How to Refinish a Dresser to Make Old Furniture Shine Again

Remove hardware from the dresser and place in a safe spot. Remove drawers. Place dresser and drawers on a leakproof drop cloth in a ventilated area. Then, wearing gloves and a respirator, use an inexpensive paintbrush to apply a 1/8-inch-thick layer of wood stripper.

Once the entire surface has bubbled, use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the paint. Discard paint remnants in a scrap bucket. If additional paint remains, if the wood is deeply grained, or if the piece is particularly ornate, you might need to apply a second coat of stripper and repeat the scraping process. Use a small wire-bristle brush to remove any paint from crevices.

Using a piece of steel wool and rubbing with the direction of the grain, wipe the wood down with mineral spirits to remove stripper and paint residue. You might see bits of paint on the surface still, but that's OK. Allow the wood surface to dry for about 15 minutes.

Sand the dresser using a medium-grit sandpaper, moving with even pressure and in the direction of the grain. Sand thoroughly, including all details. Wipe down with a tack cloth to remove dust. Sand again with a finer-grit sandpaper. Wipe with a clean tack cloth again. If you are not satisfied with the wood's appearance, sand again, using the finest-grit paper. Wipe down again.

Thoroughly stir stain and, using a paintbrush or staining pad, apply the wood stain, working in the direction of the grain and completing small areas at a time. After applying stain in one section, wait about 5 minutes and then wipe the section with a cheesecloth to remove excess or until you achieve the desired color. Continue applying stain over the rest of the dresser. Repeat staining steps if a darker color is desired. Let dry according to the manufacturer's directions, from 8 to 24 hours.

Wipe down the dresser with a clean tack cloth or cheesecloth. Working first on the horizontal surface, drizzle a light line of polyurethane onto the dresser. Spread in the direction of the grain using a bristle brush, working quickly and brushing over the same area only as much as needed to avoid bubbles, streaks, or imperfections. Cover the entire dresser. Let dry completely, about 12 to 24 hours. 

If a second coat of polyurethane is desired or imperfections appear, lightly sand with very fine grit sandpaper; wipe with a tack or cheesecloth. Repeat the polyurethane process. While the polyurethane dries, spray-paint the hardware. Allow to dry completely, then reinstall.