, tactile finish that enhances the depth of the colour and gives the surface a beautifully subtle sheen. Apply wax with a clean cloth or a wax brush, working it into the surface in circular motions and then wiping off any excess with a clean cloth. Granny B's Dark Wax can be applied over the clear wax to add depth and an aged quality that suits distressed finishes particularly well.
Wax cures gradually over several days after application and gives a finish that is suitable for most bedroom dressers used in normal conditions. For a dresser that will see very heavy use, or one in a child's room where the surface will be subjected to more rigorous treatment, Granny B's Armour provides a harder, more washable finish that is significantly more durable than wax in demanding conditions.
Apply two coats of your chosen finishing product, allowing full drying time between coats. Pay extra attention to the top surface and the drawer fronts, where the most contact occurs and therefore where the seal needs to be most robust.
Step 10: Refit the Hardware and Reassemble
Once the sealer is fully cured, which takes at least forty-eight hours after the final coat and ideally a full week before heavy use, refit the drawer hardware and slide the drawers back into their correct openings.
If you are fitting new hardware, now is the time to do it. New handles and knobs are one of the easiest and most effective ways to finish a chalk-painted dresser project. Brushed brass and matte black are both strong hardware choices in 2026 and both complement a wide range of chalk paint colours. Measure the existing hole spacing before ordering new hardware to make sure the fixing points align with what is already in the drawer fronts, or be prepared to fill the old holes and drill new ones if you are changing to a different handle style.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A few things catch first-time dresser painters off guard and are worth knowing about before you start rather than after.
Skipping the degreaser is the most common cause of adhesion problems on a dresser. The surface may look clean but the invisible layer of polish and residue is enough to prevent proper bonding in places, which leads to paint that peels or chips in high-contact areas within a few months.
Applying thick coats rather than thin ones is the second most common mistake. A thick coat of chalk paint takes longer to dry, is more likely to sag or drip on vertical surfaces, and is harder to sand smooth between coats. Two or three thin coats always give a better result than one or two thick ones.
Sealing too soon is a mistake that costs more time than it saves. A coat of wax or Armour applied before the paint beneath is fully cured traps moisture in the paint film and produces a finish that stays soft or tacky rather than hardening properly. Patience between coats and before sealing is consistently the difference between a professional-looking result and one that disappoints.
Where to Buy Everything You Need
All the products mentioned in this guide are available online at grannyb.co.za with free delivery on orders over R699. If you prefer to shop in person, use the stockist finder to locate a retailer near you. The tutorials page has additional video guides and technique resources if you want more guidance before you start.
Final Thoughts
Chalk painting a dresser is one of the most rewarding DIY projects you can take on. The process is straightforward, the materials are accessible, and the result is a piece of furniture that looks completely transformed and entirely your own.
Take your time at each stage, particularly with the preparation and the drying time between coats, and the finish will reflect that care. A dresser painted well with Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint is something that will look good for years and improve with the natural patina that a waxed chalk paint finish develops over time.
Browse the full range and order everything you need at grannyb.co.za.