How to refresh old wooden drawers with paint

07 Mar 2025

You will need:

·      Old drawers

·      Sander

·      Ruler and pencil

·      Spirit level

·      Washi tape

·      Paint brush

·      Mini speed brush

·      Resene paint or stain. We used Resene Clouded Blue and Resene Colorwood Whitewash

·      Drawer knobs

Step 1

Remove the drawer knobs and sand off all old varnish. Wipe off sanding dust with a damp cloth.

Step 2

Using a ruler and spirit level, line up with the lower edge of the top drawer and draw a line around both sides of your drawers.

Step 3 

Using a mini speed brush, apply Resene Colorwood Whitewash to the top third of your drawers and the top drawer. Two coats should be sufficient, but we did three as the wood was quite dark and we wanted to have a much lighter look.

Step 4

Once the Resene Colorwood Whitewash is completely dry, use washi tape to tape along the line you drew. Apply two coats of your chosen Resene colour. We used Resene Clouded Blue. Remove the washi tape before the paint is completely dry to ensure you get a crisp line.

Step 5

Once dry, screw the new handles in.

Wall and skirting painted in Resene Sea Fog, drawers in in Resene Clouded Blue and Resene Colorwood Whitewash, floorboards in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy and vases in Resene Frozen and Resene Sea Fog.

Top tips:

·      For a matte chalky style finish, use Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint and wax available from your Resene ColorShop. 

·      If you like the existing wood colour and just want to freshen it up or change the sheen level, you can finish it in clear Resene Aquaclear, which is available in a range of sheen levels depending how glossy you’d like your drawers to look.

·      For a child’s room, paint the painted sections with Resene FX Blackboard Paint black or Resene FX Chalkboard Paint and then use chalk to write or draw what goes into each drawer to help your child keep their things in the right place.

·      For something a little extra, paint the inside of the drawers a favourite colour or line the base with Resene wallpaper.  Using colour or wallpaper on the inside will give you a little pick-me-up each time you open the drawers.

project: Sarah Beedell

stylist: Megan Harrison-Turner

images: Bryce Carleton

Published: 07 Mar 2025