How I Upcycled A Hand-Me-Down Dresser To A Beautiful Buffet

An upcycled dresser turned buffet cabinet that breathes new life into it. By transforming this dresser into a stylish and functional buffet cabinet, it became a one-of-a-kind statement piece that adds character and personality to my dining room.

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In June 2017, when we first moved to our home, one of my Facebook friends randomly got in my inbox and told me she had some things in storage that I could have if I wanted it.

Among those things, she had this dresser that I thought I could convert into a buffet for my dining room. I knew I would need some extra storage and since this came to me at $FREE.99 I was gonna make it work.

Guys! This may have taken me a year plus to complete, but boy has it been worth it. It came out so perfectly.

The vision changed a couple of times over the course of the year. And I literally just kept tinkering along on it.

I removed the drawers and painted it almost immediately because I used the leftover paint from when we painted the cabinets last July.

But then it just sat.  For months…

I noticed that I had begun letting stuff pile up on it and I was like “enough”!  

And that sparked me to create the wood top and the upcycling began.

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the process of transforming an old, possibly unwanted or discarded item into something new.

Usually, the newly upcycled piece is of better quality or higher value than the original item.

The concept of upcycling is different from recycling in that instead of breaking down and reprocessing materials, upcycling involves using the existing materials in a new way to create something that is more functional, aesthetically pleasing, or valuable.

Upcycling can be applied to a lot of items, from clothing and furniture to electronics and industrial waste.

The goal of upcycling is to reduce waste and environmental impact by giving new life to items that would otherwise end up in landfills while also promoting creativity and innovation in design.

Is it hard to upcycle furniture?

Upcycling furniture can range from being a simple DIY project to a complex task that requires specialized skills and tools, depending on the scope and complexity of the project.

Some upcycling projects, such as repainting or adding new hardware to a piece of furniture, can be relatively easy and require minimal expertise.

However, more complex projects, such as transforming an old dresser into a buffet cabinet, may require more advanced skills, such as woodworking, upholstery, or metalworking.

Upcycling furniture has become more accessible and achievable for individuals of all skill levels. With some patience, creativity, and a willingness to learn, upcycling furniture can be a fun and rewarding experience.

How I Created The Wood Top

I created the top using some wood pieces I grabbed from Home Depot. I shaped and cut the pieces into equal lengths and widths. Then I attached them to the top of the dresser by screwing them in.

Once it was attached, I sealed the wood pieces and covers the screws using wood filler.

After that, I sanded everything to make it smooth and stained it.

The Shelves

Once that was completed, I swooned over that and then started pushing my hubby to get the shelves in it for me.

Like the awesome husband that he is, he got it done.  Then I lined them with shelf paper, thinking that was easier than anything else, and no one would see the shelves really anyway.

But the shelf paper was not the adhesive type, and so it became a headache moving around and whatnot when I would take out and put dishes away. And while no one except me would really see it, I still wanted it to be nice.

So I pulled everything out and stained those beautiful shelves, and protected them with a coat of polyurethane.

Ahhhh nice!

Then I messed around and had a whole week to myself.  A WHOLE FRIGGIN WEEK! All alone!

I had bought the wood for the doors months ago and it was just in the garage.

While at a DIYer's conference, I won a Dremel Saw Max which was perfect for this project.  It allowed me to be able to make my own cuts for the doors without having to wait on or bother the old man.

Isn’t independence lovely???

I spent a good part of that week alone in the garage putting those doors together for the finishing touch.

When my family came home they were so shocked at the finished project. It felt sooo good!

This is the final outcome. And it is the perfect addition to the kitchen/dining space.

I used some old organizers I had to organize the pans and things in there and BOOM!

What ya think?  Worth the year it took?

Steps I Took To upcycle This Dresser Into A Dining Buffet

Breaking down the dresser

I first removed the drawers and the wood supports on the inside of the dresser for them.  This left jus the frame of the dresser.

Refinishing the outside of the dresser

Then I painted the outside and protected it using polyurethane.  I just followed suit with this after we finished the kitchen cabinets since I was already in a rhythm.

Creating the wood top for the buffet

I knew I wanted it to have a wood top so that it was more sturdy than just a regular dresser top.  Plus it looks good with the other wood accents in the dining area.

From there, I measured and installed the wood on top of dresser using wood screws. And filled the holes with wood filler.  I taped and covered the painted part and then stained and topped it with a protective coat of poly.

Converting the drawers to shelves

Then we added brackets to support the new wood shelves.  And measured for the opening and cut the wood to size. Using a total of four pieces to make two shelves.

After we installed the wood shelves, we reinforced them by screwing them into the brackets for stability and then stained the wood.

Building and installing the doors

The final step was measuring and creating the main part of the doors.

I created the trim for the doors from extra pieces I had and attached them using gorilla glue. Then I filled the seams with wood filler and stained the doors too.

I installed the doors and added hardware and door magnets to help them stay closed.

I truly think this has been one of my most rewarding projects to date. Which I probably say after every project cause they all are so special to me.  But this one really is, because I was able to do a great deal of it myself.  Even if it took me a whole year to get it done.

Remember last month I told you about the team of ladies bringing you all the project inspo? Check out all the upcycled creativity below.

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